1970sprotestphotosnz

09/03/2026

Greeting all
The 1970s Protest Photos website have been updated. There is now a link on the home page to a number of videos associated with the project. Look for the green button at the bottom right.
www.1970sprotestphotos.nz
There are a number of songs recorded by the PJs at the 2023 exhibition as well as a video of the launch including all the speeches. Although long it is well worth watching.

Also at the 2026 reboot we were fortunate to have the FFS (For Futures Sake) perform some songs. These will also be available on the video page as well

Welcome to 1970s Protest Photos website Online archive of photographs from the 1970s in New Zealand About this website This website presents a collection of photographs capturing the spirit of protest in New Zealand in the 1970s, when people took to the streets for civil liberties, peace, the enviro...

09/03/2026

Greetings in 2026.

I am pleased to announce we have a 2026 reboot of the 1970s Protest Photos Exhibition from 2023.

In conjunction with Mike Delany, owner and artist of 247 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington there is an exhibition of the photographs and information panels as well as 2020s protest art work.

This will run from the 6th March to 11th April 2026.
10.00am-4.00pm Fridays and Saturdays.
4.00pm-7.00pm Tuesdays.

11/07/2025

Greeting all followers. It has been a long time since there was a post for which we apologise.

However we have some good news. We have been supplied with a lot of negatives of photos taken by Patricia Sarr in the 1970s and early 1980s.
A lot of Patricia's photos were of union protests/pickets/meeting as well as environmental protests. These are areas where the archive is lacking so we are grateful for them.

In particular she provided us with a lot of photographs of the Clutha Rescue campaign in the 1970s against the damming of the Clutha River. See this photo from our exhibition. https://1970sprotestphotos.nz/exhibition-environment2/

A big thanks to Patricia for entrusting us with her negatives and allowing us to post the photos.

We have scanned all the negatives and are progressively adding relevant photos to the online archive.
Go to the Trade Union Action and Environment section of the Archive to see the new photos.

As of the date of this posting we have added 92 new photos in the Environment section and sixty three new in the Trade Union Action section.

Here are a couple of photos from her collection.

28/05/2024

Greetings all. This is just a post to tell you we have refreshed our website www.1970sprotestphotos.nz . There is now information about the May Manawatu exhibition - 1970s Decade of Protest- including the extra photographs and we have posted an additional 109 photos in the Archive. They are in the Anti-Apartheid category.

27/04/2024

Greetings all.

The Manawatu exhibition of 1970s protest photos is in Palmerston North and starts next week on 1st May. It will consist of 70 photographs from the original exhibition from Wellington last year and an extra 30 photographs focused on Manawatu protests. If you are unable to get to the actual exhibition site ( highly recommended) the extra photos will be available on our website (along with the original 70) - www.1970sprotestphotos.nz from the 1st May. Here is an article about the exhibition in the Manawatu Standard. https://www.stuff.co.nz/society/350256576/back-issues-1970s-decade-protest

Growing up in rural New Zealand, I didn’t have a lot of political protest in my young life. But...one of my strongest memories was having an impassioned argument with my father about apartheid.

03/04/2024

Dear followers. We have been busy working with people in the Manawatu to bring the 1970s protests photos exhibition to Palmerston North AND exhibiting local photos from that period.

Please read the information below and if you are in the Manawatu visit the exhibition.

Kia ora friends,

1970s: Decade of Protest - Manawatū Exhibition

Our exhibition “1970s Protest Photos NZ - ‘Where were you in ’72?” will be on show again, with a whole added section of Manawatū protest photos, in Palmerston North at Square Edge Community Arts Centre May 1 -26 2024.

The 33 additional photos (some never published before) were taken by Manawatū Standard photographers. Palmerston North people took to the streets on all the important issues and we look forward to the locals spotting themselves and their friends and relatives in the photographs.

The negatives are archived at Manawatū Heritage in the Palmerston North City Library and we are grateful to staff and volunteers there who have searched these out and made them available, as well as Manawatū Standard and Stuff Ltd for permission to exhibit.

We have put together this exhibition with Dion Martin from Unions Manawatū and his wife Maryanne Mechen, as well as Linda Burgess, all activists in Manawatu in the seventies.

The opening celebration is on May Day: Wednesday 1 May at 5.30pm.

The exhibition will be on our website 1970sprotestphotos.nz from 1 May along with our first exhibition and additions made since it was shown.

1970s: Decade of Protest - THE BOOK – copies still available

Roger Steele published the book of the first exhibition with additional photos added, in December 2023. Copies are still available to buy. Price $40 from Steele Roberts Aotearoa. Order your copy by emailing Roger Steele [email protected] Also available at Unity Books.

