War Economy
Noteworthy Events Since The War
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Noteworthy Events Since The War
| Year | Overseas | New Zealand Events Directly related to the War | Other New Zealand Events |
| 1945 (from August) | VJ Day. 15 August. | War Cabinet dissolved, 21 August. | |
| Organisation for National Development dissolved in November. | |||
| Maximum rate of demobilisation in December quarter. | |||
| 1946 | Very few manpower direction orders issued after January. | Family benefit benefit made universal in April. | |
| Remaining manpower controls lifted in June. | North-South air-freight service inaugurated. | ||
| Termination of Mutual Aid Agreement with the United States of America in July. | Some relaxations in North Island electric power restrictions. | ||
| Bulk purchase contract for wool expires. | |||
| 1947 | Gift of £10 million sterling to Britain in March. | Clothing rationing abolished. | First South Island electric power restrictions. |
| Dairy Commission takes over marketing of dairy produce. | |||
| 1948 | Tea, sugar and meat rationing abolished. | Return of £NZ to parity with sterling in August. | |
| War assets realisation almost complete. |
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| 1949 | Consumers' Price Index adopted. | ||
| Successful RNZAF experiments in aerial top-dressing of farms. | |||
| Defeat of Labour Government. National Government takes over in December, pledged to fewer controls and more competition. | |||
| 1950 | War begins in Korea. | Land sales control lifted. | Many imports freed from quantitative controls in July, further relaxations follow. |
| Petrol and butter rationing abolished. | Record wool prices. | ||
| 1951 | Wool prices even higher. They reach 240d. a pound at Christchurch. | ||
| Prolonged waterfront dispute from February. | |||
| Bank advances expanding rapidly. | |||
| 1952 | Last of wartime wool surpluses sold. | Exceptionally high importing—exchange allocation system introduced. | |
| 1953 | Power restrictions suspended in North Island—first time in 12 years. | ||
| 1954 | Rehabilitation expenditure starts to diminish. | Exchange allocation scheme terminated. | |
| 1955 | End of rigid system of price control. | Newsprint mills open at Kawerau. | |
| End of shortages of washing machines and some other consumer durables. | Rate of increase in retail prices slows down. | ||
| Exceptionally high importing. | |||
| 1956 | American distributions of surplus butter and cheese cause concern in New Zealand. | Last of wartime building controls removed. | Severe power restrictions in South Island. |
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| 1957 | European Economic Community created in March. | High imports. | |
| Dairy produce given duty-free right of entry to Britain till 1967. | Labour Government assumes office in December. | ||
| 1958 | Dairy produce prices in Britain lowest since 1946. Dairy Produce Account runs into deficit. | Most wartime backlogs of construction work overtaken. | Export prices falling—overseas reserves low. |
| Import controls brought into full force. | |||
| Overseas assets down to £53 million in usually high month of June. | |||
| P.A.Y.E. taxation introduced. | |||
| Considerable increases in indirect taxation. | |||
| End of electric power restrictions. | |||
| 1959 | Revised trade pact gives right to reduce preference margins on New Zealand imports from Britain. | ||
| 1960 | Labour Government defeated in November elections. | ||
| 1961 | Britain seeks entry to EEC. | Court of Arbitration instructed to take productivity into account in fixing wages. | |
| New Zealand agrees to a system of quotas for entry of butter to British market. | Bank advances expand rapidly. | ||
| 1962 | Cook Strait rail-ferry service commenced with Aramoana. | ||
| 1963 | Britain's bid to join EEC fails. | ||
| 1964 | Work starts on Cook Strait power cable. |
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