Boom & Bust

With World War I and the flu epidemic past, the good times rolled through the 1920s. Then came the bust of the Great Depression, prompting widespread poverty - that was worse for some - and the rise of the first Labour government.

It's the 1920s and kiwi prosperity is reaching a new high point. Yet the roots of another disaster are lurking beneath the surface... The Great Depression rips through the global economy, causing huge political upheavals, unemployment and, here in New Zealand, the birth of cradle to grave welfare.

Watch the video version of the episode here

Topics covered:

Prosperity in the 1920s, new technologies, increasing home ownership and educationThe causes of the Great Depression with a particular focus on the NZ economy's reliance on British markets. The impact of the Great Depression on unemployed workers, their families and on single women. The 1931 earthquake.The rise of the NZ Labour Party and their social welfare policies Māori experience of the Great DepressionNotable Māori political figures in this time period, particularly Apirana Ngata, Te Puea Herangi.The rise of the Ratana Church and Wiremu Ratana's alliance with Labour.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details