Kiwiana
Encyclopedia
Cultural icon
A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
s and kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
.
Origins
Items of kiwiana are generally either unique to, or particularly common to New Zealand, particularly from the early and mid twentieth century. Although the term is sometimes used to describe any and all New Zealand icons, it is more commonly used to describe pop culture items such as toys or branded foods. A few more serious national icons have become kiwiana through heavy use in advertising and the souvenir industry. These include the kiwiKiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
and the hei-tiki
Hei-tiki
The hei-tiki is an ornamental pendant of the Māori which is worn around the neck. Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu which is greenstone, and are considered a taonga . They are commonly referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small...
. Kiwiana is generally seen as a form of kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
.
Kiwiana may be the result of the high regulation of New Zealand's economy during that period. Tariffs and other methods encouraged local manufacture rather than imports, which meant that New Zealand was less exposed to consumer goods from other parts of the world than it is now. The trade policy may also have led to the creation of products specifically for the New Zealand market.
A number of products widely regarded as kiwiana, such as Weet-Bix, Watties tomato sauce, Marmite and L&P, are made by non-New Zealand companies. In some cases this is because the original New Zealand company has been purchased by an overseas corporation, in others the product has always been made by an international firm. A number of companies with products deemed to be 'kiwiana' have enthusiastically cashed in on this. For example a Watties advertising campaign has claimed that "you'll never be a Kiwi 'til you love your Watties sauce", even though the company is now American-owned, and a Sanitarium
Sanitarium Health Food Company
The Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies . Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church....
campaign in the 1990s claimed that "Kiwi kids are Weet-Bix kids". The advertisement was a dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
version of an Australian advertisement that claimed that 'Aussie kids are Weet-bix kids' and the landscape in the background of the advertisement is recognisably Australian. Other companies have attempted to create their own Kiwiana. For example McDonalds has an off and on 'Kiwiburger
Kiwiburger
The KiwiBurger is a hamburger sold at McDonald's restaurants in New Zealand. It consisted of a four-ounce beef patty, griddle egg, beetroot, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onions, tomato sauce, and mustard on a toasted bun. The egg is poached in a round shape. The burger was also sold in Australia under...
' sold within their stores in New Zealand; which was an attempt to duplicate the traditional New Zealand style of burger. Its main distinguishing features were a slice of beetroot and a fried egg, and its advertisement was essentially a sung list of kiwiana items; the item most recently appearing from August 2011 as a part of the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. A series of L&P commercials, featuring Jemaine Clement
Jemaine Clement
Jemaine Clement is a New Zealand comedian, actor and musician, best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Bret McKenzie.-Early life:...
of Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
, are based around Kiwiana themed items, and were very popular with New Zealanders.
In recent decades kiwiana has become a subject in itself, and several celebratory books have been published. A range of products using kiwiana motifs have also been produced, including Christmas tree decorations, cards, t-shirts, garden ornaments and jewelry. There are Kiwiana sections in many New Zealand museums, and some are dedicated to showing Kiwiana only. In 1994, New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post, commonly referred by its acronym, NZPost is a State owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.-History:...
released a set of stamps
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
depicting kiwiana items including a pavlova, fish and chips, rugby boots and ball, and a black singlet and gumboots.
Well-known examples
- All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
— national Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team. - Buzzy BeeBuzzy BeeThe Buzzy Bee is a popular toy in New Zealand. It resembles a bee with rotating wings that move and make a clicking noise while the toy is pulled along the ground. Possibly based on an earlier American concept, it was designed and first produced in New Zealand in 1948, by Maurice Scheslinger . it...
— wooden child's toy. - Cardigan BayCardigan Bay (horse)Cardigan Bay was a New Zealand Harness racing horse foaled 1 September 1956. Affectionately known as "Cardy", he was the first Standardbred to win US$1 million in prize money in North America. He was the ninth horse worldwide to win one million dollars,...
