After the earth moved: Accounting and accountability for earthquake relief and recovery in early twentieth-century New Zealand

Abstract

There has been little discussion of what archival accounting evidence can contribute to an understanding of a society's response to a natural disaster. This article focuses on two severe earthquakes which struck New Zealand in 1929 and 1931 and makes two main contributions to accounting history. First, by discussing evidence from archival sources, it contributes to the literature on accounting in a disaster. This provides a basis for future theory building and for future comparative research related to the response to more recent natural disasters such as the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquakes. Secondly, it questions the conclusions of recently published research concerning the role of central and local government in this and recent earthquakes.

Accounting for natural disasters from a historical perspective: A literature review and research agenda

“…Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting a high concentration of studies only on one disaster’s typology, namely, earthquakes (i.e. Hunter and Ogasawara, 2019; Imaizumi et al, 2016; Miley and Read, 2013; Odell and Weidenmier, 2004; Okazaki et al, 2019; Pereira, 2009; Shimizu and Fujimura, 2010; Siodla, 2017; Vosslamber, 2015), which is also confirmed by the relatively higher presence of more investigations in contemporary accounting journals (Jayasinghe et al, 2020; Sargiacomo, 2015; Sargiacomo et al, 2014; Sargiacomo and Walker, 2020).…”

“…Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting a high concentration of studies only on one disaster's typology, namely, earthquakes (i.e. Hunter and Ogasawara, 2019;Imaizumi et al, 2016;Miley and Read, 2013;Odell and Weidenmier, 2004;Okazaki et al, 2019;Pereira, 2009;Shimizu and Fujimura, 2010;Siodla, 2017;Vosslamber, 2015), which is also confirmed by the relatively higher presence of more investigations in contemporary accounting journals (Jayasinghe et al, 2020;Sargiacomo, 2015;Sargiacomo et al, 2014;Sargiacomo and Walker, 2020). While there are examples of studies on other types of disasters in general accounting journals -like contemporary investigations on bushfires (Taylor et al, 2014), floods (Lai et al, 2014;Sciulli, 2018) and hurricanes (Baker, 2014;Perkiss and Moerman, 2020) -surprisingly, the impact of these latter natural calamities is overlooked by extant historical research in accounting, business and economic history journals.…”

“…This lacuna is even more important if we consider natural disasters, where different governmental bodies at central and local levels had to concurrently work to provide immediate relief to the population then sustain long-term recovery. Although Miley and Read (2013) and Vosslamber (2015) have added investigations of New Zealand's earthquakes, there is still much to add on other disasters' settings with a diverse focus of public sector accounting, like healthcare and transport. For example, state and local government accounting regarding the 1900 Great Galveston hurricane and the 1913 Great Dayton flood are still unexplored.…”

“…Focusing on New Zealand’s 1929–1931 post-quake recovery, Vosslamber (2015) broadens the conversation in Accounting History by using archival sources to enhance an understanding of post-earthquake relief and recovery in New Zealand’s territory and society. In particular, the author emphasises how examining the archival sources advances accounting and disaster literature, thus paving the way for new theorisations and/or possible subsequent comparative research focused on more recent natural calamities.…”

“…This article also complements and extends the conclusions offered by the previously published Miley and Read’s (2013) paper focused on accounting in national/central/local government and New Zealand’s earthquakes. Importantly, it illuminates that relief resources were primarily provided by the private sector, but their distribution was coordinated and monitored by central government, which also assisted the rehabilitation of affected businesses by advancing loans (Vosslamber, 2015: 530).…”