'Our Telephone Services...did you know they're on the line?' poster

This poster protests against the ramifications of splitting up the New Zealand Post Office into three different businesses (mail, telecommunications and banking) under the State-Owned Enterprises Act of 1986. State-owned enterprises were created from existing government departments or corporations. Special protections were removed from some businesses which had a significant effect on their competitiveness - forcing uneconomical elements to be curtailed.

In 1987 the century-old New Zealand Post Office was split into three new state-owned enterprises – New Zealand Post, Postbank (which took over the Post Office Savings Bank) and Telecom (which took over telephone and telegraph services). This poster focuses on the potential loss of telephone services.

Wellington Media Collective

The poster was designed by Sharon Murdoch and printed by the Wellington Media Collective (1978-98) for the New Zealand Post Office Union. The Collective began as a volunteer organisation late 1978 and shared skills in design, photography, screen printing and offset printing with community organisations, trade unions, individuals, activist groups (Maori, tauiwi, feminist, unemployed), actors/theatres, musicians and artists.