In the premiere episode, Dougal Stevenson looks at the 1960s - a decade of tragic disasters, social change as air travel opportunities opened up, sporting gold and Beatlemania! 1960s - The Decade in News: It was a decade of disasters – the Strongman Mine explosion killed 19, 23 died in our worst domestic civil aviation accident in 1963; 29 died when the MV Kaitawa was lost at sea, an earthquake devastated Inangahua, and of course there was the Wahine sinking. In the crime world, George Wilder became an unlikely folk hero with three prison breaks, while we were shocked by the Basset Road machine gun murders. But there were highlights too… the Lawson quins born in ’65, Brian Barratt Boyes performs our first open heart surgery, the six o’clock swill ends and we change to decimal currency.
Join legendary TV presenters Dougal Stevenson, Jennie Goodwin, Judy Bailey and Tom Bradley in a brand new local series, I Was There showing every weeknight in June. Each episode is presented by one of our iconic Kiwi newsreaders and covers a new decade. From the 60s through to the 90s, as viewers are taken through the biggest moments in New Zealand history over four momentous periods of change. I Was There unearths footage from rare archives, and fresh interviews offer new perspectives on the moments that changed our nation, from national tragedies to sporting triumphs and cultural milestones - all from the people who lived them.