Featherston Cemetery

The obelisk at Featherston cemetery, surrounded by World War One headstones.

GPS 41.121S 175.313E

The first civilian burials were in the 1860s. From the establishment of Tauherenikau Camp in August 1915, soldiers who died during training were generally buried at Featherston Cemetery. In December 1917 an obelisk on the south-western corner of the cemetery was erected by men at Featherston Military Camp, commemorating military deaths during training.

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About 20 soldiers had been interred by October 1918. The influenza epidemic added greatly to the cemetery’s soldier inhabitants – over 160 in November and early December 1918. Most were trainees but there was a nursing sister and other members of the medical and permament staff among the dead.

There are now 182 military graves from World War One, in rows near the obelisk with names also recorded on the base of the obelisk. Some damaged headstones have been incorporated into a wall nearby.

Returned services graves from the Featherston area are in another section on the southern edge of the cemetery.

For brief details on soldiers buried at the cemetery, check out this webpage.

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