Mission accomplished WEEKLY GOALS THEN & PRESENT DAY

As we flick back through the archives, we discover our magazine ideals have remained true to that first issue

- Donna Fleming

The first issue of the Weekly, with just 64 pages, went on sale on December 8, 1932, and introduced itself like this: "The New Zealand Woman's Weekly is born with a definite mission and a definite objective. It is to go forth among New Zealand women - rich and poor, young and old- and preach the gospel of usefulness, cheerfulness, and happiness. Its mission is to teach, to entertain, to assist, and to amuse; its objective to become a national family journal in the truest and lest sense of the word."

As the Weekly celebrates nine decades of publication, we like to think we've accomplished everything on that checklist and more. In its 90 years of life, we hope it's been a valuable source of information, a relaxing diversion from everyday stresses, an inspiration for how to live an enjoyable and fulfilling life, and a trusted friend you can rely on to keep you entertained.

Since Otto Williams and Audrey Argall produced that first issue from an office in Auckland's Queen Street, the magazine has navigated its way through depression, several recessions, a world war, the arrival of digital technology, and a global pandemic.