Story: Housing and government

State houses: 100,000th house (4th of 4)

State houses: 100,000th house

The 100,000th state house was opened by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon in 1978. It was a small unit in the Christchurch suburb of Hornby. Its first tenants, Mr and Mrs Stagg, were empty nesters whose children had left home, and so they no longer needed a large state house. The prime minister arrived early and after a quick tour he declared it 'very comfy'. Running late was the former undersecretary for housing in the first Labour government, John A. Lee. He had been at the opening of the first state house in Miramar, Wellington, 41 years earlier and he was not going to miss this occasion. After the ceremony Lee held court on the front porch, with the assembled crowd hanging on his every word.

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Hocken Library, University of Otago
Reference: S11-148e

Permission of the Hocken Library Uare Taoka o Hakena, University of Otago, must be obtained before any re-use of this image. Further information may be obtained from the Library through its website.

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How to cite this page:

Ben Schrader, 'Housing and government - State loans and state houses', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/32428/state-houses-100000th-house (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Ben Schrader, published 20 Jun 2012