Gil Hanly

Gillian Mary Hanly ( Taverner; born 1934), known professionally as Gil Hanly, is a New Zealand artist. She is best known for documenting protests and social movements in New Zealand's recent history, including the 1981 Springbok tour, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and the protests at Bastion Point.

Early life Hanly was born in 1934 in Levin, New Zealand. She has two younger brothers. She grew up on a sheep farm between the sea and the town of Bulls, where the family worked hard to contribute. She met her husband Pat Hanly while at Ilam. The family moved back to New Zealand in the early 1960s, living in Mount Eden, Auckland.

Artistic career

Hanly became one of the leading social documentary photographers in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s, She says she is attracted to things "that were important". In the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hanly was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to photography.

In 2014 and 2015, Hanly donated much of her photographic collections to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, totalling approximately 144,000 images.

Personal life Hanly was married to the painter Pat Hanly until he died in 2004.