Join us for a kōrero with Angela Wanhalla, Professor of History at the University of Otago, about some of the lesser-known aspects of Canterbury’s WWII Home Front story.

Stories from the Canterbury Home Front during WWII

This illustrated talk will explore the women who married American servicemen, and their fate, through to Māori engagement in the patriotic war effort. What did the home front experience look like for Māori men and women in Canterbury and what impact did the war have on their lives?

Angela Wanhalla specialises in Māori, New Zealand, and women’s history. She is currently involved in two projects: a book on the social, legal and cultural legacies of the American occupation of New Zealand through the experiences of New Zealand’s GI War Brides. She is also working on a collaborative project with Professor Lachy Paterson (Te Tumu) on the Māori Home Front during the Second World War, which is supported by a Marsden Grant.

Image: Created by Jordan Quinnell as part of the Te Hau Kāinga Histories and Legacies of the Māori Home Front, 1939-45 project.