Part 2: Who was Bruce Burnett?

Our Forgotten Epidemic

Bruce Burnett is a name everyone should know — a name that should sit alongside all of New Zealand’s heroes.

Instead, until recently, his legacy seemed to be in danger of being forgotten — other than by the people he worked with, those whose lives were saved by his actions, and the organisation that now bears his name.

Bruce’s selfless contributions to our nation saved countless lives, and we owe it to him to remember who he was.

---

Thanks for listening to Our Forgotten Epidemic, a show about Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to HIV and AIDS, and some of the many brave individuals who changed the course of history.

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is proud to be able to tell part of this important story from the perspectives of some truly remarkable people. And we want to acknowledge there’s so much more than we can tell in this short series.

• Our Forgotten Epidemic was produced by Wavelength Creative, in collaboration with Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
• Written and researched by Alyssa Partington, Matt Bain and Dr Jason Myers.
• Music composed by Alex Cox | alexcoxmusic.com
• Hosted and narrated by Dr Jason Myers.
• Many of the voices you’ve heard in this episode are from a series of interviews conducted by Dr Cheryl Ware in 2019 for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation Oral History Project.
• Thanks to Keith Robinson and Robyn Mihaere for allowing us to interview them for this project.
• The “What’s on in Auckland” radio clips you heard in this episode were from a Radio Gala Auckland broadcast, now held at the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand, Te Pūranga Takatāpui o Aotearoa (LAGANZ).
• The audio you heard of Bruce Burnett in this episode is from the August 1984 AIDS Road Show meeting at Alfie's in Auckland, recorded by Graham Underhill, which is held at the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand, Te Pūranga Takatāpui o Aotearoa (LAGANZ).
• Special thanks to our test listeners including staff living with HIV at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, Gareth Watkins, the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand and PrideNZ.com
• Special thanks also goes to Peter Davis for his excellent book, Intimate Details and Vital Statistics: AIDS, Sexuality and the Social Order in New Zealand.

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.