Abstract:
The book retraces the historical development of swimming and water safety education against an ever changing socio-cultural backdrop by exploring dominant themes from early Maori history, nineteenth century European colonisation, the early twentieth century impacts of global events (including two world wars and the Great Depression), later twentieth century economic prosperity and stability, and concludes with a snapshot of the first decade of the new Millennium with all its attendant educational fluidity and uncertainty. It is hoped that this record will inform not only social and educational historians but also the water safety education and drowning prevention community as they strive to make New Zealand’s aquatic environments safe places to work and play and thus continue our rich aquatic heritage.