Radio Hauraki coverage of the 'flour bomb' third test between the Springboks and the All Blacks at Eden Park, Auckland on 12 December 1981. Coverage of massed protests around the city with live reports from reporters around Eden Park, in the sky and in the grandstand itself.
News editor Tom Clarke crosses to reporters in the field throughout the afternoon, and also during news bulletins.
[Note: the three original tapes were studio 'working tapes' (e.g. used, reused) and so also contain a variety of unrelated content.]
Tape 1 - news bulletins: 1:23pm, 1:40pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 2:40pm
Jenni McManus reports from the air on the Auckland Harbour Bridge and the protests around Shelly Bay. Description of streets that are blocked off and the crowds as they pour into the Eden Park.
John Hudson reports from Walters St with protestors and the abuse, injuries etc. Stephen Ward reports on people being hit around the head. Ron Sneddon on more of the protestors encountering the police Riot Squad and rugby fans who are pouring beer on protestors and Red Cross workers.
Cathy Daltry reports on protestors in Western Springs Rd and mentions the riot squad and violence with the rugby fans.
Cross to Jenny McManus on the bridge but transmission lost. John Hudson outside Kowhai Street Intermediate School. Jenny McManus in the aircraft with her bridge report. She notes a "Bok area - Whites Only" sign painted on the ground. Pat Booth and Tom Clarke comment on the tactics of the protestors on this day- putting them into direct confrontation with rugby fans. He contrasts the groups of elderly people, children and parents protesting, with the "Patu" group of more confrontational protestors. Police have seized shields from HART headquarters, claiming they are offensive weapons.
Game to kick off on the 3/4 hour.
Jenny McManus with another report about the bridge and the small groups of protestors surrounding the park. John Hudson reporting on two groups "Matu" and "Patu", all wearing crash helmets of about 1500 people in total, escorted by about 200 police.
Ron Sneddon gives a description of how people are actually getting into the park and heavy security at the gates. Stephen Ward on fight between riot police and protestors. Dave Collins inside the ground where there is a capacity crowd of 49,000 spectators. He describes the crowds and prospects for the game.
Pat Booth talks about things happening around the city currently - arrests after discovery of molotov cocktails in cars, HART headquarters raided.
John Hudson on the light aircraft dropping flour and smoke bombs onto Eden Park. Protestors are cheering when it flies low over them.
Jenny McManus talks about the seriousness of the aircraft dropping flour bombs and they are keeping a wide berth of it. It is a green and white Cessna from North Shore Aero Club, who have refused to say who the pilot is.
Stephen Ward on Royal Terrace reports on injured people lying on the ground and some injured police officers as well.
Dave Collins inside the ground reports on the progress of the game and the pamphlets and orange smoke bombs being dropped on the ground. Two fell on players. Spectators not happy and are booing an gesticulating at the plane.
John Hudson reports from Walters Road where a major battle with about 1000 people has broken out with riot squad and protestors. Pat Booth comments on the action at Auckland International Airport with protestors trying to run onto the tarmac and attempt to put chain across Mangere Bridge. In Wellington 3,000 protestors are rallying in Civic Square.
Ron Sneddon amidst the protestors, with smoke bombs, stones and sticks being thrown at the police.
Tom Clarke reports a threat that they have received that the aircraft is carrying a bomb and is threatening to drop it in 3 minutes. Ron Sneddon reports from Marlborough Street, says the scene is "Indescribable. Never seen anything more horrific in my life. Never seen scenes like this in New Zealand before." Missiles thrown at police, police charge with batons.
Stephen Ward at Royal Terrace. John Hudson reports on 200 police charging outside Church of Christ on Walters Road. People lying all over the street, the injured covered in blood, people being taken away in ambulances.
Tom Clarke says they have unconfirmed reports that some protestors have molotov cocktails to throw at police and that the aircraft has threatened to dromb a bomb on the grounds.
Dave Collins reports on the game action with some cheering from the crowds in the background. Black & white balloon flown across the ground, with the word "Biko" written on it.
Tape 2 - news bulletins: 3pm, 3:20pm, 3:45pm
[Tape begins with poorly bulk erased music programme.]
3pm News with Tom Clarke.
Ron Sneddon on the violence with the protestors on Cromwell Street throwing missiles. Describes the scene and then police charging with their batons and protestors attacking back.
Stephen Ward on Shaw Street and Royal Tce. More reports on the violence from both the protestors and police. Street signs being ripped up and thrown at police. Injured people with blood and huge welts on them.
John Hudson on Walters Road and Marlborough Street. Five ambulances taken away injured protestors. Broken glass, smoke bombs, etc. Batons and shields were being bashed together for about 10 minutes. Aircraft still flying over the ground, at less than 100 feet.
