Story: Terrorism and counter-terrorism

Trades Hall bombing, 1984

Trades Hall bombing, 1984

This police poster calls for information on the Trades Hall bombing, at Vivian Street, Wellington, on 27 March 1984. A bomb left in a suitcase killed Ernie Abbott, a unionist and caretaker of the hall. At the time of the bombing Trades Hall was the headquarters of a number of trade unions. The attack came after a period of heightened industrial tension, during which Prime Minister Robert Muldoon made frequent verbal attacks on the union movement. The bombing remains an unsolved crime, but it appears to have been the action of an individual with a hatred of unions.

Courtesy of New Zealand Police – Nga Pirihimana O Aotearoa

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-C-POLICE-1984-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Lance Beath, 'Terrorism and counter-terrorism - Terrorism and New Zealand: the historical background', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/ephemera/34677/trades-hall-bombing-1984 (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Lance Beath, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Sep 2021