I'm interested in...
reset filter
Est. 1985
Object – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Manawatu Deaf Fishing Trophy: Lake Ferry

Manawatu Deaf Society
1979
Images – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Team Photo: Manawatu Deaf Society Basketball Team, N.Z. Deaf Sports Convention, 1979

Manawatu Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Kevin Pivac
  • John Mansell
  • Tony Walton
1989
article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Deaf athletes see red

A Christchurch man has designed an international first for the World Games for the Deaf, designing a visual starter for athletic and swimming events.
NZSL Stories
  • Michael Lynch
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
Est. 1968
Object – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Bob Scott Memorial Shield: Inter-Club Badminton

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Doug Croskery
  • Shona McGhie
  • John Mansell
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Pam Croskery
  • Jonathan Anton
  • Tony Walton
1992
Images – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Team Photo: Manawatu Deaf Society Indoor Bowls Group, 1992

Manawatu Deaf Society

Preserving our tāonga – our NZSL history and language.

Find out more! 

1962
article – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Deafness helps him to be champ

Stewart Smith, deaf secretary of the Deaf Welfare Centre, has rounded off a successful season by winning the Auckland indoor centre's champion-of-champion singles.
Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Colleen Norris
  • John Mansell
Friends for Young Deaf (FYD)
Friends for Young Deaf (FYD)
Friends for Young Deaf (FYD)
Est. 1994
COLLECTIONS – CURATED BY SIGNDNA: DEAF NATIONAL ARCHIVE

Friends for Young Deaf (FYD)

The Friends for Young Deaf (FYD) movement swept through New Zealand when Christoph Blum was appointed as Youth Coordinator in 1994 after training in England in the early 1990s. The theoretical components of leadership were put into practice on a real-time basis, merging with the Kiwi love of camps and outdoor living. Many of today’s young Deaf leaders participated in an FYD camp at some stage of their development.
1981
article – Taonga source: Central Leader

Deaf singers in song

For the last 15 months, the Independent Theatre of the Deaf has performed in venues all over Auckland as the Deaf Sign Singers.
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Susie Ovens
1951
Images – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Team Photo: Auckland Adult Deaf Society Indoor Basketball, 1951

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Doug Croskery
  • John Mansell
1989
video – Taonga source: Dorothy Jones

Deaf Kiwis abroad!

Deaf New Zealanders take timeout for some sightseeing during a trip to the first, week-long Deaf Way conference in 1989 in Washington DC, USA.
Dorothy Jones

Help us name people in videos!

Yep, I’m keen! 

Est. 1985
Object – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Manawatu Deaf Indoor Bowls: Hazelwood Trophy – Pairs

Manawatu Deaf Society
2006
article – Taonga source: NZ Catholic

Deaf community gathers to honour teacher and friend

The deaf community of the lower North Island gathered in Palmerston North on the last weekend of September to honour a teacher and chaplain, mentor and friend who has worked with the deaf since 1972.
1989
publication – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Auckland Deaf Society newsletter: September 1989

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Colleen Norris
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Jonathan Anton
  • Jeff Went
  • Doug Croskery
  • Tony Walton
  • John Mansell
1979
Images – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Team Photo: Manawatu Basketball Deaf Club, 1979

Manawatu Deaf Society
1992
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

NZSL interpreting course begins

The first NZSL interpreting course has recently started in Auckland, being led by Drs. David and Rachel McKee. We take a peek at one of their NZSL classes, and Rachel predicts the areas of work graduates will go into.
Television New Zealand Archive

Do you have films, photos or papers about the Deaf World?

Yes, I do!  

1989
article – Taonga source: The Press

Games crowd pleaser blind and deaf

One of the crowd favourites at the sixteenth World Games for the Deaf has been the blind and deaf wrestler from Canada, Pier Morten. Although being disadvantaged by not being able to see his opponents, Morten fights tenaciously and reacts speedily to holds applied on him.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
  • Milton Reedy
1989
article – Taonga source: Pam Witko

Going for gold

New Zealand's Michael Lynch is on target for a gold medal in the 200m butterfly event at the World Games for the Deaf.
Pam Witko
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • Michael Lynch
  • Jeff Went
1982
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post

Sports convention for the deaf

Imagine a packed stadium and not one of the 10,000 spectators’ voices heard by the athletes competing. That was the scenario painted by deaf table tennis and basketball player Kaz Witko who travelled with the New Zealand team to the international deaf sports convention in West Germany last year.
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Susie Ovens
  • John Mansell
  • Milton Reedy
2015
publication – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Absolutely Positively Windy Deaf: June 2015

Wellington Deaf Society
1969
video – Taonga source: Janice and Gary Howard

Annual Auckland Picnic at Orewa, 1969

Members of the Auckland Deaf Society and friends attend the annual picnic at Orewa Beach in March 1969.
Janice and Gary Howard
NZSL Stories
  • Pam Croskery
  • Doug Croskery
  • Richard Hay

Do you know any online videos that SignDNA should link to?

Let us know! 

1989
video – Taonga source: Rodney Roberts

Christchurch WGD Men’s Basketball Final

Crowd based footage of the Men’s Basketball final at the 1989 World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch, which USA won 127-56. This footage includes the warm up, edited highlights of the match, medal ceremony, team photos, and post-match socialising.
Rodney Roberts
NZSL Stories
  • Susie Ovens
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
1989
article – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Deaf angry at threat facing News Review

Deaf people are angered and disappointed by the threat facing the TV show News Review.
Wellington Deaf Society
2016
video – Taonga source: Attitude Pictures

Deaf Teen’s New School

Gaby Evans is 13 and moving hundreds of kilometres from her rural home to Auckland's Kelston Deaf Education Centre. Until now she's been isolated, and never had to know how to sign. If she's going to make it on her own she's going to have to come out of her shell and learn to communicate with her deaf classmates.
Attitude Pictures
1962
video – Taonga source: Susan Hamilton

Driver training for Deaf students

Two traffic officers visit Kelston to teach older Deaf students the drivers road code.
Susan Hamilton
NZSL Stories
  • John Mansell
1978
Images – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Team Photo: Auckland Deaf Society Basketball Club, 1978

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • John Mansell
  • Tony Walton
  • Kevin Pivac

Everyone has a story to tell.

Share yours! 

1987
video – Taonga source: Ngaire Doherty

Using drama as a means of communicating

A group of deaf and hearing-impaired people feature in ‘First Half’, where they “are using drama as a means of communicating”.
Ngaire Doherty
1980
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

Ephpheta: June 1980 (Vol. 3, No. 2)

St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
2017
article – Taonga source: Western Leader.

Growing up CODA

Jack and Oliver Leach switch between two languages. Their parents Monica and Stephen Leach are both deaf. "It's awesome because we can be really loud," Oliver said. The brothers who can hear, had grown up as CODA - or Children of Deaf Adults.
Western Leader.
Est. 1971
Object – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Wellington Deaf Society Badminton: Women

Wellington Deaf Society
1972
Object – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Pennant: Bankstown Deaf Indoor Basketball Club, New Zealand Tour, 1972

Manawatu Deaf Society

Do you know of an online article that SignDNA should link to?

Let us know!