Abstract:
The tenure of the Liberal Government (1891-1912) constituted a defining moment for children's health and welfare in New Zealand. This thesis will argue that this period saw the foundation of the welfare state for New Zealand's children. During this period children were seen as a valuable asset to New Zealand society. Their importance justified the intrusion of the state into all areas of their lives. The motivations behind state welfare provision were a complex mix of altruism, self-interest and necessity. Children, previously understood as their parent's assets came to be recognised as belonging to the nation. The child was no longer perceived as their parents' property; instead children were to be valued for their sentimental and affective value. This thesis will question the primacy of national efficiency as an argument for state involvement in children's lives, suggesting that many politicians and officials were driven by a far more complex combination of motivations, of which altruism and affection should not be underestimated. This thesis examines state activities, as well as involvement in child welfare by two prominent organisations. The Society for the Protection of Women and Children and the Auckland Ladies Benevolent Society both saw children as requiring their assistance and protection and provided many children and their families with invaluable support. They were instrumental in illuminating the extent of child poverty, neglect and abuse and tirelessly lobbied the Government to better protect children through changes to legislation, even though this ultimately highlighted their own insufficiency. This thesis examines the health and welfare of children in four 'sites' and analyses the measures which were taken to protect them in each. These sites include the urban environment, schools, homes and the streets. This thesis will focus on children in Auckland as a case study of intervention. The city, with its dirt and disease was far from the ideal society imagined by the Liberals and undermined the national myth of New Zealand as an Arcadian paradise. This context of urbanisation and industrialisation had a profound impact on how the health and welfare of these children was perceived, and drove many of the reforms which occurred during this period.