In the 1950s and 1960s New Zealand's home ownership rates were steadily growing. Aspiring to own your own home was a natural part of family life and this slide shows this perfectly- the young family are dreaming of a large house with a decent lawn. A house that size was a big ambition back then and even harder for most families to afford now! 

Unlike a bank, building societies are owned by their members but offer many of the same financial services. The Societies are able to offer 'ballots' where members who bought shares in a special fund were eligible to receive prizes generated from the fund's interest. Few people won prizes but those who did won more than an equal share from the interest would provide. This was like the former 'Bonus Bonds' scheme which concluded in 2020. For many Society Members the biggest financial goal was to raise enough money for a house deposit. 

This Society was based in Auckland but it appears that Maurice Mead was the local Levin agent who represented them. MAVtech cannot find any information about Mister Mead. Interestingly, despite the invitation to call him there is no phone number on the slide! Was this a mistake, or was the slide one of a pair? If it is the latter that would make it very rare! 

While this slide is for a Palmerston North business, Leader & Watt have since opened branches in both Levin and Foxton. But what makes this slide more interesting is what it says about how the Kiwi idea of 'home' was seen.

In postwar New Zealand home ownership was booming. In fact, owning a home was seen as a rite of passage and if you didn't own one by the time you were forty you were seen as rather suspect. Owning a home also meant maintaining it- the Black & Decker portable drill was invented in 1916 and has since gone through many different versions. This slide suggests that it would make a perfect gift for someone who has their own home (a young family starting out in their first home would need power tools- and fast!).

But this drill was sold to men- with the vision of the 'man of the house' being responsible for fixing and extending the home then accepted as normal. Until a couple of years ago a powertool retailer had a radio jingle saying that their stores were '...a man's world' showing that these outdated ideas have lingered.....

Yates started selling their packets of seeds in 1893. At the time, Aotearoa was slowly becoming an urban country- while the rural sector remained the country's economic powerhouse more of the population was living in the cities and towns. People were proud of their houses, and photography of families posing outside of their homes was second only to portraits in the family albums.

This slide was made much later (probably in the 1950s) but it shows the pride people had in their garden. No garden was shown- this could be any family anywhere in the country. 

The man and women in the slide grip their garden tools like rifles- and this orginally was done on purpose. With food supplies tight during the Second World War, Yates joined the Government in calling gardening a public duty. Images of gardens were displayed next to scenes from the front and the home gardener was drawn like a soldier in overalls. 

This slide may have used leftover imagery from the war to encourage people to keep planting (home gardening remained popular until the rise of the supermarkets in the 1960s). It may have dated from the war itself, but usually these slides mention the war or victory in some way. The 'Reliable Seeds' slogan has been seen in New Zealand newspapers from 1906 to 1962 so doesn't narrow it down much.....

According to a 1981 Jubilee Issue of the 'Horowhenua Chronicle', Lambles Ltd. had a shop on Oxford Street between 1960 and 1968, which looks to be the era of this slide. The house in the picture would have been very trendy in the 1960s with a large fireplace surrounded by interior brick.

Levin's Regent Theatre was also on Oxford Street, so it was just a short walk from the screening down to Lambles for the latest in carpet and furnishings! 

Advertising certainly has changed! Homecraft Furnishers has a range of cinema slides uploaded on Kete and most of them have some rather offensive (and in one case sexist) depictions of Native Americans.

Homecraft furnishings had a store in Foxton in 1987, located on Main Street a few doors down from Clyde Street. The store was not present in 1985, so this is one of the 'newest' cinema advertising slides in MAVtech's collection. 

The company's Levin branch seems to have been present in 1981.

By the time this slide was made, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased to function as a cinema and wouldn't be re-established until it became home to the MAVtech Museum. It is almost certain that this slide was screened in Levin only.

Advertising certainly has changed! Homecraft Furnishers has a range of cinema slides uploaded on Kete and most of them have some rather offensive (and in one case sexist) depictions of Native Americans.

Homecraft furnishings had a store in Foxton in 1987, located on Main Street a few doors down from Clyde Street. The store was not present in 1985, so this is one of the 'newest' cinema advertising slides in MAVtech's collection. 

The company's Levin branch seems to have been present in 1981.

By the time this slide was made, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased to function as a cinema and wouldn't be re-established until it became home to the MAVtech Museum. It is almost certain that this slide was screened in Levin only.

This business is somewhat difficult to place in Foxton. Kete records show that 'Homecraft' was present on Foxton's Main Street in the 1970s before disappering in the early 1980s. However, the business was at the same location in 1987 (with a coffee bar in the location in between times). It is unknown if this is the same business owned by the same people, new ownership or an entirely new firm altogether. Both 'versions' of the company advertise locations in Foxton and Levin. The name of the company is slightly different from the 1980s version.

The style of this slide shows that this was the earlier, 1970s 'Home Craft'. The later slides can be distinguished by their printing and were made in the late 1980s. Unlike the simple interior scene shown here, the later Home Craft slides have some very different designs which wouldn't meet standards today! They too can be seen on Kete. 

