The Fairfax Archives: Stop the Tour!

“The Fairfax Archives: Stop the Tour chronicles the most socially polarised moment in Aotearoa’s history. This archive holds hudreds of photographs of the infamous Springbok tour of 1981, and the widespread social unrest that broke out across the nation. The scale of the protests and the level of social division the tour created is unlike anything else. Forty years after the fact, it is clear that the protestors were on the right side of history. Yet they were met with fierce opposition at the time. These photographs capture the intensity of the historical moment in a powerful and distinct way.” Charles Ninow, Head of Art at Webb’s.

(For Immediate Release, 9 September 2021) Webb’s is privileged to bring a comprehensive catalogue of photographs of the 1981 Springbok Tour to auction. These photographs are from Fairfax Media archives, and present a striking look back in time to a moment unlike any other in our history. The tour saw unprecedented social unrest, with mass protests, field invasions during games, and pitched battles between protestors and police playing out on the streets of our cities. Over 150 photographs are available. These stunning press photographs capture the extraordinary time of the Springbok tour.

The protest movement was opposed to South Africa’s apartheid policy. Sporting ties, it was argued, demonstrated New Zealand’s implicit support for this policy. Tour supporters, on the other hand, believed that sport and politics should not mix. These opposing points of view caused social division not just on the streets and rugby fields, but in workplaces and in homes. Rarely, if ever, has New Zealand been so internally divided on an issue.

Charles Ninow, Head of Art at Webb’s said “These fantastic photographs present New Zealanders with an affordable opportunity to own a little piece of this incredibly important moment in our history.”

The protests had a significant impact in South Africa. Anti-apartheid activist, long-term political prisoner, and South African president Nelson Mandela said that the protests offered a moment of hope during his long period of imprisonment. According to John Minto, the national organiser of protest group Halt All Racist Tours (HART), the protests in New Zealand had a profound effect in South Africa, putting the issue of apartheid squarely in front of white South African audiences. Minto, along with many others from the protest movement, met Mandela when he came to New Zealand in 1995. According to Minto, “He [Mandela] said that when they heard that the protests in New Zealand had stopped the game in Hamilton, the prisoners of Robben Island grabbed the bars of their cell doors and rattled them. He said they made a hell of a racket. He said it was like the sun came out.” Minto also stated that while the protests did not stop the tour, they did have a lasting impact. It became untenable for major rugby playing nations to host tours from South African teams from that moment until apartheid was abolished in the early 1990s.

This auction coincides with the 40th anniversary of the tour. Photographs taken from the protests, at matches, and in the streets are available.

To view the full catalogue of images visit: https://bit.ly/3BQKrB2

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