MEDIA RELEASE 19th October 2007

Nuclear Free: Gil Hanly’s Iconic Protest Photography

Auckland Museum presents an exhibition of celebrated documentary photographer Gil Hanly 1980’s Protest Photography

Gil Hanly’s photographic documentation of major social movements and public events since the early 1970s established her as a pre-eminent recorder of New Zealand’s recent history. To coincide with the 20th anniversary of New Zealand’s landmark nuclear free legation Auckland Museum has worked alongside Hanly to select some of her most iconic images of the anti-nuclear protest activities of the 1980s – a movement that eventually saw the enactment of New Zealand’s nuclear-free legislation and the revision of the ANZUS treaty.

New Zealand’s nuclear-free movement of the 1970s and 80s focused on nuclear testing in the Pacific, visits by nuclear warships to New Zealand ports and the establishment of a nuclear-free nation. Nuclear Free: Protest Photography by Gil Hanly covers locally-based peace groups involved in this movement and illustrates how this major social phenomenon grew in scale and momentum.

Following the nuclear-free years of the Labour Government of 1972 -1975 successive National governments encouraged visits by United States warships and submarines. The National government under Robert Muldoon’s leadership considered the visits an expression of New Zealand’s support for ANZUS and a way of strengthening the country’s relationship with the United States. The visit of nuclear-powered frigate USS Texas in 1983 coinciding with a Peace Forum and Hiroshima Day saw 40,000 people march up Queen Street, Auckland, while 120 Peace Squadron boats confronted the warship. Such visits became an important campaign issue and Gil Hanly was frequently present documenting these events.

In 1985, at a time when New Zealand was seen as leading the anti-nuclear movement, a tragedy occurred. The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior, which was moored in Auckland Harbour, was bombed by the French Secret Service to prevent Greenpeace from drawing world attention to testing on the Atoll. This act of sabotage caused the death of the ship’s photographer Fernando Pereira. Gil Hanly was invited by Greenpeace to document the Rainbow Warrior after the bombing.

The fourth Labour government, led by David Lange, embarked on a path of nuclear-free policies and announced its decision to ban ships that were either nuclear-powered or armed. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act was passed 20 years ago in 1987. After years of concern about the effects of nuclear testing in the Pacific region and growing opposition to nuclear ship visits, the Nuclear Free legislation was passed by an Act of Parliament declaring the whole country nuclear-free and banning ships that were either nuclear-powered or armed. Throughout this period of social and political upheaval

Gil Hanly has been an active and prolific recorder of events, which have been significant in shaping New Zealand’s national identity and place in a global context. Visually stunning and emotionally engaging, “Nuclear Free: Protest Photography” recalls the challenges many made for the environment many of us are proud to live within now.

Exhibition runs from: November 9th – January 28th in the Pictorial Gallery
Exhibition Free with entry Donation

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