reset filter
1993
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Spotlight on Pasifika Deaf

Tangata Pasifika visits Kelston Deaf Education Centre and meets with a number of Pasifika Deaf students part of the school’s transition programme, interviewing Rosie Amituanai and her family.
Television New Zealand Archive
2003
video – Taonga source: Hilda Tamepo

Memories of John and Laura Hunt

John and Laura discuss their eventful lives, including immigrating to New Zealand, meeting the local Deaf community, and how their meeting led to a marriage which at the time of filming had lasted 56 years!
Hilda Tamepo
1989
article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Bid took 12 years

Although many people will not have heard of the World Games for the Deaf, New Zealand's involvement with them spans 40 years. The first information about the games reached New Zealand in 1949 and the New Zealand Amateur Sports Association was formed.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Tony Walton
  • Terry Kane
  • Susie Ovens
  • Milton Reedy
  • Shona McGhie
  • Jonathan Anton
1989
article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Medals eyed in 3 events

Four New Zealand deaf athletes are favoured to win medals in swimming, cycling, and badminton. The 112-strong New Zealand team will compete in 11 of the 12 sports.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Michael Lynch
  • Pam Croskery
  • Terry Kane
  • Tony Walton
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Janet Watt
1989
article – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Letter to the Editor: Deaf Demand

The Wellington Association for Deaf Children writes to the editor covering Total Communication, the difficulties in the school system, the need for an interpreting training programme, and the need for deaf people to make their own decisions.
Wellington Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
1981
article – Taonga source: Margaret Coutts

Games Loss ‘A Blow’ For Deaf Team

New Zealand athletes who took part in the World Deaf Games in Cologne arrived home unhappy about losing their bid to host the 1985 Deaf Games in Christchurch.
Margaret Coutts
NZSL Stories
  • Terry Kane
  • Shona McGhie
  • Jeff Went
  • Tony Walton
  • Milton Reedy
  • Susie Ovens
  • Jonathan Anton
2013
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

Deaf Southern Star: 2013 (Vol. 35, No. 3)

St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
1957
article – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

10 Deaf Debutantes at a Ball

For the first time in the history of New Zealand, ten deaf debutantes were presented at a ball last night. The guests of honour were Mr D. Nathan, president of the Friends of the Deaf, Mr C. Allen, principal of the School for the Deaf at Titangi, and Mr W. Williams, president of the Auckland Adult Deaf Society. 
Auckland Deaf Society
1960-80s
Object – Taonga source: John McRae

Auckland Deaf Society Life Member: John McRae’s pin and badge collection of national and international Deaf sport events

John McRae
NZSL Stories
  • Terry Kane
  • Milton Reedy
  • Tony Walton
  • Susie Ovens
  • Jeff Went
  • Shona McGhie
  • John Mansell
1992
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Communicate: June 1992

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NZSL Stories
  • John Mansell
1989
article – Taonga source: The Press

Interpreters spent year on training

Nearly 90 Christchurch people have spent the last year training to be interpreters at the World Games for the Deaf, with about 50 deaf people teaching the volunteers their language.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Tony Walton
  • Janet Watt
1989
article – Taonga source: Pam Witko

Second gold to U.S. cyclist

At the basketball, also at Cowles Stadium, the New Zealand women beat Australia, 91-65, to notch the host country's first win in the sport. New Zealand led 45-26 at half-time and is now in the running for the bronze medal.
Pam Witko
NZSL Stories
  • Terry Kane
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
  • Susie Ovens
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
  • Milton Reedy
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
1991
article – Taonga source: The Guardian

Deaf drama group presents NZ first

The Manawatu Deaf Drama Group (MADEDRA) will present a show at Abbey Theatre, before taking it to Auckland for the Deaf View Conference and eventually, hope to travel overseas.
1976
article – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Twenty First Deaf Sports Convention

This month, the Manawatu Deaf Club will again host the Annual New Zealand Deaf Convention. It will be the twenty-first with over 200 people competing. 160-170 will be from Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Wellington, Christchurch and Southland. Local competitors make up the total.
Manawatu Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Kevin Pivac
  • John Mansell
1989
article – Taonga source: The Press

