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Story: Poles

A reliable worker

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A reliable worker

When Pole Aleksander Niedaszkowski came to New Zealand he brought with him not just his certificate of identity from the International Refugee Organisation but also, to help him find employment, a testimonial that he was a reliable worker and a man of good conduct. Originally a locksmith, he had worked from 1947 to 1950 as a stevedore. In New Zealand he became a spot-welder.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: MS-Papers-6025

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How to cite this page

Theresa Sawicka, Poles – 20th-century arrivals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/1176/a-reliable-worker (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Theresa Sawicka, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.