Archives & Resources

Chemistry in Motion – The special relationship between Eamon de Valera Taoiseach/President of Ireland and Hon Peter Fraser Prime Minister of New Zealand.

A paper presented to the 23rd Australasian Conference of Irish Studies, Sydney University, November 2018 by Peter Burke

In WWII the Prime Ministers of Ireland and New Zealand formed a unique and special relationship which would transcend all the hardships and entanglements of the world at war. They were 18,000 kilometres apart and one led a country that was neutral, while the other led his country into battle on the side of Britain and her allies. One was a devout Catholic, the other a Presbyterian. Neither was born in the countries they were leading. Yet Eamon de Valera and Peter Fraser became close personal friends and went out of their respective ways to publicly recognise the virtues of each other and their respective countries. This paper examines their unique relationship, how it developed and how they managed to make time during WWII to spend time together and forge a strong personal relationship that set the stage for a special political relationship between Ireland and New Zealand. What is more their personal friendship was instrumental in helping a group of 155 Irishmen living in New Zealand and who refused to be conscripted, to get a better deal from the NZ government than other conscientious objectors did at the time. This is a unique insight into Irish/NZ political relations. Read the paper in full

The Deportees

Presentation to the Global Irish Diaspora Congress, University College Dublin, August 2017 by Peter Burke, New Zealand

On January 16th 1942, the National Service Department drew up a list of 155 Irishmen living in New Zealand with the intention of deporting them back to Ireland. Their crime – honesty – refusing to fight for uncle Winston Churchill's New Zealand army. Yes these men had vowed and declared that to fight a war for New Zealand, and by default England was something their conscience would not allow.

They were, by New Zealand law defined as conscientious objectors, but they were not pacifists. They were willing to die for Ireland, but not England. Arguably their deportation was tantamount to a death sentence because they would have to travel across 18,000ks of ocean and face the risk of being bombed or torpedoed by German or Japanese forces. But they were prepared to do this rather than betray their country. Read the paper in full

View   the poster about the Deportees