Welcome to 1970s Protest Photos website

Online archive of photographs from the 1970s in New Zealand

Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) Wellington members attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Wellington Cenotaph. Wreaths were laid by representatives of armed forces. The PYM laid a wreath to PEACE . Roger Cruickshank with the wreath to be laid.

Students leaving the university to march to Rugby Union office in Wellington protesting against the proposed All Black tour to South Africa. 11 June 1970. Harry Harrison second from the right nearest to camera

Pro-choice protestors gather at Parliament at different times in 1974 to protest against abortion laws and to support the Auckland Clinc right to carry out abortions.

American Independence Day ball in 1973 at the Majestic Cabaret, Willis St, Wellington. Demonstrators voice their disagreement with USA involvement in the Vietnam war.

In Wellington workers stop work and march to the Employers Federation office protesting about the use of injunctions preventing workers withdrawing there labour. The march was also in solidarity with Bill Andersen imprisoned for defying a Supreme Court injunction.

Members of Te Reo Māori Society perform a waiata in Parliament’s Māori Affairs committee room during Māori Language week in September 1973. The Society presented a letter to the Minister of Education calling for bi-lingual schooling throughout New Zealand for all New Zealanders, Māori and Pākehā. From left, Rāwiri Rangitauira, John McCaffery, Peter McLean, Robert Pouwhare, unidentified, Hēmi Pōtatau, Rangi Nicholson, Teri McIntyre, Whaimutu Dewes, Alice Coromandel, Piahana Tamahori.<br /><br />KEITH STEWART

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 environment, human rights, better working conditions, and tino rangitiratanga, and against racism, apartheid, war, inequality and injustice. Through our exhibitions and our archive, engage with history, and learn about political activism 50 years ago.

The Photo Exhibitions

There was an exhibition in Wellington in March 2023 of sixty-nine photographs from this collection. In May 2024 there was an exhibition in Palmerston North of those photos as well as thirty-three additional photographs from Manawatū protests from the 1970s.

Please click below to see the Wellington exhibition online and the additional material and photographs from the Manawatū exhibition.

Exhibition available on loan

We are happy to make these exhibition photo panels and information panels available to other towns and cities in New Zealand. As the Manawatu exhibition is proving, the addition of local protest photos adds value to a very well received and popular exhibition. If your centre has institutions that hold protest photos, or has individuals who have photographed protests in the 1970s then a local group could volunteer to search these out and use them. Get in touch with us at enquiry@1970sprotestphotos.nz if you want further information.

The relevance of these photos will never go out of date!

The Archive of Photos

This is where we are storing all the photos we have collected so far. You can browse them. They are arranged in 13 categories. Clicking below will take you to the categories page and then you can browse each one.

Digital Files available

High resolution files of most of the photos on this website are available on request. The photos credited to Stuff NZ Ltd in the exhibitions are not available through this site.

If you have protest photographs from the 1970s we would love to add them to this website.

Also we gratefully accept any donation to assist with hosting costs.

Contact us

enquiry@1970sprotestphotos.nz

Welcome to 1970s Protest Photos website

Online archive of photographs from the 1970s in New Zealand

Search all the site