— a famous racehorse from New Zealand, who was the first trotter to win a million US dollars. - Chocolate fishChocolate fishThe chocolate fish is a confectionery from New Zealand. These candies are fish-shaped, are 6 to 8 inches in length, and are made of pink or white marshmallow covered in a thin layer of milk chocolate. Several companies make the fish but the most well recognised is Cadbury, which makes foiled and...
— confection of marshmallow covered in chocolate, in the shape of a fish. - Edmonds 'Sure to Rise' Baking Powder, the distinctive Edmonds factory (demolished in the late 1980s), and the Edmonds CookbookEdmonds CookbookThe Edmonds Cookery Book is the quintessential guide to traditional New Zealand cuisine. It was first published as The Sure to Rise Cookery Book in 1907 as a marketing tool by a manufacturer of baking powder, but it is now known as a Kiwi icon...
. - Footrot FlatsFootrot FlatsFootrot Flats was a comic strip written by New Zealand cartoonist Murray Ball. It ran from 1975 until 1994 in newspapers around the world, though the unpublished strips continued to be released in book form until 2000...
— popular cartoon strip by Murray BallMurray BallMurray Hone Ball ONZM , a New Zealand-born cartoonist, has become known for his Stanley the Palaeolithic Hero , Bruce the Barbarian, All the King's Comrades and the long-running Footrot Flats comic series...
. - Gumboots — calf length rubber boots, usually in black
- HāngiHangiHāngi is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven still used for special occasions.To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the...
— Method of cooking using heated rocks buried underground in a pit oven. - Hei-tikiHei-tikiThe hei-tiki is an ornamental pendant of the Māori which is worn around the neck. Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu which is greenstone, and are considered a taonga . They are commonly referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small...
— Māori neck pendant, often in plastic versions sold to tourists. - Hokey pokey ice-creamHokey pokey (ice cream)Hokey pokey is a flavour of ice cream in Australia and New Zealand, consisting of plain vanilla ice cream with small, solid lumps of sponge toffee - known as "hokey pokey" in New Zealand...
— plain vanilla ice cream with added small, solid lumps of toffee. - Jandals — beach footwear with a bit of sole but very little else. AKA flip-flops (USA,UK), thongs (Australia).
- KiwiKiwiKiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
— native bird; its stylised image or shape frequently appears on things associated with New Zealand. - KiwifruitKiwifruitThe kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
— fruit from a vine originating in China but selectively bred by New Zealand horticulturalists to obtain egg-sized fruit with green or gold flesh. In New Zealand it was originally called "Chinese gooseberry". - L&PLemon & PaeroaLemon & Paeroa, also known as L&P, is a sweet soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. Traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, it is now manufactured by multi-national Coca-Cola....
— a popular soft drink. - Longest Drink in Town — since 1968, this iconic blue and red giraffe image has appeared on the side of paper cups used by dairies and icecream parlours for milkshakes
- MarmiteMarmiteMarmite is the name given to two similar food spreads: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand...
— a dark and salty spread made from yeast extract, similar to VegemiteVegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
. New Zealand Marmite is distinct from British Marmite, in taste and recipe. Marmite is made in New Zealand, as opposed to Vegemite, which is made in Australia. - Number 8 wireNumber 8 wireNumber 8 wire is a gauge of wire on the British Standard wire gauge that has entered into the cultural lexicon of New Zealand.It has not been sold under that name for three decades, since it was replaced with the equivalent 4.0 mm wire in the metric system. As such it is still widely used in...
— a gaugeAmerican wire gaugeAmerican wire gauge , also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 predominantly in the United States and Canada for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire...
of wire often used inventively and practically for applications other than for fencing. It is also used as a term that epitomises the "kiwiKiwi (people)Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand, as well as being a relatively common self-reference. The name derives from the kiwi, a flightless bird, which is native to, and the national symbol of, New Zealand...
bloke" as someone who can turn their hand to anything. - PauaPauaPāua is the Māori name given to three species of large edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs which belong to the family Haliotidae , known in the United States and Australia as abalone, and in the United Kingdom as ormer shells.-Species:There are three species of New Zealand pāua:New...
