Women in colonial New Zealand did not have the variety of recreational options available in the "motherland" (Great Britain). Nevertheless, there was a social climate of acceptance if not for the female athlete then certainly for the woman eager to enjoy the fun and freedom of recreational activities. In New Zealand, the social class divisions of England were not replicated to the same degree. Moreover, New Zealand sport never became a "self-indulgent festival of masculinity." Recent studies of the sub-culture of mountain climbing and the development of women's team sports support the view that New Zealand women were petticoat pioneers and that their athletic advances were part of a gradual movement within the society for women's rights. While basic methodologies such as oral history and primary investigation of "popular magazines" are discussed, attention is drawn to the rich potential of documentary archival material in radio, photography, and early film. (Author)