War ‘Zones’: The Metropolis and New Zealand, 1940 and 2005

Abstract

In the aftermath of the recent London underground bombings the media almost immediately drew upon the Blitz in an attempt to provide some historical context to these events. These comparisons were largely baseless; yet the coverage in New Zealand certainly suggests some historical context is necessary. These events exposed a quiet legacy of empire: the continued significance of the metropole in New Zealand's cultural life. This paper explores that legacy through the lenses of 1940 and 2005, and argues for a further reconsideration of ‘contact zones’ in the centre and on the periphery.