Page 61 - New Zealand: Natural Wonders North & South

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in commercial development.

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Rush (fueled in large part by the success of American prospector William Fox, who was
crafty enough to claim 220 pounds of gold for himself before letting the word get out) that
Arrowtown’s population exploded to 7000. Among the hopeful were large numbers of Chinese
who established settlements that remain to this day.

While few struck it rich through panning for gold, new arrivals to New Zealand were won
over by its natural splendor. The town of Rotorua, in particular, gained a reputation for its
supposed “healing waters.” An area of great geothermic activity, Rotorua also attracted
visitors eager to gaze upon the Pink and White Terraces, impressive structures formed by
deposits of silica as a result of volcanic activity.

Emergence on the World Stage

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With the invention of refrigeration, New Zealand suddenly assumed a much greater role in
the world economic scene, as it could now export perishable products like meat, butter, and
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of New Zealand’s modern economy.

As New Zealand become more visible to the rest of the world, the native Maori population
continued to decline precipitously. By 1900, fewer than 42,000 Maori remained. And while
they had been allowed to vote since 1867, each year saw the loss of more and more of their
culture and ancestral lands.

Kiwis (the name adopted by residents of New Zealand) fought alongside the British during the
Boer War of 1899-1902 and with the Allies during both World Wars. New Zealand achieved
complete independence from Britain in 1947. The economy soared following World War II, as
agricultural prices rose dramatically. Soon, the country could boast one of the highest per-
capita incomes in the world. And New Zealand’s progressive social welfare system made it the
envy of many. New Zealand was home to the world’s most comfortable middle class, with few
very rich and relatively few very poor.

Politically, New Zealand has been in the forefront of social welfare legislation for over a
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adopted old age pensions (1898); a national child welfare program (1907); social security
for the aged, widows, and orphans (1938); and minimum wages, a 40-hour workweek,
and unemployment and health insurance (also in 1938). Socialized medicine went into
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The Modern Era

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