John Chrisstoffels

A young boy interprets his traumatic venture into town in terms of the adventure stories he has been reading.

Farmer, family man, and—unlikely leftist organiser. Bill Youren gave up a career as a lawyer to live a traditional farmer life in the back-blocks of the Hawke's Bay. He was also a zealous supporter of freedom of speech in a political environment, with the backdrop of the Cold War and the 1951 Waterfront Strike, where anyone labelled a Communist was seen as an existential threat.

A young boy interprets his traumatic venture into town in terms of the adventure stories he has been reading.

Farmer, family man, and—unlikely leftist organiser. Bill Youren gave up a career as a lawyer to live a traditional farmer life in the back-blocks of the Hawke's Bay. He was also a zealous supporter of freedom of speech in a political environment, with the backdrop of the Cold War and the 1951 Waterfront Strike, where anyone labelled a Communist was seen as an existential threat.