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Story: Censorship

Banned watersiders' pamphlet, 1951

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Banned watersiders' pamphlet, 1951

This pamphlet denouncing scabs (strike breakers) was produced by members of the Wellington watersiders' union during the 1951 waterfront dispute. During the dispute the government used emergency regulations that made it illegal to publish or distribute any material supporting the watersiders. Publications such as this one were produced and passed around secretively.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-A-LABOUR-1951-04-front

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

Peter Clayworth, Censorship – History of censorship in New Zealand, 1850s to 1930s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/43905/banned-watersiders-pamphlet-1951 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 6 January 2014.