Jenny McManus reports about the plane. The bomb threat deadline has passed with no bomb. The pilot is broadcasting as "Apartheid Radio". the Cessna has been taken from the North Shore Aero Club at Dairy Flat which has ordered him back but he has not complied.
Dave Collins reports on the game of rugby and the scene at Eden Park. Gary Knight has scored the second try. He estimates about 36 flour bombs have been dropped so far, with flour all over the field. Doug Rolleston converts the try.
Pat Booth reports South Africa is not getting television coverage of this game after a problem in transmission. Bomb scare in Wellington and reports of other protests in Christchurch.
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Pat Booth reports Radio Hauraki has received an anonymous phone call which says if the game is not stopped in 10 minutes a bomb will be dropped on Eden Park. Information passed to police.
Ron Sneddon reports a car been overturned on Onslow Road by protestors.
The game has come to a halt. Dave Collins at Eden Park reports "all hell has broken loose." Protestors got onto the field and threw smoke bombs and flares. 48th flour bomb thrown on the ground. Police arrested two people on the ground.
John Hudson says there has been a lot of bloodshed on the corner of Raleigh Street. Several people injured in front of him. About 1,000 protestors are coming up Marlborough Street and another confrontation seems imminent.
Tom Clarke and Pat Booth discuss bomb threats they have received. Auckland Harbour Bridge was closed - possibly due to a threat. Cables at Warkworth transmitter were cut, ending television transmission to South Africa.
John Hudson on more violence, crowd has grown to 3,000. Riot Squad hoed into demonstrators with long batons.
Tom Clarke summarises developments in the day's protests.
John Hudson on continued violence from both sides. Many bloody faces and bruised and broken noses, possible fractured skulls. Police van graffitied, tyres let down.
Stephen Ward on more violence. Police have shields. Playwright Greg McGee has burnt his Junior All Black jersey on the street as a protest. Someone tried to throw it at police.
Dave Collins, game stopped again due to a smoke bomb on the field and gives some scores and commentary. Doug Rolleston misses a penalty, 19-18 to New Zealand. Fighting in the stands between fans and protestors. Crowd has been requested not to throw missiles at the aircraft.
Jenny McManus reports on a fire on top of Mt Eden. Protestors blocking streets from different approaches. Northwestern motorway blocked by protestors at Great North Road and Western Springs Rd.
Ron Sneddon reports from the motorway protest. He says it is getting tricky for journalists now who are being threatened by protestors and questioned by police.
Cathy Daltry. Lots of blood dripping from a lot of peoples' faces. Riot police have had full beer cans thrown at them. John Minto persuaded a protestor sitting on the ground to get up, otherwise he would have been trampled.
[unrelated audio] - telephone interview on sister cities. Reporter attempting to record a voice report on James Aviation, with multiple takes. Voice report on protest march to Aotea Square with protestors dressed in police costumes and signs reading "It's moments like these you need Minto." [multiple takes.] Feed of unrelated news actuality cuts.
Tape 3 - news bulletins: 4pm, 5pm.
News with Tom Clarke. Unprecedented scenes of violence around Auckland with the test at Eden Park.
Stephen Ward reports on situation at the park. Describes the violence, riot shields, road blocks etc. Protestors were pelting police lines with bottles and bricks, but have now moved off to join mainstream demonstrators.
Ron Sneddon on Northwestern motorway is still blocked off by protests but the marchers are walking away peacefully, many with bloody faces, etc.
John Hudson on police charging protestors by Sandringham Road entrance. Most demonstrators are now heading back to Fowles Park.
Dave Collins in the park and South Africans have just scored. 22 all is the score. Conversion missed. Seconds remaining. Gary Knight hit by flour bomb.
Pat Booth reports on injured people at the Auckland and Greenlane Hospitals. Dunedin also lost coverage of the game. Someone broke into Mt Cargill transmission control room.
Game is still going on, commentated by David Collins - it is still anybody's test.
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Dave Collins commentary - Alan Hewson kicks a penalty. New Zealand wins the third test 25 to 22 to take the series..
Pat booth reports the light aircraft is now heading back to Dairy Flat pursued by a helicopter with police waiting.
Tom Clarke and Pat Booth discuss the end of the tour. Pat Booth says after 30 years in journalism, he hopes he never sees anything like it again.
News with Tom Clarke. Ten police treated at Greenlane Hospital.
Pat Booth summarises: bomb hoax calls to Radio Hauraki. Summary of protests at the park with smoke and flour bombs. Harbour Bridge and motorway blocked. Televsion coverage cut to South Africa, Dunedin and South Canterbury.
Report on the game itself by Dave Collins.
[Followed by feeds of unrelated news actuality - Prime Minister Robert Muldoon and others.]