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Story: History

Protesting the visit of the US vessel Truxtun

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Protesting the visit of the US vessel Truxton

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was active in New Zealand from the 1950s. Until the 1984 Labour government made the country officially non-nuclear, French nuclear tests in the Pacific and visits to New Zealand ports by the naval ships of nuclear powers prompted vigorous protests. Foreign warships entering New Zealand ports were harassed by the small boats of determined protestors, as shown here in Wellington Harbour, 1976.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1976/2841-F

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

John Wilson, History – The later 20th century, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1481/protesting-the-visit-of-the-us-vessel-truxtun (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 April 2020.