Immigration after 1945
The end of assisted immigration
There was a fresh wave of immigrants from Scotland after 1945. But the end of assisted immigration in 1975 curbed the flow. By the time the last major influx of migrants stopped in 1976, Otago and Southland were no longer predominantly Scottish centres. The Scottish population was fairly evenly distributed around New Zealand. However, Scottish traditions remained strong in the south.
Words of Scottish origin
The dialect spoken by Lowland Scots is called Lallans, and is entirely different from the Gaelic spoken in the Highlands. Lowland Scots dialect has left its mark on the English spoken in New Zealand. ‘Wee’, meaning ‘little’, is the most common word of Scottish origin still heard. The popularity of ‘-ie’ or ‘-y’ as a suffix, as in ‘wharfie’ (waterside worker), ‘footie’ (the game of rugby football) and ‘shrewdie’ (a shrewd person), is also a legacy from colloquial Scots.
A variety of occupations
Until 1975 the country’s attraction as a land of economic opportunity motivated Scots to journey to the far side of the globe. One woman who arrived at the age of 15 with her family after the Second World War reflected later that if she had stayed in Scotland, she would have had little respite from post-industrial working-class hardships. Despite being wrenched away from friends and familiar places as a teenager, she believed she had gained a better life.
About a third of Scottish immigrants who were living in New Zealand in 2001 came with professional or business skills, and another third were white-collar workers. Less than a third worked in trade or working-class occupations. The wool industry in particular continued to draw Scots with particular expertise or skills.
