197:" was the name given to the purpose-built building for the Wanganui Computer from the time of its initial construction in 1974. A large re-enforced three story building, it only has windows on the top floor, giving it the appearance of a fortified bunker. Building construction was overseen by the Ministry of Works, on behalf of the Government. Computer installation began in May 1975, with the system, itself, being operational by 1976, although data entry continued until 1978. The building was purchased by the National Library in 1997 to hold some of their heritage collections, as well as being sub-tenanted to private organisations.
209:" was New Zealand’s first national law enforcement computer system, holding the personal information about many New Zealanders in relation to motor vehicles, driver’s and firearms licences, crime and traffic offending and criminal convictions. It allowed law enforcement agencies, including the Police, Transport, Courts, and Corrections , among others, to share information via a nationwide network of computer terminals. Described as "
254:
Between 1986 and 1989, Neil
Roberts Day (18 November) was commemorated with gatherings in the Moutoa Gardens. The commemorations were revived in 2015, 2017 and 2018 with various punk bands from around the country performing at concerts held in the Duncan Pavilion at Castlecliff in Whanganui.
241:
named Neil
Roberts, was the only person killed, and the computer system was undamaged. He had written on a piece of cardboard before the explosion, "Heres one anarchist down. Hopefully there’s a lot more waking up. One day we’ll win – one day." A public toilet nearby had the slogan "We have
213:" by then Police Minister Allan McCready. For its time, the Wanganui Computer broke new ground and was a controversial initiative in the mass storage of New Zealanders' personal information on a computer system. In 1995, the Wanganui Computer was moved to Auckland and the Centre was closed.
184:
Proposed by the
National Party at the 1972 general elections and picked up by the Labour Party after they became the government, the computer system was initially proposed to be called the Law Enforcement Data System (Wanganui), then called the Justice Data Bank, until the name National Law
170:, New Zealand, in 1982. The event was carried out to protest New Zealand's ability to record the personal information of citizens which was seen as potentially dangerous by civil libertarians. The Computer Centre continued to operate until its closure in 2005.
31:
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maintained a silence closely resembling stupidity" painted on it, a slogan which the police believe
Roberts had painted, and borrowed from the Revolutionary Proclamation of the
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Lance Beath, 'Terrorism and counter-terrorism – Terrorism and New
Zealand: the historical background', Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand,
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237:. The force of the blast made it so that police were initially unable to determine the sex of the perpetrator. The attacker, a "punk rock"
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267:. The film portrays a young man named Eric probing into the facts of the bombing. The protagonist is disturbed by being awakened in
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at the exact moment of the bombing in
Wanganui. Eric becomes absorbed in pondering the character and fate of Neil Roberts.
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The graffitied sentence "We have maintained a silence closely resembling stupidity" has been used by New
Zealand artist
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in various works, notably as part of her "Doublethink" installation (2013) and exhibition "The City of Lead and Gold" (
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Rochelle Bright wrote a musical play about Neil
Roberts in 2015 as part of her residency at the
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http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/34659/bomb-damage-to-the-wanganui-computer-centre-1982
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of 1809. The phrase is still closely linked with the bombing by the New
Zealand public.
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619:"System Overload: Neil Roberts, Punk Anarchism and'The Maintenance of Silence'."
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An article from Radio New
Zealand's 'The Wireless' paints a richer picture:
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377:. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 3 August 2017
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Daffodils show returns to Auckland, film and worldwide tour in the offing
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233:, Courts, Ministry of Transport and other law enforcement agencies, in
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Established in 1976 under the Wanganui Computer Centre Act the "
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the most significant crime-fighting weapon ever brought to bear
342:"Whanganui District Heritage Inventory: Register Item No: 322"
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593:"Deterioration leave Duncan Pavilion's future in question"
371:"Wanganui Computer legislation enacted: 9 September 1976"
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Sited on the corner of Bates Street and Somme Parade, "
462:. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Police Museum
397:"'Big Brother' switched off after 30 years service"
651:," Ann Shelton's website. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
522:"Neil Roberts 20th Anniversary Memorial Punk Fest"
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482:"Wanganui Computer Centre explosion news report"
812:Terrorist incidents in New Zealand in the 1980s
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16:Protest and Bombing in Whanganui, New Zealand
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621:Journal of New Zealand Studies 8 (2009): 85.
