Story: Men and women in the city

A man’s country

A man’s country

More men than women migrated to New Zealand in the 19th century. Most settled and worked in rural areas, farming, milling timber or mining. The higher proportion of men and the physicality of rural work reinforced the idea of New Zealand as a ‘man’s country’. This image of farmer and All Black Colin Meads was on the cover of The New Zealanders, published in 1975. Meads was widely seen as the quintessential New Zealander – although by 1975, 84% of New Zealanders lived in towns and cities.

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Millwood Heritage Archives
Photograph by James Siers

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How to cite this page:

Caroline Daley, 'Men and women in the city - Man’s country, woman’s city?', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/24587/a-mans-country (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Caroline Daley, published 11 Mar 2010