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Nuclear-free Aotearoa New Zealand and the Rainbow Warrior bombing

This topic looks at the history of Aotearoa New Zealand’s nuclear-free protest and legislation, here and in the wider Pacific. It also highlights the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior and the consequences of that action. SCIS no. 5415402

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Nuclear-free New Zealand

Nuclear-free New Zealand

New Zealand is a nuclear-free zone, which means no nuclear weapons or nuclear powered ships are allowed in our territory. Find out how New Zealanders protested to make sure we were nuclear-free, an...

Rainbow Warrior bombing 1985

Rainbow Warrior bombing 1985

On 10 July 1985, explosions on board the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior sunk the ship in the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland. The ship had just taken part in protests against French nuclear testin...

Silent peace march on Hiroshima Day, Lambton Quay, Wellington

Silent peace march on Hiroshima Day, Lambton Quay, Wellington

Silent peace march on Hiroshima Day, Lambton Quay, Wellington, circa 6 August, 1980. Shows a group holding a banner decorated with peace symbols. It reads: "Remember Hiroshima! Maintain a nuclear f...

United States and New Zealand: Nuclear-free 1980s

Cold War abates For much of the Cold War (the latent conflict between the Soviet Union and the US, which began after the Second World War) New Zealand was aligned with the US on security, economic ...

'French letter'

'French letter'

The New Zealand reggae group Herbs released the song 'French letter' in 1982 in protest against French nuclear testing in the South Pacific. It became a popular hit and a protest anthem. When Franc...

Sound clip: USS Truxtun anti-nuclear protest

USS Truxtun enters Wellington Harbour on 25 May 1982 surrounded by escort boats and a flotilla of protest vessels.

Nuclear-free badges

Nuclear-free badges

Anti-nuclear badges from the 1980s

Rainbow Warrior 3/7

A short video covering the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.

Rainbow Warrior 4/7

A short series around the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.

Rainbow Warrior 6/7

A short video showing the scuttling of the Rainbow Warrior.

David Lange and the Oxford union debate

David Lange and the Oxford union debate

In March 1985 David Lange took part in a debate at the Oxford Union in England on the proposition that 'nuclear weapons are morally indefensible'. His opponent was the American evangelist Jerry Fal...

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Aotearoa NZ statement

ANZ’s current position on nuclear weapons and their elimination.

Mururoa cartoon

Mururoa cartoon

The French Polynesian island of Mururoa is an island in the Pacific ocean. It was here the French conducted underground and atmospheric tests of nuclear bombs from the 1960s to the 1990s. New Zeala...

New Zealand's anti-nuclear legislation and the United States in 1985

New Zealand's refusal to allow the USS Buchanan to dock in 1985 sparked a diplomatic spat between Wellington and Washington.

Suspended from ANZUS, 1985

Suspended from ANZUS, 1985

In 1985 the US suspended New Zealand from the ANZUS defence treaty. The 1951 agreement pledged military cooperation between the US, New Zealand and Australia. Anti-nuclear protests in New Zealand p...

Taking a nuclear-free policy to the world

Fighting for nuclear disarmament has been part of the day job for our diplomats for over thirty years.

The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior

The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior

In 1985 a group of French saboteurs blew up the Rainbow Warrior while it was docked at Marsden Warf in Auckland. This story covers the events leading up the bombing and what happened as a result.

Nuclear-free New Zealand

The early 1970s to the mid-1980s saw increased opposition to “French nuclear tests at Mururoa and to American warships’ visits to New Zealand. The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in July...

French nuclear tests

Rebecca Scott reports that further French nuclear testing at Mururoa atoll has been raised in Parliament. Opposition Leader Sir Robert Muldoon says he had been told by France that testing would fi...

Insight. 1995-10-15. Tui.

The Royal NZ Navy's research vessel, Tui, is making her way home after spending the past couple of months as the Government's official protest against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Mark Cr...

Morning report. 1987-07-22, [David Lange talks about the government's anti-nuclear stand].

Prime Minister David Lange, talks about the Government's development of a strong anti-nuclear stand in the foreign affairs arena in the last three years. Janice Rodenburg reports that New Zealand's...

HERBS. NUCLEAR WASTE

HERBS. NUCLEAR WASTE

Herbs were a New Zealand reggae band who formed in the mid 1970’s featuring Toni Fonoti, Spencer Fusimalohi, Fred Faleauto and Dilworth Karaka. Other early members included Dave Pou, Phil Toms and ...