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225:attack was made against a facility housing
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581:11 November 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
564:, nzonscreen.com, Retrieved 17 March 2019.
638:31 January 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
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807:Terrorist incidents in Oceania in 1982
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430:. No. 130. Auckland: Kowhai Media
185:Enforcement Data Base was settled on.
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263:In 1984, a short was produced titled
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802:Failed terrorist attempts in Oceania
575:Opera about NZ's only suicide bomber
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817:November 1982 events in New Zealand
340:Pettigrew, Wendy (September 2010).
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787:Terrorist incidents in New Zealand
422:Yarwood, Vaughan (November 2014).
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14:
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508:"1982: The death of Neil Roberts"
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709:Wanganui Computer Centre bombing
591:Williams, Finn (6 August 2022).
536:"An anarchist with a death wish"
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164:Wanganui Computer Centre bombing
40:Wanganui Computer Centre bombing
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180:National Law Enforcement System
126:National Law Enforcement System
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715:Wellington Trades Hall bombing
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294:An Anarchist With A Death Wish
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766:2007 New Zealand police raids
761:Outlawed terror organisations
739:Auckland supermarket stabbing
733:Christchurch mosque shootings
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351:. Whanganui District Council
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456:"Wanganui Computer Bombing"
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276:Michael King Writers Centre
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703:Huntly rail bridge bombing
561:The Maintenance of Silence
424:"A bomb for 'Big Brother'"
327:(accessed 25 January 2017)
265:The Maintenance of Silence
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727:Eagle Airways Flight 2279
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649:The City of Lead and Gold
599:. NZME Publishing Limited
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797:Suicide bombings in 1982
689:Terrorism in New Zealand
305:Terrorism in New Zealand
227:the main computer system
174:Wanganui Computer Centre
221:On 18 November 1982, a
27:Infobox civilian attack
20:
607:– via NZ Herald.
428:New Zealand Geographic
349:data.whanganui.govt.nz
32:considered for merging
454:Campbell, Danielle.
82:39.9306°S 175.0564°E
792:1982 in New Zealand
617:Campbell, Russell.
597:Whanganui Chronicle
289:, Wanganui, 2013).
78: /
488:. 28 November 2014
460:www.police.govt.nz
259:In popular culture
231:New Zealand Police
87:-39.9306; 175.0564
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749:Counter-terrorism
486:Radio New Zealand
375:nzhistory.govt.nz
207:Wanganui Computer
201:Wanganui Computer
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223:suicide bomb
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166:occurred in
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156:Neil Roberts
153:Perpetrators
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636:stuff.co.nz
603:26 November
579:stuff.co.nz
466:26 November
434:26 November
407:26 November
381:26 November
355:26 November
283:Ann Shelton
134:Attack type
85: /
73:175°03′23″E
60:Coordinates
53:New Zealand
21:‹ The
781:Categories
311:References
113:12:35 am (
70:39°55′50″S
401:NZ Herald
239:anarchist
168:Whanganui
128:mainframe
49:Whanganui
30:is being
299:See also
269:Auckland
235:Wanganui
45:Location
34:. ›
23:template
229:of the
217:Bombing
103: (
741:(2021)
735:(2019)
729:(2008)
723:(1985)
717:(1984)
711:(1982)
705:(1951)
545:24 May
492:24 May
145:Deaths
122:Target
345:(pdf)
605:2022
547:2018
494:2018
468:2022
436:2022
409:2022
383:2022
357:2022
162:The
115:NZDT
98:Date
634:,"
577:,"
783::
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538:.
484:.
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444:^
426:.
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373:.
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332:^
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117:)
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