Skip to main content

Story: Beach culture

Pt Chevalier, 1964

Document

After the Second World War, the beach became associated with sexuality and escape from the restraints of daily life. This is described in Maurice Gee’s novel Going west (1992). Download the document to read an extract (42 KB).

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: M667/4

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.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Beach culture – Beach culture, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/9120/pt-chevalier-1964 (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 2 March 2009.