Page 177 - Constructing Craft

Helen Mason. Photo: Marti Friedlander.

Helen Mason, and the other craftsmen and women who placed great value on living

and working in a rural environment, where in most other ways ordinary New
Zealanders pursuing an interest that, in some cases, supported them financially.

Rural New Zealand, and to some extent urban New Zealand, was a conservative
society in the 1960s and 1970s but was largely welcoming of individuals like Mason,

the Lairds and the Davises.

Rules get in the way

Town and country planning issues were problematic for many craftspeople because
the legislation controlling where and how small craft businesses operated was often

fragmented and out of date. In Britain, where craftspeople were considered a part of
the cultural heritage of rural areas, they were supported by the Council for Small

Industries in Rural Areas (CoSIRA) and the Rural Development Commission (RDC).
In New Zealand, where craft in rural areas was not considered economically or

Constructing Craft