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Story: Strikes and labour disputes

Specials and stonethrowers, 1913

Audio file

Baton-wielding special constables (volunteer mounted police) confront stone-throwing strikers on Wellington’s Jervois Quay during the 1913 waterfront strike. Listen to Wellingtonian George Davies talk about the strike. Davies was a young boy when he took part in running battles with mounted ‘special constables’, voluntary police recruited to break the strike and restore order.

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Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Reference: 23204

Image: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, AWNS-19131113-39-01

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How to cite this page

Mark Derby, Strikes and labour disputes – The 1912 and 1913 strikes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/speech/20487/specials-and-stonethrowers-1913 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Mark Derby, published 13 May 2010, updated 1 March 2016.