poll tax

 the poll tax

the poll tax was an event in the 1800's of the NZ gold rush, the NZ government didn't like the Chinese and other settlers staying in New Zealand mining for gold and taking their jobs so they charged them a tax to come to NZ. It was up to $19,000 in today's money. It was extremely unfair. Some of the things put in the newspaper where racist. but now today Chinese and other settlers can settle in NZ like anyone else.