The Years Back - 13, The State of the Nation (Episode 13)

This consolidating episode of the archive-based New Zealand history series finds World War II at an end, the return of Kiwi servicemen and the country in an optimistic mood. That's sealed by the 1950 British Empire Games where New Zealand is third on the medal table. But rising prices and low incomes lead to more militant unionism, culminating in the fractious waterfront workers dispute of 1951. At the same time there's a new flowering of the arts. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is established and a new generation of writers and artists take centre stage.

District High School was very much geared to a manual programme. The boys built, they were the carpenters. So they were getting practical experience. The girls learned cooking, so there was a very heavy bias towards this kind of curriculum.

– Anne Delamere, Social Welfare Officer

Key Cast & Crew

Catherine Isaac

Director, Editor

David H Fowler

Producer, Writer

Anne Davidson

Researcher

Geoffrey Scott

Executive Producer

Derek Wright

Series Script, Writer

David S Connor

Technical Adviser