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Story: Taxes

Harry Atkinson's property tax

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Harry Atkinson's property tax

This 1882 caricature features a camel as the taxpayer loaded down by premier Harry Atkinson and his swag of taxes, including the property tax he introduced after coming to power in 1879.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-095-045

by William Hutchison

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Paul Goldsmith, Taxes – Taxation – 1840 to the 1880s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/cartoon/21528/harry-atkinsons-property-tax (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Paul Goldsmith, published 27 October 2009, updated 2 September 2016.