Women’s skirts are to be worn at a fashionable length, but not above the centre of the knee cap.

Undated extract, ca. 1987, from General Instructions U.28 covering matters of general appearance. On file 5/5/58 Duty Jacket Jan-Oct 1987.

Announcement of a pregnancy uniform for policewomen: ‘a vitric blue smock with patch pockets worn with the regulation police shirt, tie, epaulettes and number.’ Two are issued for the duration of the pregnancy and are to be returned after use. Stores officer, now the proud mum of a wee girl, Mrs Minoo Varma models the pregnant uniform.'

The Bulletin, October 1989

... endorsed police wearing shorts in summer but only when doing beach patrols or similar holiday activities. Shorts to be worn with navy walk socks, black shoes and short-sleeved shirt. Women have the option of culottes.

The Bulletin, March 1991

1985 Female Inspector

When Angela Harwood QSM, was promoted to the rank of Inspector in 1985, she wore one of the most unique items of headgear in the New Zealand Police at the time.

The design was based on the white, flat topped policewoman’s cap shown previously, but was all blue with braided peak inserted at the front. Whilst female commissioned officers were not unusual, during this period she was one of just a very few in the service.  Photograph courtesy of the NZ Police.

'Police Constable Vickie Gaudie wearing the new policewomen's uniform with trousers, talks with five-year old Emily Jenns from Wadestown, in Lambton Quay, Wellington. Photographer unidentified.

Evening Post Collection EP/1979/0047/8A.  5 January 1979.

ATL 27256

Policewomen’s Cap

The impracticality of the wide brimmed Policewomen’s hat soon became evident and resulted in the introduction of this British influenced design in 1957. Worn on the left by Timaru’s first policewoman, Constable Gwen Taylor.

Photo courtesy of G. Taylor ‘s published in the book A Century of Service by David Thomson Hendrik Kagel.

Shown in both profiles on the right at the time of first issue by two Wellington Constables, courtesy of the NZ Police Bulletin magazine.

In 1977 the debate raged about whether or not police women should be allowed to wear trousers ... The result was that Commissioner Burnside had some trouser suits made up to be worn on a trial basis in the main centres. Eventually, trousers became an optional item of uniform.

New and old uniforms of the New Zealand Police: Policewomen (from left) Marion Fergus (Lower Hutt) Joanna Jennings (Auckland), and Yvonne Nicholas (Wellington). Marion and Joanna model the new uniforms for women, while Yvonne models the old style.' Photographer unidentified

Evening Post Collection EP/1977/3831/10A. 29 September 1977 ATL 27255

From February 1976 further changes were progressively introduced. Uniforms in a vitric blue material, were lighter and cooler than the existing blue serge. A new style shoulder patch appeared on the uniforms bearing NZ’s coat of arms and the word “POLICE”. Police women and commissioned officers who haad previously worn white shirts were given the new mazarine blue cotton polyester shirts issued now to all ranks. Minor alterations to the polocewomen’s uniform continued to the made throughout the decade, including the introcution of a new cap for summer wear.