Story: Peacekeeping

Preparing for action

Preparing for action

New Zealand police are shown here (above) engaged in weapons training before joining a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus. There from 1964 to 1967, the police acted as liaison between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot police, and assisted with inquiries. Conflict had developed between the much larger Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community after Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960. The United Nations' peacekeeping involvement continued in 2022.

In the lower photo, Prime Minister Keith Holyoake bids goodbye to police volunteers travelling to Cyprus in 1964. This was the first overseas deployment for New Zealand police officers.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP-Legal-Police, Cyprus-01 (top); EP/1964/1609 (bottom)

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

David Capie, 'Peacekeeping - New Zealand’s involvement in peacekeeping', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/36077/preparing-for-action (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by David Capie, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Jun 2015