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Story: Immigration regulation

Keeping New Zealand British

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Keeping New Zealand British

It was believed that New Zealand should be reserved for people of British descent. Britannia, the helmeted woman symbolising Britain, was on New Zealand’s penny coin for many years. She also appeared in performances and parades, and was a popular theme for ‘tableaux vivants’ in halls around the country. This Stratford School tableau was probably staged during the First World War.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, James McAllister Collection (PAColl-3054)

Reference: 12300-1/2

by James McAllister

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

Ann Beaglehole, Immigration regulation – 1881–1914: restrictions on Chinese and others, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1369/keeping-new-zealand-british (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Ann Beaglehole, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2015.