The First World War was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century. Between 1914 and 1918 some 100,000 troops, or about a tenth of the New Zealand population, served overseas. More than 18,000 died and over 40,000 were wounded, touching nearly every New Zealand family, every community, school and workplace.
2014 -2019 marks the centenary commemorations of WWI that will honour the service and sacrifice of those who fought. It will also tell the stories of the great majority of people who remained at home.
The New Zealand Government and the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage has developed the WW100 programme to mark the First World War centenary from 2014 to 2019. It encompasses a wide range of projects and activities, from official state ceremonies to community initiatives. As part of these commemorations, the Whakatāne Museum has embarked on a project to digitise the museum and community photographic and archival collections relating to WWI with the support of New Zealand Lottery Grants Board. The digitised results of this project are available by searching the collection.
A list of soldiers who enlisted from the District (PDF, 740 KB) is available. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information; however, if you notice mistakes or have any additional information, please contact us.
