Throughout its long life, New Zealand's "School Journal" has reflected and informed its social contexts. Not only has it charted shifting perceptions of childhood, but also the often conflicting ideologies of educational philosophy, pedagogy and practice. This article examines two periods of immense social and political change in New Zealand and their influence on the "Journal. "The first of these extends from 1907, the year of the "Journal's" inception, to the final year of World War 1 in 1918, during which the structures and values of British imperialism, religion and war predominated, but were counterpointed by European romanticism and notions of individualism, freedom, and natural learning. The second period extends from 1919 to 1938 when New Zealanders sought security, and an identity independent of Great Britain, with the "Journal" reproducing familial structures as well as a continuing romantic strain. It was a burgeoning romanticism, in fact, that led to the liberal spirited, revised syllabus of instruction in 1935. This in turn paved the way for the curriculum reforms from 1939 into the 1950s, which I discuss in a further article.