World War 1 Resources

When the First World War began in August 1914 New Zealand had no established army training base. Mobilization camps were set up in the main centres to assemble men for the first body of troops which set sail in October 1914. On the very same day that those initial transports left for the War around a thousand men, along with building equipment, arrived at Trentham with the aim of establishing a permanent military base there. The site had been chosen because it was the location of the Dominion Rifle Association’s rifle range, which had previously been used by New Zealand military during the Boer War. 

 

Trentham was originally a “canvas camp” consisting only of bell tents to accommodate the recruits. These tents were gradually replaced over the course of 1915 as long wooden hutments were built, each of which barracked around 100 men. Other administrative, service, and recreational buildings also began to be put up, along with roads and drainage systems. By July of that year the still only partly built camp had a population of 8000. Overcrowding and inadequate sanitary arrangements led to an outbreak of measles and meningitis that caused several deaths and created a national scandal.  The subsequent commission of enquiry led to hygiene improvements and the creation of satellite camps to cope with overflows in troop numbers. The population of Trentham camp was also restricted to 5000 men.