Metrication in New Zealand
New Zealand started metrication in 1969 with the establishment of the Metric Advisory Board (MAB) and completed metrication on 14 December 1976.[1]
Strategy toward metrication
The New Zealand metric symbol, which can be seen to the right, was introduced in March 1971. To give metrication a human face, a baby girl whose parents agreed to co-operate was named Miss Metric.[2] News and pictures of her progress were intermingled with press releases about the progress of metrication. By the end of 1972 the temperature scale, road signs, and measures used in the sale of such items as wool and milk had been metricated. Only a few letters voiced outright opposition to the changeover.[dubious ]
Current exceptions
Although New Zealand completed metrication in the 1970s, a study of university students undertaken in 1992 found a continued use of imperial units for birth weight and human height alongside metric units at that time.[3]
The aviation industry is one of the last major users of the old imperial system: altitude and airport elevation is measured in feet. All other aspects (fuel quantity, aircraft weight, runway length, etc.) use metric.
References
- ↑ Consumer Affairs, November 2006 accessed 28 August 2013
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19771005&id=4MgwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dAIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6924,4465370
- ↑ "Human use of metric measures of length". Dignan, J. R. E., & O'Shea, R. P. (1995). New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 24, 21–25.