USS Buchanan anti-nuclear cartoon

USS Buchanan anti-nuclear cartoon

On 4 February 1985 the Labour government refused the USS Buchanan entry to New Zealand ports on the grounds that the United States would neither confirm nor deny that the ship had nuclear capability.

Nuclear Free New Zealand

The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945 ended World War II but started the nuclear-arms race.

This advertisement distorts the truth about anti-nuclear protest in the Pacific

Did a group of plucky young New Zealanders really save the Pacific from nuclear testing with some boats, bravery and beer?

Making Aotearoa nuclear free

Hone Harawira’s speech on the role activists (particularly Maori and indigenous people of the Pacific) had in making Aotearoa Nuclear free.

Fiji has taken another bold step in the battle against nuclear weapons

Ratification of United Nations treaty banning atomic weapons honours a half-century of anti-nuclear activism.

Sinking the Rainbow Warrior

Sinking the Rainbow Warrior

On 12 December, 1987, two years after it was blown up in Auckland Harbour, the Rainbow Warrior was scuttled to become a dive site. The boat was sunk off Matauri Bay quite close to the Cavalli Islan...

Rainbow Warrior -30 years on

Waiting for a modest refund led to the capture of two of the dozen or more saboteurs who came to New Zealand to sink the Rainbow Warrior.

The Rainbow Warrior — The story lives on

The Rainbow Warrior — The story lives on

A range of cartoons by New Zealand cartoonists that examine the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior and the resulting social and political fallout in New Zealand and internationally.

Rainbow Warrior educational resources

Comprehensive resources by Greenpeace on the background and bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.

Rainbow Warrior bombing

The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior took place on 10 July 1985, in Auckland's Waitematā Harbour.

New Rainbow Warrior heading to Matauri Bay to remember bombing

The new Greenpeace flagship is heading to Northland's Matauri Bay to pay tribute to the original Rainbow Warrior sunk in a 1985 bombing by the French secret service.

The Rainbow Warrior

A collection of articles, video and audio about the Rainbow Warrior from RNZ.

From 1966 to 1996 Mururoa was the site of a number of French nuclear weapons tests conducted through the Pacific Experimentation Centre.

Anti-Nuclear protesters disrupt Tahiti

Hundreds of anti-nuclear and pro-independence activists set up a road blockade in Tahiti to protest the looming resumption of French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll.

No French test

This essay originally appeared in New Zealand Art at Te Papa (Te Papa Press, 2018). Greer Twiss has helped bring sculpture closer to the lives of everyday New Zealanders. Along with older artists ...

New Zealand historical peace dates

A list of important peace initiative dates in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Poster, 'Stop French N Tests'

Poster, 'Stop French N Tests'

This poster was made by Greenpeace in protest against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Between 1966 and 1996, France carried out about 190 nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in Fr...

Citizen Advocacy: The Achievements of New Zealand`s peace activism

Aotearoa New Zealand provides an important example of successful citizen activism in the form of anti-nuclear peace advocacy. The collective efforts by peace actors over several decades resulted in...

Herbs No Nukes poster

Poster advertising Herbs No Nukes tour in 1985,

France details nuclear compensation efforts

The French nuclear compensation commission, CIVEN, says it has paid out $US30 million to victims of France's nuclear weapons test since 2010.

Nuclear free

The World Court condemned French nuclear testing in the Pacific on this day 23 June 1973. New Zealand had been campaigning against nuclear testing for years, and the ruling by the international C...

Tangi follows bombing

Mana Motuhake leader Matiu Rata on Auckland's Marsden wharf for a religious service and tangi in honour of the martyred Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira.

'Little people' at heart of nuclear-free story

Marie Leadbeater writes that politicians and historians "often write the public out of the story. But here - as in the case of almost every other major shift in government policy in our history - t...

Series of essay articles relating to the history of Aotearoa New Zealand's anti-nuclear stance.

Initiatives for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Initiatives for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Pamphlet from a lecture by Dr. Helen Caldicott, "Initiatives for the Prevention of Nuclear War", in April 1984.

Rainbow Warrior affair. Compilation tapes.

One of Two. Excerpts from Morning Report. Complete coverage of Rainbow Warrior Affair. Covers from bombing to convicted French Agents leaving New Zealand.

AUKUS participation talks highlight New Zealand's nuclear-free status

Parts of AUKUS involve Australia getting nuclear-powered submarines and members working together on progressing military tech - but NZ's Defence Minister says Aotearoa would not and could not compr...

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Rainbow Warrior bombing 1985

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