Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture

The Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture marks the life and work of Rona Bailey, communist, educator, dancer and labour historian who took part in the anti-war, anti-apartheid, project Waitangi, and trade union movements. Speakers are invited to talk on their experiences of one of the issues Rona Bailey fought for. Video and transcripts of previous lectures are available.

• 2019 Rona Bailey lecture: Dean Parker – Two Tickets to Barbarism
  In the 2019 Rona Bailey lecture, held at the National Library of New Zealand, Dean Parker talked about growing up in Napier, what he learnt in London from Trotskyists and Irish republicans, joining the Socialist Unity Party back in New Zealand, the formation of the NZ Writers’ Guild and its affiliation to the Federation of… Read More »2019 Rona Bailey lecture: Dean Parker – Two Tickets to Barbarism
• 2017 Rona Bailey lecture: Therese O’Connell – Stories and Songs
  The Labour History Project regularly organises the Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture, a biennial public lecture looking at labour history in New Zealand, often through a creative lens. In 2017 the lecture was given by Therese Frances O’Connell, entitled ‘Stories and Songs’. Therese is a full-time feminist who has been a unionist and social justice activist in Wellington since… Read More »2017 Rona Bailey lecture: Therese O’Connell – Stories and Songs
• 2015 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Graeme Clarke – What is To Be Done?
  In the 2015 Rona Bailey lecture, held at the Toi Whakaari, Graeme Clarke talked about where the trade union movement and socialists are at and how we got there. The lecture was based on his experiences as a trade unionist and communist for the last 40 years. He will suggest some ideas about improving the current… Read More »2015 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Graeme Clarke – What is To Be Done?
• 2014 Rona Bailey Lecture: Robert Consedine – Suing Robert Muldoon and Doing Time: From Anti-Apartheid to Project Waitangi
  In the 2014 Rona Bailey Memorial lecture, held at Toi Whakaari, Robert Consedine talked about Project Waitangi. In the later 1980s, Rona Bailey was actively involved in establishing Project Waitangi, a community organisation which sought to educate Pākehā around the Treaty, in light of the approaching 1990 sequicentennial of the Treaty’s signing. Over a number… Read More »2014 Rona Bailey Lecture: Robert Consedine – Suing Robert Muldoon and Doing Time: From Anti-Apartheid to Project Waitangi
• 2011 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Marianne Schultz -Dance is a Weapon
  In the 2014 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture, Marianne Schultz, a PhD candidate and tutor in the History Department, University of Auckland, talked about Rona Bailey as a member of the New Dance Group. The New Dance Group played a key role in pioneering modern dance in New Zealand in the 1940s. Photos and excerpts from… Read More »2011 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Marianne Schultz -Dance is a Weapon
• 2009 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Dick Scott
  Rona Bailey was an icon of left-wing politics in New Zealand as well as being a founding member of the Trade Union History Project Committee. To acknowledge her massive contribution to both of these causes-and trade unionism in New Zealand-the committee determined after her death in September 2005 that it would commemorate her memory by… Read More »2009 Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture: Dick Scott
• Inaugural Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture 2007: Robert Reid – Looking Backwards: Looking Forwards
  Rona Bailey was an icon of left-wing politics in New Zealand as well as being a founding member of the TUHP Committee. To acknowledge her massive contribution to both of these causes-and trade unionism in New Zealand-the committee determined after her death in September 2005 that it would commemorate her memory by holding a biennial… Read More »Inaugural Rona Bailey Memorial Lecture 2007: Robert Reid – Looking Backwards: Looking Forwards