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New Zealand Maid
Esther James and Her Campaigning New Zealand and Australian Walks During the Great Depression
Brief Description
New Zealand Maid tells the story of Esther James's unprecedented walk the length of New Zealand in 1931-32, wearing only New Zealand-made clothes and eating only New Zealand-produced food to promote local products during the Great Depression. She continued her journey from Melbourne to Brisbane in...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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New Zealand Maid
$3899
$4000
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
An illustrated non-fiction book on Esther James's campaigning walks in New Zealand and Australia during the Great Depression.
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Description
New Zealand Maid tells the story of Esther James's unprecedented walk the length of New Zealand in 1931-32, wearing only New Zealand-made clothes and eating only New Zealand-produced food to promote local products during the Great Depression. She continued her journey from Melbourne to Brisbane in 1932-33 to publicise New Zealand tourist attractions.
Every stage of her progress in New Zealand was followed by newspapers and fledgling radio stations, and devoured by the public. Bands played her into cities and towns, which feted her with official welcomes, civic receptions, dances and socials. Reporters bombarded her with questions. Autograph hunters thrust pens and paper at her. Poets waxed lyrical about her. She fast became a celebrity.
It was part distraction, part inspiration, and part symbol of people's aspiring progress out of the economic and social gloom.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780473775988
Publisher: Saddle Hill Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 June 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Saddle Hill Press
Illustration: 130 colour and black and white illustrations
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 180.0mm
Height: 240.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 170
About the Author
Ian Dougherty is a Dunedin journalist and historian. He is the author of more than 30 non-fiction books on New Zealand history, biography, culture and society, including five previous biographies: Arawata Bill on the legendary gold prospector, William James O'Leary; Books and Boots on the writer, publisher and long-distance walker, Alfred Hamish Reed; Pulpit Radical on the social campaigner, Rutherford Waddell; A Good Joke on the art forger, Karl Sim; and Shooting Folly on the cartoonist James Brown.
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