— the polished shell of the native paua (abaloneAbaloneAbalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
) shellfish, turned into jewellery and souvenirs or ashtrays. Once considered kitschKitschKitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
, it is starting to regain its popularity. - PavlovaPavlova (food)Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue with a crisp crust and soft, light inner. The name is pronounced or , unlike the name of the dancer, which was or ....
— a light and fluffy meringue dessert named after the ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova - Whittaker'sWhittaker'sJ.H. Whittaker & Sons, Ltd is a confectionery manufacturer specialising in chocolate and based in Porirua, New Zealand. Whittaker's is the second-biggest chocolate brand in New Zealand, behind Cadbury. The company controls its entire manufacturing process, calling itself a "bean-to-bar"...
peanut slab - a chocolate and nut confection manufactured in PoriruaPoriruaPorirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
that comes in various chocolate varieties - Phar LapPhar LapPhar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
— a horse from New Zealand, who won many prestigious races in Australia and North America. Also an Australian icon. - Pineapple lumpsPineapple lumpsPineapple Lumps are a flavoured chocolate covered confectionery with a soft, chewy pineapple-flavoured middle that are unique to New Zealand. They are often identified as Kiwiana...
— confectionery made with a pineapple flavoured centre covered in chocolate. - Railway crockery — a typically heavy style of crockery used in the state railway system
- Silver fern — native plant; its stylised image or shape is displayed on army insignia and by many of the national sports teams.
- SwanndriSwanndriSwanndri is a trade name for a range of popular New Zealand outdoor clothing.The item was widely worn by farmers, but in recent years its popularity has spread and it has become something of a fashion item. The Swanndri company also now produces a range of more urban-focussed garments.The classic...
— a 100% water-proof woollen overcoat. Popular amongst farmers due to it being 'warm in winter, cool in summer'. Typically made in a tartan/patch work pattern. Often blue and black, or red and black in colour. Often worn in conjunction with Gumboots and/or Stubbies. - Tip-Top ice cream.
- Watties tomato sauce (especially when served in a plastic container shaped like a tomato).
- Four Square supermarketsFour Square supermarketsFour Square is a chain of supermarkets in New Zealand. During the 1950s the Foodstuffs advertising department designed the famous "Mr 4 Square" who initially appeared only in newspaper advertising and posters, but was developed to become part of the Four Square identity, appearing in every Four...
— especially Mr Four Square, the marketing logo.
See also
- Culture of New ZealandCulture of New ZealandThe culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British and European custom, interwoven with Maori and Polynesian tradition. An isolated Pacific Island nation, New Zealand was comparatively recently settled by humans...
- CanadianaCanadianaCanadiana is a term referring to things related to the country of Canada. It is most often used to refer to a class of books somewhat wider than Canadian Literature because it also includes books about Canada as well as Canadian non-fiction works....
— a similar concept in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - AmericanaAmericanaAmericana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
— a similar concept in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - AustralianaAustralianaAustraliana is an item of historical or cultural interest of Australian origins. Australiana often borrows from Australian Aboriginal culture, or the stereotypical Australian culture of the early 1900s....
— a similar concept in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Further reading
- Stephen Barnett and Richard Wolfe (1989), New Zealand! New Zealand! in praise of Kiwiana.
- David McGill (2000), Good old Kiwi identities: the folk who put the kiwi in kiwiana.
- Richard Wolfe and Stephen Barnett (2001), Kiwiana! the sequel.
External links
- Kiwianatown.co.nz - Kiwiana displays and the Kiwiana Festival in Otorohanga
- Kiwiana showcase on Matapihi.org.nz - Kiwiana images and multimedia from New Zealand cultural organisations