A.W. Allen made a strong claim to have 'Foxton's Busiest Store'- although I am sure that the grocery shop would have challenged that statement! A.W. Allen Ltd still would have been very busy- it survived on the same Main Street location (right by Clyde Street) for decades. Kete records show it there in 1955 and still there in 1987. Company records suggest it was dissolved in 1991.

A.W. Allen Ltd also had a store in Levin, with newspaper records showing that it was trading as early as 1937. Those ads also proclaimed that it was 'Levin's Busiest Store!'  Did A.W. Allen retire and hand the business over? Or did he just like being very, very busy!

Not many people in Horowhenua may have gone to Raumati to buy a radio- but some will remember the PYE PZ69! This model was on the market in 1954 and had luxurious sound quality provided by six valves. Most radios only had five and budget models had to make do with four! This PYE also had the versatility of eight wave bands.

It cost thirty nine pounds, seventeen shillings and sixpence- the equivalent of over $1000 in today's inflation adjusted money. On top of that the owner had to pay an annual licencing fee to listen to their radio. This remained in place until 1971. However, cheaper radios at less than half the price were also available. 

PYE only started selling their radios in New Zealand the year before the PZ69 went on sale. These early models were based off English radio sets- but before long PYE NZ was designing their own and were buying a large share in their local partner AKRAD radio (based in Waihi). PYE even started selling televisions here in 1959. A bold move- given that the first public station was still a year away!

This business is somewhat difficult to place in Foxton. Kete records show that 'Homecraft' was present on Foxton's Main Street in the 1970s before disappearing in the early 1980s. However, the business was at the same location in 1987 (with a coffee bar in the location in between times). It is unknown if this is the same business owned by the same people, new ownership or an entirely new firm altogether. Both 'versions' of the company advertise locations in Foxton and Levin. The name of the company is slightly different from the 1980s version. 

This slide has the later logo design but the earlier 'style' of slide- so could have been a transition between the two eras for the company. The lady in green looks to be showcasing a very striking 1970s design which would suit a racetrack quite nicely! Homecraft knew how to advertise- they have many slides in MAVtech's collection.

However, few of them would have been shown in Foxton. By the late 1970s, Foxton's Coronation Hall had ceased being a regularly used cinema so they most likely would have been seen in Levin.

R.N Speirs had a big presence in Foxton and MAVtech has a range of cinema advertising slides showing them advertising timber and cooking appliances! This particular slide is advertising an infra-red electric heater.

Foxton has plenty of late 19th/early 20th century villas and Foxton Beach is famous for it's batches. Both have plenty of character and charm but not a lot of insulation! A heater would be just the thing during a cold, wintery day.  This slide would date from the 1960s (approximately).

Cooking with gas became popular in New Zealand from the 1880s, with local Councils often providing the infrastructure and service. To make sure the service remained profitable, Councils advertised the benefits of gas to those still using coal ranges.

The Levin Borough Council used this advertising slide in cinemas to spread the word about the benefits of gas cooking. Other slides in the series (available to view on Kete) talk about the virtues of gas for hot water supply.

Local Government lost control of gas (and electricity) supply during government reforms in 1989.

This delightfully 1960s bedroom was projected onto Levin's cinema screens during the intermission. Walkley & Norton was trading from at least 1960 when it appeared in the catalogue of the 'Levin Industries Fair'. When a new Levin library opened in 1965 the firm supplied some of the incidental furniture (although I doubt a bed suite would have been included!!). The company changed it's name to 'Levin Furniture Company Limited' on the 30th of October, 1968 meaning this slide must have been shown before then.

Adding to the retro appeal of this slide is that it is hand coloured. Most cinema slides were back then given the cost of colour printing. The hand colouring industry remained viable until the early 1970s with one aerial photography company- Whites Aviation- employing a colourist until the 1990s!

1960 was the high point for New Zealand cinema attendance and 'the flicks' attracted people from all walks of life. It was the best time to advertise on the big screen! 

The passage of time changes how we view images from the past. At the time (probably the 1960s) the Levin Borough Council was encouraging residents to use their gas services. Councils managed the majority of New Zealand's gas supply until the 1989 local government reforms, with many managing electricity too.

In many respects this slide has not aged well. Asides from the sexism of 'Smart Women Cook With Gas' there is the somewhat awkward image of a lady dressed up for a social evening having a quick fry up on the gas stove! But it must have appeared 'natural' at the time.....

Although many cinema advertising slides were taken out by businesses, this form of promotion was also used by charities, clubs, government departments and the cinemas themselves. This one is part advertisement, part public service announcement. 

Formed in 1906, the Levin Borough Council administered local government in the town until it's 1989 merger with Foxton and the surrounding area to form the Horowhenua District Council. But, that wasn't the only change.

Until 1989 many Councils, including Levin, managed the supply of gas in their areas. Which is why the local Borough Council paid for this cinema slide to share the virtues of gas heating!  They even had a 'Gas Committee" in the 1980s!

