Tea and Tours

Join our Kaiārahi for tea and scones, watch a short film compilation by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision and take a tour of the exhibitions He Tohu and Trouble in Paradise.

In this edition, we will have a presentation of the Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision exhibition TOHE | PROTEST. In 1981, South Africa’s Springbok rugby team were invited to tour New Zealand.

The decision was extremely controversial; some people saw it as a tacit endorsement of apartheid while others insisted that politics had nothing to do with the nation’s favourite sport.

Rarely seen footage
TOHE | PROTEST explores how the escalating tensions between activists, the police, rugby fans and politicians were presented by both government broadcasters and activist filmmakers.

See excerpts from PATU! (1983), the definitive protest documentary directed by Merata Mita, and learn how Ngā Taonga staff overcame many challenges to preserve this iconic film.

Personalised exhibition tour
After tea, see the signatures that have shaped our nation in He Tohu, and explore Trouble in Paradise – an exhibition featuring photographs documenting the effects of the climate crisis in the Pacific.

Also on display are artworks by Sheyne Tuffery and a selection of historical rare books with illustrations of endangered and extinct species from the collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Book your spot
Ensure that you book so we whip enough scones! For your spot email us events.natlib@dia.govt.nz

Safety measures in place for visiting the Library
Stay home if you are sick or feel unwell.

Check before you come
Due to COVID-19 some of our events can be cancelled or postponed at very short notice. Please check the website for updated information about individual events before you come.

Image: A protestor holds up a shield as baton-wielding police advance outside Lancaster Park Christchurch on 15 August 1981. Frame enlargement from PATU! (1983). Courtesy of Mita whānau.