More than a Craze: Photographs of New Zealand's early digital games scene


Photographs


Essay: Melanie Swalwell
  Comments  Photographs

Curated by Dr Melanie Swalwell, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, and Janet Bayly, Mahara Gallery, Waikanae,New Zealand.

 

Copyright remains with: the photographers Christopher Matthews, Ans Westra, the Robin Morrison Estate, Auckland War Memorial Museum; with Fairfax Media Sundays; and the Dominion Post.


2 boys - 1 playing, one leaning over the other's shoulder.
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
2 boys play gun games next to each other.
"The noise, the lights, the action, the electronic explosions - and the challenge. Side by side facing the enemy t...
2 boys playing driving game, convex mirror in background
Ans Westra, Untitled, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
2 boys playing driving game, one looking over at other
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
 
 
2 guys beneath Easy Rider poster.
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 3074 23jp
2 guys sitting in a Sega game.
"Two young players test their skills on the 'Missile command' machine at the Hutt Valley's newest and largest elect...
Boy playing pinball, 2 onlookers
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 1204 11
Boy sits on floor. He looks bored.
"Young Lewis Te Amo, the newly-crowned Wellington video games champion, enjoys committing suicide.
But the Auc...
 
 
Colour image. Wellington Street Dairy, Freemans Bay, Auckland, 1980.
Robin Morrison, Wellington Street Dairy, Freemans Bay, Auckland, 1980. Estate of Robin Morrison, Auckland Museum.
Doghouse Aroha and Tiny
"In one sense, there's a whole romantic thing about being on the streets and a lot of kids would like to be there. ...
Doghouse boy at bin
"We were pretty hard on these little hoods. The little pricks used to sleep there when they could - on the games a...
Doghouse boys at pinball
"A lot of the kids who were on the streets or were hanging around town had perhaps fallen through the education sys...
 
 
Doghouse Charlie at window
"In 1978, [the Doghouse was] a Takeaway Bar specialising mainly in hot dogs - which were of a very high standard an...
Doghouse Christine
"It was a very interesting place to work because you saw all sorts of people and you had a chance to talk to them. ...
Doghouse Lane with girl
I don't know why the Doghouse should complain about us being there. We were making business. We were giving them more ...
Doghouse policeman confrontation
"Everybody here...we've all got those memories of the cops. Like I remember one day we were at a concert...We were ...
 
 
Girl at what looks to be a periscope control of Sea Devil.
"Carrene Hamilton (11) of Greys Avenue, at the helm of the Sea Devil game."
Black & white Auckland Star ...
Girl lounging on game, looking around parlour.
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 2982 18
Girl with stick leaning on machine, with others
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
Girls walk towards Chewbaccas.
"Patrons of Chewbacca's fun parlour are a constant cause of concern for Mrs Bradley, whose hairdressing salon is ri...
 
 
Group of 4 (or 5?) in front of game and Pall Mall cigarette ad
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 1184 7jp
Group of 4 around game, front figure has something in mouth, 1 boy in school uniform.
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 1203 4
Group of 4 girls, in front of game
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

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Group of 5 boys in front of games
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 4376 2jp
 
 
Group of boys, one animated, looking at camera, in front of game
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 4376 7
Guy in poloneck with arms crossed, in front of games
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
Guy leaning over machine to talk with girl
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 1184 12
Guy looking down playing game
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
 
 
Guy with afro leaning on game
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
Interior of space themed arcade.
"They don't play Space Invaders any more. Ask any 14-year-old and they will all tell you the same - "it's out...
Kids looking in the door of Star Gaze parlour.
"Youths wait in vain for the amusement centre to open this morning."
Evening Post, 10 July 1987, Dominion ...
Man and woman hold hands while playing Space Invaders.
A little moral support never hurt anyone specially when the invaders on the march.
Evening Post, 17 July 1981, Dom...
 
 
Man with tattoo on arm sitting in his parlour.
"Mr Hansen in his amusement parlour - his livelihood is being threatened by illegal opposition."
Evening P...
Many kids crowded round Galaga machine.
"The space invaders machines came in for some heavy use at the Wellington ferry terminal building early yesterday m...
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Pinocchio's with Rules.
"A list of rules at one Wellington video parlour - cleaning up the sleazy image."
Evening Post, 1 June, 19...
Playing pool in front of game machines, girl is exclaiming.
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.
 
 
Salesman holding up small Invader from Space game, while leaning on Grandstand tabletop game.
"The number of electronic games grows every year. Mr Kerry Johnston, a distributor's representative at the three-d...
Waiting outside a shop with Personality written on outside.
"Fifteen-year-old space invaders enthusiast Robert Teinakore waits patiently for the amusement parlour at Cannons C...
Woman in leather coat playing game, taken from behind
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

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Young guy playing pinball in Fun City.
"At the pinball machine, it's all in the "body English." That's pinball jargon for nudging the machine.....
 
 
Younger child plays, girl watches, as man leaves through door
Ans Westra, Untitled. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

AW 2982 21jp