Even before his arrest, trial and acquittal on spy charges in the 1970s most New Zealanders had heard of Bill Sutch. He was a prominent citizen – known for his work as an economist, writer, public servant and diplomat.
Bill Sutch
Personal details
Full Name:
William Ball Sutch
Lifetime:
27 Jun 1907 – 28 Sep 1975
Biography
Events In History
27 September 1974
On a rainy night in Wellington’s Aro St, the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) gatecrashed a meeting between William Sutch and Dimitri Razgovorov. They believed Sutch, a prominent economist and former senior public servant, was passing information to Razgovorov, a Soviet diplomat.
Articles
The Cold War
Although the origins of the so-called Cold War can be traced back to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, this intense ideological struggle between the Western powers and the Soviet Union really began after the Second World War. Read the full article
Page 8 - War at home
Apart from a period during the 1950s, New Zealanders remained relatively tolerant of communism.
Main image: William Sutch
Economist Dr William Ball Sutch in 1975, back at work after being acquitted of a charge under the Official Secrets Act.