Story: City children and youth

Commercial skills

Commercial skills

Girls tap typewriters and boys take shorthand in a commercial class at Auckland Technical College in 1903. While typing and stenography were initially seen as useful skills for all students, by this time the mechanised and routine aspects of office toil were increasingly considered women’s work. This gave girls more opportunities to gain commercial jobs, which had higher status – if not always better pay – than factory work.

Using this item

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira
Reference: C15,498

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'City children and youth - Working children', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21948/commercial-skills (accessed 2 May 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, published 11 Mar 2010