Photos after the first conscription ballot
Shot on 16 November 1916, the day of the first World War One conscription ballot held under the Military Service Act of 1916, this film shows the female and male staff of the Government Statisticians Office, all dressed in their Sunday best, posing for the camera on the roof of Routh’s Building in Wellington. The New Zealand Truth described the ballot as “An Epoch Making Event in New Zealand’s History” and “the first gamble in human life”. It was also pointed out that the women who are seen in the film, who drew registration cards for the ballot, could possibly “draw their sweetheart’s cards as time goes on”. (Truth, 18 November 1916, p.6)
Photos after the first conscription ballot
Shot on 16 November 1916, the day of the first World War One conscription ballot held under the Military Service Act of 1916, this film shows the female and male staff of the Government Statisticians Office, all dressed in their Sunday best, posing for the camera on the roof of Routh’s Building in Wellington. The New Zealand Truth described the ballot as “An Epoch Making Event in New Zealand’s History” and “the first gamble in human life”. It was also pointed out that the women who are seen in the film, who drew registration cards for the ballot, could possibly “draw their sweetheart’s cards as time goes on”. (Truth, 18 November 1916, p.6)
Year: 1916
Length: 04:14
Production Company: Department of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce
Credits: Filmed by: Sydney Taylor (Government Cameraman)
Source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Catalogue Reference: F3484 [PHOTO SESSION FOLLOWING THE BALLOT AT THE GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN’S OFFICE]
People: Malcolm Fraser (Government Statistician), J. P. Luke (Mayor of Wellington), Harry Holland (Leader of Labour Party & Maoriland Worker representative)
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
The film was shot on 16 November 1916, the day of the first World War One conscription ballot held under the Military Service Act of 1916, at Routh’s Building, Brandon Street, in Wellington. It seems that this was the Government Cameraman Sydney Taylor using up the last of his film after earlier taking a very professional sequence of the ballot itself, which can be seen elsewhere on this site.
It also includes rare glimpses of two well known public figures from the time: Harry Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, who was at the Government Statisticians Office overseeing the ballot as press representative for the Maoriland Worker, and Wellington Mayor J. P. Luke, who also oversaw the ballot.