Viewing historical propaganda is helpful in determining historical context. Alexander Turnball Library’s collection holds many significant images which would be classified as historical propaganda and are worthy of exhibition. Tourism propaganda is a section that has not been widely exhibited in the context of New Zealand and its place in the Pacific. Therefore, it provides an interesting perspective into people’s lives in the 1900’s. Shaw Savill’s line poster helps to illustrate the colonial lens of tourism within New Zealand throughout that time; a staunch Pākehā (Captain Cook) is positioned overlooking Mount Egmont. In collaboration with this image, the “Tours to the Storied Isles” poster targeted at a Pākehā audience would help to showcase cruise tourism from New Zealand to the Pacific. This identifies multiple minorities as “the friendlies,” to connect with upon travels in the South Pacific.

These two images, along with the war propaganda poster depicting a soldier and airplane with the text “New Zealand fights in Pacific Skies” helps to demonstrate the colonial lens throughout different historical propaganda images in the 1900’s. Overall, these three images are significant in illustrating the different types of historical tourism propaganda; travel within New Zealand, and from there to the Pacific and war tourism. These images demonstrate the colonial attitude towards influencing New Zealand – Pacific lives through tourism propaganda especially with a mainly Pākehā audience.

Looking at historical propaganda allows researchers and historians to show why and how people at the time were influenced by media to think the way they did. In examining the influence of historical propaganda, we can see the significance it has in creating opinions and how myths have been perpetuated about minority or marginalized groups over time. Looking at these images helps us contextualize the socio-cultural, religious and other beliefs at the time, while demonstrating that propaganda has a significant role to play in creating history. Acknowledging the influence and therefore damage of propaganda helps to prevent dangerous misinformation and perpetuated beliefs about historical events. Overall, it allows us to understand and interpret the past while seeing the influence propaganda has in the present, so that we can prevent history from reoccurring. As Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”