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1981
article – Taonga source: The Dominion

Deaf worker soon calms the nerves

Wellington has a new worker among the deaf. Pat Dugdale, profoundly deaf, has been made field officer by the New Zealand Association of the Deaf. Her job is to provide personal social service help and to liaise with organisations, welfare agencies, commercial institutions and lawyers on behalf of the deaf.
NZSL Stories
  • John Hunt
  • Tony Walton
2011
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

Deaf Southern Star: 2011 (Vol. 33, No. 4)

St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
1984
article – Taonga source: Contact

Deaf friends

Deaf people in the Wellington region now have a new organisation, Friends of the Deaf, an umbrella group for all the deaf organisations in the area.
1987
article – Taonga source: The Dominion

An actor learns about being deaf

Children Of A Lesser God, a play that tackles the communication problems faced by deaf people, opens at Circa tomorrow night. Suzanne Pollard talks to two of the cast about their roles.
1987
article – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Making sense of silence

The play, Children of a Lesser God, opens at Wellington's Circa Theatre next week. The theatre is arranging a special showing of the play, with an interpreter, for deaf people, their families and tutors.
Wellington Deaf Society
1987
article – Taonga source: Mary Johnson

Getting Message Over For The Deaf

Threading a needle needs a straight eye with a steady hand, which 15-year-old Susan Ovens illustrated through mime at the closing function of Deaf Awareness Week on Sunday. The Deaf Awareness Week function was held in the Downtown complex in Auckland. The Governor General's speech was translated into sign language by the president of the New Zealand Association of the Deaf, Mr B.McHattie. 
Mary Johnson
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
1982
article – Taonga source: AID Magazine

Deaf field officers – their disability is their qualification

In the past 18 months, the NZAD has opened field offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, and hopes soon to establish two more in Nelson and Dunedin.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • John Hunt
2023
article – Taonga source: Stuff

Acting experience leaves Deaf teen with another career option

New short film 'The Dining Table' is putting emerging Deaf talent from Aotearoa on to film festival screens. Lucy McKenzie-Bridle, 16, a Wellington Girls’ College student, makes her debut in The Dining Table, playing Ana, a Deaf teenager being raised in a hearing family.
Stuff
1987
article – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

A silence full of sounds

Wellington actor Miranda Harcourt who plays Sarah in Children of a Lesser God, understands her character's sentiments. She spent eight months learning sign language before the play opened at Dunedin's Fourtune Theatre in October.
Wellington Deaf Society
1988
article – Taonga source: NZ Woman’s Weekly

They’re naturals for the part

A production this month of the play Children of a Lesser God in Auckland will feature two deaf actors, Bryan Williams and Sheila Gibbons. And the starring role will be played, for the second time, by Gloss actress Miranda Harcourt.
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Susie Ovens
1955-65
video – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

A montage of St Dominic’s Christmas Picnics between 1955 and 1965

Footage from 1955 – 1965 during the annual Christmas Picnics held by St Dominic’s School for the Deaf in Island Bay. In New Zealand fashion, Santa arrives on horseback, bringing presents to the pupils who all take turns riding the horse!
St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
1987
article – Taonga source: The Press

All the world is a stage – for the deaf, too

“Speaking hands, hearing eyes” is the title of an Australian folk song about the deaf. It is also the dictum by which Anne Tweedie lives and why she has started a Theatre for the Deaf.
1988
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Spot On interview of Deaf actor in ‘Strangers’

'Strangers' was a TVNZ-produced drama series for children, with one Deaf character played by 7-year-old Sonia Pivac. Reporter Phil Keoghan, from ‘Spot On’, interviews Sonia about being the only Deaf actor in the drama.
Television New Zealand Archive
2011
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

Deaf Southern Star: 2011 (Vol. 33, No. 1)

St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
1964-65
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Summer 1964-65 (Vol. 2, No. 2)

NZSL Stories
  • Kevin Pivac
  • John Mansell
  • John Hunt
1993
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post

Advanced computer data base backs NZ’s first sign language dictionary

Managing editor Professor Graeme Kennedy said the project had developed the most advanced computer database in the world for analysing and recording sign language.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
1992
article – Taonga source: Sunday Times

Ivan’s story perfectly told

A review of 'The Remand of Ivan Curry', a docudrama about the deaf man held on remand for 2 years accused of murdering his nephew.
1974
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post

Putting Them In Touch: New World Opened For Deaf With ‘Talking Telephones’

Anthony and Christine Walton, both deaf, are recipients of one of the first phonotypes to be installed in the Wellington area.
1989
article – Taonga source: Kerry Titcombe

Deaf easily skirt language hurdle

Deaf people can communicate country to country with more ease than those who can speak. It is not because they have an international sign language – each country has its own – but because it is a visual language.
Kerry Titcombe
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • Janet Watt
  • Jeff Went
1988
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Deaf young actor on ‘Strangers’

'Strangers' was a TVNZ-produced drama series, including one Deaf character played by 7-year-old Sonia Pivac. This short documentary is a brief look behind the scenes of the filming process.
Television New Zealand Archive
biography
Profile

Jennifer Brain (QSM)

Jennifer received the Queens Service Medal in 2007 for services to the New Zealand Deaf Community. She was well known for her leadership with the New Zealand Association for the Deaf. Jennifer became the first Deaf Leadership Tutor promoting community and Deaf youth leadership, before becoming the first Deaf Chief Executive Officer in 1999. Through her work, Jennifer was ahead of her time with the strategic planning of many Deaf community projects including Deaf awareness and Deaf leadership.
1989
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

The play ‘Children of a Lesser God’

This TV series (Sunday Magazine) looks at some of the projects young people are getting involved in. This clip is about acting in a play about Deaf people, in which Patty Still has been teaching the hearing cast NZSL for their roles.
Television New Zealand Archive
1964
video – Taonga source: Susan Hamilton

The Governor-General and his wife visits Kelston School for the Deaf

The Governor-General Sir Bernard and Lady Fergusson visited Kelston School for the Deaf on 4 April 1964. They were entertained by swimming and gymnastics display by its deaf pupils.
Susan Hamilton