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1979
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

Ephpheta: September 1979 (Vol. 2, No. 3)

St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
1966
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Spring 1966 (Vol. 4, No. 1)

NZSL Stories
  • John Mansell
  • John Hunt
  • Kevin Pivac
1959
video – Taonga source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Sumner School for the Deaf Marching Girls

The Deaf Sumner School for the Deaf marching team participate in a marching competition in Auckland, 1958.
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
1988
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

van Asch students learn street theatre skills from Mr Moon

After Mr Moon has been teaching Van Asch Deaf Education Centre Deaf students street theatre skills, they watch a performance from the Montreal Street Theatre at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington, in preparation for staging their own live performance.
Television New Zealand Archive
1989
article – Taonga source: The Press

Big sporting event on shoestring budget

The Games will be about the same size as the 1974 sporting extravaganza in Christchurch, the Commonwealth Games. Yet it has been orchestrated on a budget of $700,000 – about one-third of the cost of the opening ceremony planned for the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
1965
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Spring 1965 (Vol. 3, No. 1)

NZSL Stories
  • John Hunt
1969
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: 1969 (Vol. 6, No. 2)

NZSL Stories
  • John Hunt
1980
article – Taonga source: Education News

“Deaf kids aren’t dumb you know?” 100 Years of Education for the Deaf

Van Asch College, as it will now be known, is no longer a school exclusively for the deaf.
2002
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section

Memories of Greg Pateman

Greg talks about his passion - Deaf sports, and why the Southern Deaf sport teams are superior to their Central and Northern counterparts!
AUT Visual Languages Section
2001
article – Taonga source: Unknown

Loud and clear

The deaf community believes it has been misunderstood and misinterpreted for too long. Now it wants to be seen and heard as a group with its own cultural identity.
1955
video – Taonga source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Sumner School for the Deaf 75th Jubilee

The 75th Jubilee of Sumner School for the Deaf in Christchurch, including alumni parades and marching girls!
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
The National Film Unit
The National Film Unit
The National Film Unit
1941-1971
COLLECTIONS – CURATED BY SIGNDNA: DEAF NATIONAL ARCHIVE

The National Film Unit

From 1941 to 1950, the National Film Unit produced the Weekly Review and from 1952 to 1971, the Pictorial Parade. Government owned, the Unit’s work included visits to schools to show the country positive stories about the future of New Zealand and the good work that was being done. This included visits to Sumner and St Dominic’s School for Deaf Children.
1978
article – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

Shared Benefits at Sumner

Sumner School for Deaf Children has taken an adventurous step by beginning a trial integration of a class of 'hearing' children into the school.
Wellington Deaf Society
1966
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Autumn 1966 (Vol. 3, No. 3)

NZSL Stories
  • John Hunt
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
1954
article – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre

NEW INSTITUTION AT FEILDING OPENED AND BLESSED

Described by a prominent Palmerston North specialist, Dr A.A. MacGibbon, as a school which compares more than favourably with the latest schools of its type overseas, St. Dominic's School in Feilding for deaf children was officially blessed and opened yesterday afternoon.
St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
NZSL Stories
  • Patreena Bryan
2003
article – Taonga source: Bay Harbour News

Patty Still – active role model for deaf community

In late July, Woolston grandmother Noeline 'Patty' Still joined a special group of New Zealanders in Wellington for the official presentation of the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours medals. Patty was there to receive her MNZM for her services to the deaf community.
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.
1998
video – Taonga source: Rae McKie

School for the Deaf Marching Girls reunited 45 years later!

The infamous Deaf Marching Girls reunite 45 years later, with a Friday spent practicing before showing their routine to supporters at van Asch on the Sunday.
Rae McKie
1989
article – Taonga source: The Dominion

Board of trustees accepts extra challenges at school for deaf

Board member Ava Buzzard, who has been deaf since birth, is excited by the chance to have a greater role in a school she has been involved with for many years.
2000
video – Taonga source: Dorothy Jones

Memories of Ray and Polly Forman

Ray Forman and Polly Karaka both talk about bits and pieces of their life. Ray talks about being “kicked out” of Sumner as the New Zealand army occupied the school during the World War II.
Dorothy Jones
NZSL Stories
  • Patreena Bryan
  • Ruth Jessep
1964
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Spring 1964 (Vol. 2, No. 1)

NZSL Stories
  • John Hunt
1968
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Deaf children enjoy a car rally

Children from Sumner School for the Deaf test their navigational abilities in a car rally at Sumner.
Television New Zealand Archive
1989
article – Taonga source: Christchurch Star

Advertisement: 16th World Games for the Deaf

Tickets for the opening ceremony are at $8.00 while the closing ceremony is at $5.00. All other tickets prices are listed: $3.00 per ticket for 1 venue entry. $6.00 per ticket entry to all venues on 1 day. $40 ten venues entry on any day.
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
  • Jeff Went
2000
video – Taonga source: Pam Witko

Memories of Doreen Forman

Memories of Doreen Forman, a Wellington Deaf Society life member, was recorded on 10th December 2000 – covering some events and recollections from Doreen’s life including the 1931 Napier earthquake.
Pam Witko
1970
article – Taonga source: The Times.

Problem that too often falls on ‘deaf ears’…

In Hamilton, there are four deaf units, three at Hamilton West and one at Melville Intermediate. Next year there is going to be a deaf unit at Melville High School.
1968
publication – Taonga source: New Zealand Deaf News

NZ Deaf News: Winter 1968 (Vol. 5, No. 4)

NZSL Stories
  • John Mansell
  • John Hunt
2017
article – Taonga source: The Press.

Deaf community was home for Margaret Coutts

An obituary on Margaret Coutts who was "the mother of deaf sports", an active leader and strong positive role-model to younger members of the Deaf community. She was the first female president of the Christchurch Deaf Club, and was awarded a NZ Commemoration Medal for her contributions in 1990.
The Press.
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
  • Jonathan Anton
  • Tony Walton
  • Milton Reedy
  • Susie Ovens
  • Jeff Went
  • Pam Croskery
Est. 1955
Object – Taonga source: Wellington Deaf Society

75th Jubilee Memorial Shield: Tug-of-War between New Zealand Deaf Societies

Wellington Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • John Mansell
  • Kevin Pivac
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.