New Zealanders who resisted the First World War

The War Regulations Act 1914 allowed citizens to be arrested and charged with sedition for making ‘disloyal’ or ‘seditious’ statements, either verbally or in print. Such statements could be made in front of a large crowd at an anti-war rally, or in semi-public settings such as workplaces or pubs.

The police laid charges on the basis of having heard the remarks themselves (such as at rallies), or when members of the public reported them. The local magistrate heard witnesses before making a final judgment. The accused could be fined or imprisoned for up to a year.

New regulations passed in December 1916 significantly expanded government powers to punish and imprison people for making ‘seditious’ or ‘disloyal’ statements. In February 1917 the government passed further regulations which banned ‘seditious strikes’ in industries essential to the war effort.

As a result of the 102 successful prosecutions, 67 people were imprisoned for up to 12 months, 29 were fined, and 6 were convicted and discharged. Eighty-eight of these people were convicted for seditious/disloyal statements and 14 for involvement in ‘seditious strikes’. Seven of those convicted also served separate prison terms as conscientious objectors. Those convicted include one woman, 70-year-old Ellen Fuller, who had been overheard muttering seditious remarks at the Palmerston North railway station. A Waikato Māori named Toiwhare was also convicted for saying that he ‘would like the Germans to win and come to New Zealand.’

This page includes a summary table of a more detailed downloadable spreadsheet which has been compiled from the tables of convictions and prison releases published in the Police Gazettes (held by Archives New Zealand) for the years 1915–18. People seeking further information about these convictions should conduct a search on the Papers Past website.

Abbreviations and glossary (for spreadsheet version)

MC = Magistrate’s Court; NA = Not applicable; PG = Police Gazette; publishing = making a public statement, whether verbally or in print