TVNZ attacked for Games ‘disservice’

Organisers of the Sixteenth World Games for the Deaf are disappointed with the lack of television coverage. The chairman of the organising committee has accused Television New Zealand of doing a "disservice" to the New Zealand public by not providing more coverage of events.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Tony Walton
1937–1956
Object – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Badge: Auckland Adult Deaf Society, 1937-1956

Auckland Deaf Society
1990
article – Taonga source: NZ Listener

That’s the way we sign it

For most of the week, the deaf in New Zealand are shut off from the television communication the rest of us take for granted. But for half an hour each Sunday, they can join the rest of the world, through a special programme called News Review.
Est. 2003
Object – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Wallace Williams Memorial Trophy – Comedy

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Pam Croskery
2000
Images – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Team Photo: Manawatu Deaf Society Host Committee, Millennium NZ Games for the Deaf, 2000

Manawatu Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Tony Walton
1981
video – Taonga source: Dulcie McKie

Sign Singers at Telethon 1981

The popular Sign Singers are the first act to perform at the 1981 Telethon Live at the Auckland Town Hall.
Dulcie McKie
NZSL Stories
  • Susie Ovens
  • Shona McGhie
1981
video – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society

Joan Bailey films Deaf performing at the Palmerston North Telethon!

Local Manawatu Deaf people appear on Telethon to sign a song, after Joan Bailey films a range of Deaf people at their workplaces - a welder, spraypainter, seamstress, data entry clerk and joiner.
Manawatu Deaf Society
The Sign Singing Superstars
The Sign Singing Superstars
The Sign Singing Superstars
Est. 1980s
COLLECTIONS – CURATED BY SIGNDNA: DEAF NATIONAL ARCHIVE

The Sign Singing Superstars

Throughout the early 1980s, the New Zealand Deaf community created two sign singing supergroups: The Sign Singers from Auckland, and The Silent Singers from Christchurch. These two groups pioneered Sign Singing as an art form and gained considerable public admiration for their efforts. Both groups made appearances on national Telethon events, and the Auckland group also were regulars on the Stars on Sunday programme, making more appearances than any other single group.
1989
article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Deaf Games basketballers sign in

The members of New Zealand deaf team signed into the Ilam games village yesterday. First to put pen to paper was Malcolm Clausen, watched by other members of the men's basketball team.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Tony Walton
  • Susie Ovens
1979
video – Taonga source: Sue Penman

NZ Deaf Sport Convention, Christchurch 1979

Scenes from NZ Deaf Sport Convention in Christchurch 1979, with sports such as shot-put and athletics, including some impressive sprinting and middle distance running.
Sue Penman
NZSL Stories
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Tony Walton
  • John Mansell
  • Shona McGhie
1992
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post

The cat came back, four months late

Royce and Robyn Flynn of Grenada Village owned three cats, but Alf was their favourite so they were upset when he disappeared four months ago.
1965
video – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Washington Xth International Silent Games

The New Zealand team attending the 10th World Deaf Games in Washington, USA, 1965.
Auckland Deaf Society
1986
article – Taonga source: Unknown

Silent Communication

Week in, week out, Linda's hands flutter expressively about events from the spectrum of human existence: funerals, trade union meetings, church services, antenatal classes, court cases, visits to doctor and lawyer.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
1989
article – Taonga source: The Press

Twelve sports form busy programme

A summary of each sport featuring in the upcoming VXI World Deaf Games in Christchurch – soccer, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, handball, track and field, wrestling, cycling, swimming and badminton, with New Zealand contenders for medals.
NZSL Stories
  • Jeff Went
  • Susie Ovens
  • Tony Walton
  • Michael Lynch
  • Milton Reedy
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Terry Kane
1944
article – Taonga source: NZ Tablet

Catholic Education For Deaf-Mute Children

The story of Catholic Deaf-Mute education, what has been done for deaf students by Dominican Nuns, and the new St. Dominic’s School for Deaf Children in Wellington.