Nga mihi

Cheryl Dimond for the 1970s PROTEST Photos NZ steering group: David Jenkins, Chris Lipscombe, Chris Livesey, , Sue Ryall, Roger Steele, Keith Stewart, Paul Tolich, Hilary Watson, along with Dion Martin and Maryanne Mechen . Email [email protected] fo further information.

28/11/2023

We just uploaded 124 photos under the International Solidarity category in the Archive section.

See

There was solidarity with the plight of international students in New Zealand, particularly in Wellington. Malaysian students faced the risk of prosecution on their return to Malaysia if they had participated in protests in New Zealand. Demonstrations were held particularly in Wellington with regula...

07/11/2023

Greetings all. Our latest newsletter is out. See below.


1970s Protest Photos NZ UPDATE November 2023
1970s: DECADE OF PROTEST Book release
We are pleased to announce that a book of the exhibition is being published!
Its 100 pages include the exhibition photographs, text and timelines, and additional
photographs.

Copies available from 27 November 2023.
Price $40 + postage $10
Published by Steele Roberts Aotearoa.
Order your copy by emailing Roger Steele:
[email protected]
It will also be for sale at Unity Books.

Our 1970s Protest Photos NZ exhibition will be shown in Palmerston
North at Square Edge Community Arts Centre 1-19 May 2024
Covering the themes of the decade: Anti-Apartheid, Housing, Gay Rights, Trade Union
action, Racism, Tino Rangatiratanga, Environment, Women’s Rights, Civil Liberties and Peace,
the exhibition drew large numbers of all ages when shown in Wellington at Te Auaha Gallery
in March this year, so this is a welcome chance for more people to see it.
If you are a Palmerston North local and want to help with the organisation of this exhibition
please contact us, [email protected], or Dion Martin,
[email protected]
Get in touch if you have photographs of protests in the Manawatu in the 1970s. We also
welcome donations towards costs involved in this exhibition.
Pay to 1970S A DECADE OF PROTESTS 38-9023-0743318-00
Put your name and “Square Edge”” as a reference.

Film showing: OHMS Protest: A Celebration of Resistance
This documentary which premiered at DocEdge Festival earlier this year will screen at
Lighthouse Cinema Cuba, 29 Wigan Street, Wellington on Monday 27 November at 6.00pm.
6.00pm Free nibbles. (Drinks extra). Film at 6.30 followed by a panel discussion.
To book: Deposit $15 per person in OHMS Reunion Bank Account: 38 9023 0686624 00.
Enter your name as a reference and also email Geoff at [email protected] and Ken
Howell at [email protected] to let them know you have booked in case it is booked
out and they need to contact you.

Website
Our website 1970sprotestphotos.nz continues to be added to. You can view the whole
exhibition including text and timelines on https://1970sprotestphotos.nz/what-is-the-2023-
exhibition/.
Take a look at the archive section to see what has been added. There are now 844 photos in
the Archive. The website has been visited by 1,460 people. The top 10 countries of origin of
the visitors to the site are, in order: New Zealand, United States, Australia, Ireland,
Anonymous, United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Italy and Korea.
We welcome more contributions of protest photos from the 1970s.

Obituary
We want to acknowledge the death of Tony Larsen in October and pass on condolences to
his wife Kay and the rest of his whanau.
Tony, who lived in Wellington, features in one of the exhibition photos leading a march from
the front, as usual, and attended the launch of the exhibition in March.
Tony was a staunch advocate for political change since his teenage years. He was a member
of Wellington Progressive Youth Movement and advocated for many causes over 50 years.
He was also a gifted musician and had strong views on music.
Also with Kay he ran Datastream InstantPrint in Wellington for many years providing
printing and design service to many people and political groups at low or no cost
Tony was farewelled at the Aro Valley community hall with korero and waiata earlier this
month.

09/09/2023

Greetings followers.
51 photos added tonight of an Anzac day 1973 event. The Students Association of Victoria University in Wellington tried to lay a wreath with the official participants at the cenotaph but there was an objection. Have a look at these photographs.

ANZAC day 1973. Peter Wilson, President of the Students Association of Victoria University of Wellington attempted to lay a wreath at the Wellington Cenotaph. An objection by a member of the Returned Services Association meant that it was not laid until official ceremonies were finished. The student...

07/09/2023

Yet more photos loaded onto the site.
Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) members lay a wreath in 1970 at the Wellington cenotaph- 28 photos-and there are photos of a vigil by Christians raising money for Vietnam reconstruction funds- 3 photos. Remember if you can identify people let us know at [email protected]

Thanks

https://1970sprotestphotos.nz/pym-laying-wreath-at-wellington-cenotaph-in-1970/

https://1970sprotestphotos.nz/christian-hunger-vigil-for-vietnam-reconstruction-in-cuba-mall-wellington-1970/

A group of Christians gather in Cuba Mall Wellington New Zealand for a hunger vigil to raise money for reconstruction in Vietnam after the war. Photographer: Keith Stewart