Battle of the Rocks

“They Stopped a Bulldozer” – one of New Zealand’s very first environmental protests.

Three Pukerua Bay mothers and five children made national headlines in what was one of the very earliest environmental protests in New Zealand. Known as The Battle of the Rocks, it took place on Wednesday 27 June 1962. The eight all stood in front of a bulldozer to prevent work to form a road to be used for the removal of boulders from the beach south of where Pou Tangaroa now stands. The boulders were to have been taken by heavy trucks and used in the reclamation for the Hutt motorway which was under construction. The bulldozer belonged to the Baker Construction Company which was a sub-contractor to Earthmovers (Waikato) Ltd. who were building the motorway.

The protest was in pouring rain with gale force winds and the women dared the driver to run them over. The driver was Colin Te Huia, later praised for his “gentlemanly qualities” and described as “kindly” by one of the protesters, not only refused to run the group over, but he backed along the beach so the women and children could shelter behind the bulldozer blade. He then helped them build a fire under Tunnel Rock, also known as Elephant Rock or Mable Arch, to try and keep warm until the arrival of J. D. Ross, manager of Baker Construction. Ross agreed that no further work would be carried out until the situation was clarified. He said that as far as the company was concerned, “it was just a desolate bit of beach with some useful boulders.”

The protesters, mothers Diane McAllister, Meg Campbell, Sue Renner and children Tony Southern, Paul McAllister, Louise Renner, Josie Campbell, and Aurelian Campbell were soaked to the skin. They all lived on the cliff top overlooking the beach. “The families who live on the cliff top take a keen interest in this stretch of coast…. It had, and still has, a wild unspoiled appearance.” (Arlin, unpublished by Meg Campbell). When it became apparent there would be no further work, they went to the home of their neighbour Olive Southern where she dried their clothes and gave them all a hot meal. Meg Campbell said later, “The children were very good. They were only aged two to four years but they seemed to grasp the situation and even said, “We stopped that bulldozer, didn’t we?” Meg, paying tribute to the power of children against big business, said “I think it was the children who made them pack up.” Meg wrote later in Arlin “The exhausting part was being vigilant and standing up to the different officials involved. We had a lot of support from knowledgeable people in the Bay and we were very sure of our ground.”

In the days following it became clear that neither the Marine Department nor the Hutt County Council had given permission to the Baker Construction Company to build a road or to remove boulders.

The protest gained huge support from the people of Pukerua Bay. The chairman of the Pukerua Bay Progressive Association, Amor Walter, assured the protesters of the Association’s full support and the newly formed Pukerua Bay County Town Committee gave their “heartiest congratulations” to those who had prevented the high-handed actions of the construction company. The County Town Committee wrote to the Hutt County Council asking them to take all necessary steps to prevent the company from carrying out any further work in Pukerua Bay. The phones of the three women protesters rang constantly with messages of support and congratulations.

Altogether 438 residents of Pukerua Bay, almost the total adult population at that time, signed a petition: “We the undersigned residents of Pukerua Bay wish that no permit be granted to removed rocks from Wairaka North to Pukerua Bay in order to preserve the beauty of our coastline.” The petition, which was completed within four days, was presented to the MP for Otaki, Alan McCready, on Sunday 1 July. Most major newspapers in New Zealand covered the protest with headlines such as: “The Brave Housewives of Pukerua Bay”, “They Stopped a Bulldozer”, “No Boulder Moving from Pukerua Bay”, “Victory Goes to People of Pukerua Bay”, “Big Support for “Little Women””, “Women Stall Work on Foreshore”.

Support also came from much further afield. Victoria University Associate Professor of Zoology, J. T. Salmon, publicly approved of the protest. He said that it was refreshing to see a group, “prepared to defend their property and their heritage against the destructive activities of the Ministry of Works. This is just another example of scenic places, public reserves, and pleasure grounds being interfered with and spoiled by the Ministry of Works activities without regard to the feelings and interests of the public. This sort of thing is occurring in national parks, scenic reserves„ and beaches all over New Zealand.”

McCready asked in Parliament whether such an action was likely to happen in any other area. He wrote to Pukerua Bay residents saying:

When this trouble was first brought to my notice in the Press I immediately contacted the National Roads Board who gave me their assurance that the contractors would be advised to cease operations at Pukerua Bay until they had obtained permission to operate in that particular area. This instruction was carried out. I have again this morning contacted the National Roads Board, the District Commissioner of Works and head office of Ministry of Works who informed me that they have recommended to the Marine Department that no permission in future should be granted for this area to be disturbed. I have now had confirmation from the Marine Department that they have refused to give permission to the contractors to continue in this area.

Monte Holcroft OBE, editor of the Listener from 1949 to 1967 and 1972 to 1973, wrote an editorial in the 13 July 1962 issue entitled The Rocks of Pukerua Bay. He praised the actions of the protesters and noted, “A bulldozer moves more quickly than a committee”. Holcroft said that there is a place for protest when people believe strongly enough when “their districts are marked and spoiled in the sacred name of progress.”

Apart from changes brought by the sea and shingle slides, the beach south of Pukerua Bay is still much as it has always been thanks to three mothers and five children who braved the weather and stood in front of a bulldozer sixty years ago.

By Ashley Blair