Anti-apartheid activism was largely centred around rugby tours between the All Blacks and the Springboks from the late 1950s through to the early-1990s. During the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand, more than 150,000 people took part in demonstrations around Aotearoa, including Palmerston North. Other sports such as hockey, surf lifesaving, squash, and lawn bowls, were also targeted for protest.
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Anti-apartheid demonstrators outside the NZI (NZ Insurance) building in Palmerston North. The protester on the right is Cyril Francis "Red" Parsons (1942-1982), a school teacher and Massey University lecturer who was active as a community organiser.
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: Corner of King Street and Rangitikei, Palmerston North
Date: September 1976
Anti-apartheid demonstrators outside the NZI (NZ Insurance) building in Palmerston North. The protester standing in front of the column is Cyril Francis "Red" Parsons (1942-1982), a school teacher and Massey University lecturer who was active as a...
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: Rangitikei Street, Palmerston North
Date: September 1976
Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. On 16 June 1980, 15 people with signage worded "Remember Soweto" held a silent vigil in Te Marae o Hine/The Square to protest violent events in South Africa. Whilst the anti-a...
Creator: Elizabeth Ward
Place: Palmerston North
Date: June 17, 2023
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 15 August 1981, with the caption: "Protesters arrested in city march." This march began in Amesbury Street and continued down Broadway, to the Fitzherbert...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 15, 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, depicting the march in protest of the rugby match played between the South African Springboks and the Manawatū provincial team. The march ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: “Protesters march down Church Street in a demonstration of solidarity against the tour.”
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: "Police march alongside the Protesters.”
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 22 July 1981, with the caption: "Half mast flag marks 'shame' day: Palmerston North's anti-tour protestors marked New Zealand's 'National Day of Shame' wi...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: July 22, 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, depicting the march in protest of the rugby match played between the South African Springboks and the Manawatū provincial team. The march ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981. Anti-Apartheid and anti-Springbok tour protestors picketed the touring Springbok rugby team’s hotel – The Fitzherbert Motor Inn – but the ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: "Marchers in the vanguard of today’s protest were well protected with hard helmets and heavy clothing.” COST (Citizen's Opposed to the ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
Anti-apartheid demonstrators outside the NZI (NZ Insurance) building in Palmerston North.
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: 42 Rangitikei Street, Palmerston North
Date: September 1976
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981. The Standard reported that as many as 1000 police were involved in planning for protests on game day, including the specially formed ‘Red ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 03 August 1981, with the caption: "On the verge of the unknown…the thin blue line faces the protesters.” The Standard reported that protesters against the Springbok Rugb...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 22 July 1981, with the caption: "Half mast flag marks 'shame' day: Palmerston North's anti-tour protestors marked New Zealand's 'National Day of Shame' with a peaceful m...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: July 22, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: "A section of the large crowd which gathered outside the Boks’ hotel the DB Fitzherbert this morning.” Anti-Apartheid and anti-Springbo...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 1 August 1981, with the caption: "Ground in state of siege." Barbed wire was erected around the Showgrounds and barricades blocked parts of Cuba Street in anticipation o...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
Approximately 5,000 people showed their opposition to the pending Springbok rugby tour by marching down Broadway then into The Square. They assembled at the Lions Den where they were addressed by a variety of speakers. The march was headed by Labo...
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North
Date: May 2, 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: "Rugby fans watch the protesters.” The Standard reported “About 50 people from inside the Carlton Hotel came out on the street and heck...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
Graffiti protesting the South African rugby team (The Springboks) tour of New Zealand in 1981.
Creator: Colin Rush
Place: Palmerston North
Date: 1981
This image was taken for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981, with the caption: "Police with Long batons and riot helmets block Cuba Street near the Showgrounds.” This image likely depicts the police line formed in ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981. Extra police personnel were flown into Palmerston North in anticipation of game-day anti-Springbok Tour and anti-Apartheid protests. The S...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
On the eve of the Springbok vs Manawatū Rugby match at the Showgrounds, army engineers from Linton moved into the grounds under the cover of darkness to ring the Oval with rolls of barbed wire.
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: The Showgrounds. Palmerston North
Date: 1981
Graffiti protesting the South African rugby team (The Springboks) tour of New Zealand in 1981.
Creator: Colin Rush
Place: Palmerston North
Date: 1981
Protesters march around The Square in demonstration againist the South African rugby team (The Springboks) tour of New Zealand in 1981.
Creator: Colin Rush
Place: The Square, Palmerston North
Date: 1981
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981. The Standard reported “About 50 people from inside the Carlton Hotel came out on the street and heckled the marchers, but the exchanges we...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
Local historians weekly "Back Issues" article in the Manawatū Standard. Stephen Berg recalls the tensions in Palmerston North between rugby supporters and anti- Springbok tour protesters, July and August 1981.
Creator: Stephen Berg
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 13, 2022
This image was taken (but not used) for a story that ran in The Manawatu Evening Standard on 01 August 1981. The Standard reported that the protesters stood ‘eyeball to eyeball’ with Police in riot gear for 24 minutes during an unplanned standoff ...
Creator: Manawatū Evening Standard
Place: Palmerston North
Date: August 1, 1981
Anti All Black tour demonstrators were addressed by the National President of HART, Mr. Trevor Richards, at the Clock Tower in Palmerston North’s Square. Mr. Richards spoke to the 200 strong crowd for about 45 minutes before they marched to the Sh...
Creator: Manawatu Evening Standard
Place: The Square, Palmerston North
Date: May 20, 1970
Saturday 12 September. 1.30 March and Rally. Stop The '81 Tour. Fight apartheid. Assemble Amesbury St.' Part of a collection of posters that were displayed in the Public Library in the 1970s - 1980s.
Creator: Unknown
Date: September 1981