Gary Lewis

Work

The 40-hour work week routine

Most workers followed a 40-hour week, often with a standard weekend that effectively shut down most shops and entertainment. The workday was typically marked by a morning tea break, known as a smoko, and industrial action was common.

Music

A memorable local radio jingle

An Auckland dental clinic advertised its services with a catchy radio jingle sung to the tune of Clementine. The song became so familiar that children treated it like a playground chant, and it was requested at parties for decades.

At the table

High Meat and Milk Consumption

In 1953, the average New Zealander consumed 107 kg of meat and 154 litres of full-cream milk annually.

Work

Shift to urban work and services

During this period, New Zealand transitioned from primary industries like farming towards urban employment, with many working in factories, offices, and public services. While farming remained a key export earner, by 1975 only about one in eight workers were employed in agriculture or mining.

Daily life

Cooking methods shifted to electricity

While 38 percent of dwellings used coal, wood, or coke ranges for cooking in 1945, by 1971, 87 percent of New Zealand homes had transitioned to electric stoves.

What it cost

Worker wages and household costs

In 1956, a new radio cost about four weeks of pay for an average worker, while in 1975 the average weekly wage was $95.