Susan Thomas (Jeffries)

Weekend celebrations are kickstarted with a Māori Deaf kapa haka group to perform a haka powhiri. Vintage teachers such as Les Bury briefly summarise their experiences of working in Deaf education over the years.

The grit! The determination! The hours of practice! Finally it’s game day for the first Deaf Netball New Zealand versus Australia in Manawatu. Watch highlights of the gameplay followed by expert post-match analysis and limbo shenanigans at MDS. Good times.

Susan Thomas takes the reins at the studio this week on ‘News Review’. The team recaps footage from the World Games of the Deaf which wrapped up on the Tuesday before. Watch records being broken, and some footage of our Kiwi athletes in action!

The 32nd New Zealand Games for the Deaf is featured on News Review, covering athletics, basketball, table tennis, lawn bowls and netball. The question, ‘Why have a Deaf Games?’ is put forward to competitors and officials! Footage also features the much appreciated ‘Canterbury Duck’ that Deaf kids had requested more of!

In 1987, News Review became the first New Zealand programme to incorporate NZSL in its production. The show ceased in 1991 and to date, there has not been a similar programme using Deaf presenters or NZSL in full.

A fancy dress party is held at the Canterbury Deaf Society’s clubrooms.

Footage and interviews from the final Friday night at Deaf Club at Auckland Deaf Society before its long-awaited re-development in 2006.

Susan Thomas talks about her many life experiences, love of sports, and what it was like to work on ‘News Review’ as a Deaf presenter in the late 1980s.

The Christchurch Deaf Mens Basketball team travel to Greymouth, accompanied by the Deaf netball team.

The Northern Deaf womens’ team wins the third sevens tournament, comfortably beats Central 60-0 and Southern 34-0. Southern beats Central 34-5.

Footage of the 1991 Christchurch Deaf Society's picnic day held at Spencer Park. On a progressively windy day the local Deaf community gathered to enjoy traditional Deaf community games including tug-of-war, egg throwing, welly throwing, and some less common games such as a dress-up relay.