Terry Siviter

The New Zealand team manager, Tony Walton, reports on the team’s results at the Los Angeles 1985 World Deaf Games including where the team stayed and played at.

The New Zealand Deaf team marched on Dominion Road, accompanied by police, with farewell speeches at Auckland Deaf Society before departing for the 15th World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles.

Members of the Auckland Deaf Society and friends attend the annual picnic at Orewa Beach in March 1969.

New Zealand sends 30 athletes to the 15th World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles, with footage of the opening ceremony. The flagbearer for New Zealand was John Ooteman, with Susie Ovens carrying the kiwi mascot. The Gallaudet Dance Company also put on a performance. Footage shows a fly by with a sign saying ‘WELCOME WORLD GAMES FOR THE DEAF’.

The Auckland Deaf Society Basketball Club celebrate their ‘Golden’ Anniversary, their 50th anniversary, at the ADS Balmoral clubrooms where people share their memories of being involved in the basketball club.

The opening of Kelston on a site in Archibald Road featured the infamous ‘Te Pakanga o Whau’ (The Battle of Whau) in 1959 where 86 deaf students acted in an outside play featuring a Māori-Pakeha battle near a big gum tree field.

The Battle of Whau: a drama by Kelston Deaf students for the opening ceremony of Kelston School for the Deaf, 7th November 1959.

The New Zealand basketball team battled it out with Sweden on 13 July 1985, at Pepperdine University, Malibu. The first half went to Sweden, 81 to 25, before the New Zealanders fought back for a better second half, ending with 156 to Sweden and 74 to New Zealand. It was the New Zealand basketball team’s second loss at the Games, having earlier lost to Israel. They came 7th out of 8 teams at the Games.

A packed YMCA hall with supporters watching the Auckland vs Christchurch men’s basketball game.

Dressed in jandals, John Ooteman takes to the podium for his gold medal in the 35 km time trial, supported by a crew of New Zealand supporters.