Many of the former Council's gas documents can be found here https://archivescentral.org.nz/agents/corporate-body/levin-borough-council

A.E Corley was a Foxton building firm active around the 1950s. Kete Horowhenua records show that they built Foxton's 'Podmore Flats' at the base of Seaview Gardens in the 1950s and they were also responsible for 'The Rose Bowl' dining rooms.

Cinema advertising slides were a cheap way for local businesses to advertise. Making it even cheaper were generic slides like this one- a drawing of a house represented all builders with the specific details printed on the window below. Most of these slides were shown during intermission

Written on back with blue ballpoint pens - Jimmy Burton’s house Mangahao N. Clayton Shannon.

Jimmy Burton’s ‘house’, Mangahao 1 B&W photo print

Man stands near doorway (centre), and horse (right).

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

This colonial-style, 4 bedroomed, rural house on 1.0513 Ha was listed for sale online in January 2014.

It was described:

• Driving up the road and seeing this home for the first time will make you appreciate the location and the ambiance this property provides.
• Views of the river and bush out one window and Tararuas out the other.
• Large home just waiting to share the spoils with a family who enjoys swimming, biking, and having room to move.
• 5 small paddocks to graze and a decent lawn to play or create more gardens.
• 1.0513ha

Located on the south west corner of Tiro Tiro and Kawiu roads.

This 4 bedroom vila on a 723m2 section was for sale on TradeMe in April 2013 for $189,000.

It was described:

Large spacious character villa with 3 or 4 bedrooms, or two living areas. *High ceiling studs with carara moulded ceilings are a feature of these villas, Plus-
*Added insulation
*9 months old large Console floor-mounted heat pump makes this home ideal for young families.
*Option for the front room being used as an office with French doors opening to the front verandah.
*Rear living room is open plan with dining and kitchen, and French doors to the back yard with BBQ and patio area.
*Spacious 18sqm.single garage is at the rear of the section.
*B & B Potential, or Home and Business Option
*Huge potential to improve the building, and landscape the grounds.
The tenant is keeping the property tidy so an investor should be quite happy with this purchase.

This 4 bedroon house on a 946m2 section was for sale on TradeMe in November 2013 for $345,000.

It was described:

• The stunning kitchen is a chef's delight with oodles of room and all the mod cons.
• Wander from your beautiful sunny lounge onto the large wrap around deck.
• You will spend many lazy hours there enjoying being at one with nature listening to the birds and admiring the established trees.
• The master bedroom has a walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite.
• Exquisite drapes, new carpeting and stunning Matai floors.
• Double garage.
• A real country feel but oh so close to Foxton township with all it has to offer.

This 3 bedroomed cottage on a 1416m2 section was for sale on TradeMe in November 2013 for $220,000.

It was described:

• Not only a secure backyard and lots of room for kids to play and be safe but an area fenced off for their chickens!!
• A good family home with different living spaces which adds variety & choices to suit.

This3 bedroomed villa was for sale on TradeMe for $129,000 in November 2013.

It was described:

• Situated on a prime corner site this 1910 Villa awaits a new owner.
• The current owners have had a change of plans and need to sell now.
• You will benefit from their labours of new wiring, wood burner, security system and a modern roof.
• The lounge has been extended into the third bedroom but could be turned back into a bedroom with the erection of a wall.
• The well fenced rear yard with mature trees, a carport and single garage complete the package.
• This Villa is priced to sell and is great value for money.
• The privacy, warmth and family feel make this a fantastic property to own.

This 3 bedroomed house on a 1315m2 section was for sale on TradeMe in November 2013 for $130,000.

It was described:

• Located in a great location for school, kindy and shopping centre.
• Add your own charm.
• Excellent fenced section of 1315m2 for all the kids toys, boats etc.
  
  
  
  

This 3 bedroon house on a 4401m2 section was for sale on TradeMe in November 2013 for $145,000.

It was described:

• Live the lifestyle with this fabulous large character home set on over an acre of land.
• The house offers the option of 3-4 bedrooms or 2 living areas.
• Open plan kitchen dining.
• Lounge with cosy woodburner.

This 3 bedroomed cottage was listed for mortgagee auction (rateable value $115,000) on TradeMe in November.

It was described:

• Tough times still present, urgent sale required, mortgagee sale in Shannon.
• 3 bedrooms, large separate lounge with wood burner and a good size kitchen area.
• Work is required to bring this house back to its glory days.
• 758m2 section, descent size back yard plus tandem garage.

This 3 bedroomed cottage was for sale on TradeMe oin November 2013 for $195,000.

It was described:

• This is as cute as the name suggests.
• Located on a well-established corner section it has been lovingly refurbished and refreshed.
• Gardens have been cleared and reformed, yet maintaining the established specimens therefore creating a delightful environment for the new owners to enjoy and treasure.
• Even though only 80sqm the cottage offers ample space for a couple or small family, features being a new kitchen, spacious lounge and three bedrooms.
• Additional outbuildings include a large storage shed plus a double garage, plenty of room for cars and other equipment one needs to maintain a 1/4 acre section.
• Ohau is a sought after location being only a few minutes from Levin township offering great schooling, cafes and a sought after wine producing vineyard to enjoy.

Photo from Google streetView July 2013.

View from Hokio Beach Road.