Cost of Living
How Much Things Cost
McCallum documented the cost of everyday household items, travel expenses, entertainment ticket prices and construction costs.
He leaves a primary source for the cost of goods during this time. Simultaneously, these transactions paint a vivid picture of his personal activities.
Currency
In the mid 1800’s, standard gold, silver and bronze British coins were allowed to circulate freely in New Zealand and in 1870 became the official legal tender coin of the country.
It wasn’t until 1933 when New Zealand introduced its own coinage with distinctive local markings.
Household Expenses
McCallum tracked his household expenses in a variety of ways; as part of a journal entry, in a ledger at the back of his diaries, or in his cashbooks. We learn the cost of small everyday items such as food, haircuts, clothes, etc.
In addition to recording the cost of an individual transaction, McCallum monitored his annual expenditure. This enables us to learn what an average family spent on a yearly basis.
Sample expenses include:
1891 – Jury duty paid £1.10.0
1891 – Ticket to dance (Gladstone Hall) 2/6
1893 – Order pair of pants cost 21/-
1900 – Hat 16/6
1900 – Haircut 8p
1906 – Maid started @ 8/- per week
1906 – Living expenses £5 pw for last 8 months
1907 – Brought home £150 worth of jewelry
1907 – Nurse £8-8
1910 – Up at Police Court. Fined £1-0
1910 – 4/0p to get Ferry tickets
1911 – Nearly bought a nice car for £120
1913 – Dentist agreed to teeth for £7
1917 – Gave Hetty birthday present of £4-4-0
1918 – Sold my byke to for 40/-
1937 – Cigarettes 1/-
Cause Of Marital Tension
Many arguments ensued with his wife over financial matters. See the excerpt below recorded soon after their marriage.
Travel Expenses
McCallum diligently recorded the cost of his many travels, both domestic and his overseas journeys.
We learn the price of large and small ticket items; from his boat passages, train tickets and accommodation costs to the prices he paid for breakfast and a beer. Sample extracts:
1891 – Diggings 2/6 per week
1892 – Struck for 7/3d duty
1900 – Boat Ticket from England to Paris £3/5/0
1900 – Donkey ride Cairo 3/0
1900 – Horse to Jerusalem 11/6
1900 – £53-5-10 for the boat passage from San Francisco to Sydney
1905 – Paid 6/- for a room
1930 – Tahiti 105F a week
1930 – 77F for room & 28F for breakfasts
1933 – 10/0p pw for room & breakfast (Melbourne)
Building Costs
As the owner of a flourishing construction company, McCallum spent many hours estimating and tendering (bidding) his projects. His records provide a glimpse into the cost of housing a century ago as well as wages rates for labourers, carpenters and bricklayers.
In addition, we gain insight into the cost breakdown of the individual sub trades, the plumber, the blacksmith and the painter. Since the diarist built both residential and public buildings, we also learn what a hotel or a school cost during colonial times. Sample costs include:
1890 – Built shed for £12.13.0
1892 – Agreed to build shops for £425
1892 – Let brickwork for £29.9.0
1892 – Let glazing for £16.17.0
1896 – Labourer at 2/6d a yard & his tucker
1897 – Monty bought house in Short St £420
1898 – Let drainage for £7-0-0
1898 – Agreed to build stables £1,100
1899 – Excavating for £5-0-0
1899 – Whitewashing accepted £4-3-3
1901 – Offer to bricklayers 1/6 for 44 hours
1902 – Cannot build bridge for less than £2,000
1905 – Had to pay £7-10-0 to get painting done
1907 – Atea constructed at a cost of £1086
1909 – Agreed 20,000 ft of Oregon at 14/0p
1910 – Bought a cottage in Liverpool St for £375
1910 -Tendered for engine shed at £218
1910 – Signed contract for 7 cottages for £2080
Costs In Today’s Dollars
An interesting exercise is to compare the cost of what various items mentioned in the diaries would cost today.
An easy-to-use online “inflation calculator” enables converting historical costs into today’s current dollars. The diarist’s base currency of the time was pounds, shillings, and pence.
- For example, in 1900 the £53-5-10 for the boat passage from San Francisco to Sydney equates to approx. NZ$9000 in today’s dollars. (i.e. British Pounds £4,500 or US$7,000).
- In another example, the £247 annual cost of living in 1906 equates to approx. NZ$38,000 in today’s dollars. (i.e. British Pounds £4,500 or US$7,000).
Website: rbnz.govt.inflationcalculator
Cash Account
Example of one of McCallum’s cashbooks below – daily expenses during his European travels in May 1900. (enlarged for ease of viewing).
