Donor/Creator/
Agency /Series

Halt All Racist Tours (HART)

Accession or other unique number

MB241

Description

Organisational History

HART was a nationwide organisation that began in 1969 and wound up in 1992. In 1980 HART merged with the National Anti-Apartheid Movement becoming HART:NZAAM. This move was prompted by calls from Black South Africans for the world to oppose all contacts with apartheid South Africa.

After the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour HART: NZAAM decided to officially open an office in Central Christchurch. They had a number of reasons for doing this among them: creating a focal point for Christchurch people and out of town supporters, providing an information distribution point for HART: NZAAM National, supplying a news media contact point, and building a promotional office and local administrative centre.

This collection contains the records of the Christchurch office, although there is a great deal of material from other centres including many copies of central office papers and correspondence. The original records of HART: NZAAM national office are deposited with the Alexander Turnball Library in Wellington.

The original goal of HART was to oppose Springbok/All Black Rugby tours and other sporting contacts with South Africa and this was their focus from 1969-1980. With HART’s merger with The National Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1980 a new organisation was created to oppose apartheid in South Africa on a broad front, advocating political, social and cultural reform in South Africa and agitating for a strong anti-apartheid stand by New Zealand. From about 1985 HART: NZAAM expanded their area of interest again to combat racism in New Zealand as well as South Africa.

HART: NZAAM was most widely known for its opposition to the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand but they also campaigned vigorously over the years for a total economic, cultural and sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa and worked to raise public awareness about such issues. In the last decade of its existence HART: NZAAM focused increasingly on race issues in New Zealand, in particular biculturalism, the Treaty of Waitangi and Tino Rangitiratanga. During this time HART: NZAAM also began to take a stand in support of indigenous ‘liberation movements’ through out the world. HART: NZAAM wound up in 1992 when, with the emergence of a democratic South Africa, one of its core reasons for being no longer existed.

Notes on arrangement and description

This is a extremely large accession comprising well over 3000 items.

For the most part this material was transferred to the Macmillan Brown Library in no discernible order. However, where material was grouped together in a folder, this arrangement has been preserved even though the individual items may well belong to one of the seven series constructed by the archivist (see below ). Where the folder was titled this has been used as its description on the list, where there is no title each item in the folder has been listed separately with notes in the accession list where the original folder began and ended. Similarly, although individual pieces of correspondence have generally been listed separately in instances where HART: NZAAM grouped pieces of correspondence together this arrangement has been maintained.

The vast majority of the unsorted material has been arranged according to a system devised by the archivist and divided into the seven series outlined above (see series list). The series arrangement is an attempt to break the collection down into more manageable sections for the user. By its very nature decisions as to which items belong in which series are sometimes arbitrary and individual items may properly be considered to belong to more than one series. Certain items of similar type, such as the Newsletter of the Fletcher Action Campaign, were scattered throughout the collection and even though they are listed individually on the list they do not appear in a single run. The sheer size of the collection, and the random order in which it was transferred, effectively prevented the ideal situation of being able to collect such items together.

While most of our records originate from the post-merger period there are some records from the 1970s that were created by HART and The New Zealand Anti-Apartheid Movement when they were separate organisations. These records have not been listed separately but their provenance is indicated in the list

There are also some newsletters and publications from related organisations such as CARE (Citizens Against Racial Equality) and the ANC (African National Congress). These records have been listed under the series "Outside Publications".

There are two ‘official newsletters’ entitled ‘Amandla’ – one newsletter originates from the Australian Anti-apartheid group,  the other from HART:NZAAM. The relevant provenance is indicated on the list.

Date Range

1969 - 92

Restrictions

None

Further information

Inventory MB 241