Dr Michael John Schimdt: Institutions of Apartheid

The University of Auckland in New Zealand was founded in 1883 as Auckland University College, initially serving as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Its humble beginnings were in a disused courthouse and jail, where it started with 95 students and 4 teaching staff. Regretfully amongst these early educators, there was not a historian(1). Even today Auckland University does not have a “History Department” though it does have ‘study options’ for history(2) and the current (2023) situation of ‘segregated study areas’(3) provides ample opportunity for a history lesson, a whole thesis. We don’t have to go back too far in New Zealand history.

Lushington D. Brady: Word to the Wise, Auckland Uni

We Had a Near-Identical Case in Australia

Word to the wise, University of Auckland: quit while you’re ahead.

Here in Australia we’ve already seen the debate over racially segregated spaces at universities played out, and it did not work out well for the segregators. And that was without even a firebrand senior government member on the case.

Cam Slater: Imagine If the Sign Said ‘Colored Only’

There are some folk who haven’t realised that Kiwis rejected racism, separatism, and segregation at the last election. The parties which promoted those policies, Labour, Green and Maori, got bundled out of office. Now a storm has erupted over a sign at Auckland University.

Act got into the debate, as has Winston Peters: