In November and December 1918 more than 600 people who had died of influenza in Wellington during the world wide epidemic were buried in Karori Cemetery. This was more than three times the usual monthly burial rate. Most of these people were buried in three distinct areas of the cemetery. More than 100 men who were in training for war service at Trentham Camp were amongst those who succumbed and they were buried in the newly developed Soldiers Section.
The 1918 Influenza Project is a volunteer based community initiative supported by the Wellington City Council. Volunteers are cleaning and tidying many of the graves of those who died, and researching their life stories. Their work, and general project information, is available on a dedicated website
www.1918influenzakarori.weebly.com
As part of Wellington City Heritage Week, Karori Cemetery Tour is offering a FREE tour of three of the sites in the cemetery, starting at 1.30pm on
Monday 23 October (Labour Day).
Come along and learn more about the project, and hear the stories behind the headstones. The tour will take 1.5 - 2 hours, and you don’t need to book, though an email to indicate your interest would be appreciated ([email protected]).
Meet at the Lychgate, Services section, on the main road through the cemetery. The tour will proceed unless there is pouring rain and a howling wind from either the north or the south!
There will also be a FREE public talk about the epidemic on Sunday 29 October in the Community Room of the Karori Recreation Centre (behind the Library), at 2.00pm.
"The Great Death in Paradise: the 1918 Influenza pandemic in Fiji, Tonga, and the Samoas.”
presented by Dr Ryan McLane
There will be a cuppa and biscuits after a Q&A session following Dr McLane's presentation.
The 1918 Influenza Project is a volunteer based community initiative supported by the Wellington City Council. Volunteers are cleaning and tidying many of the graves of those who died, and researching their life stories. Their work, and general project information, is available on a dedicated website
www.1918influenzakarori.weebly.com
As part of Wellington City Heritage Week, Karori Cemetery Tour is offering a FREE tour of three of the sites in the cemetery, starting at 1.30pm on
Monday 23 October (Labour Day).
Come along and learn more about the project, and hear the stories behind the headstones. The tour will take 1.5 - 2 hours, and you don’t need to book, though an email to indicate your interest would be appreciated ([email protected]).
Meet at the Lychgate, Services section, on the main road through the cemetery. The tour will proceed unless there is pouring rain and a howling wind from either the north or the south!
There will also be a FREE public talk about the epidemic on Sunday 29 October in the Community Room of the Karori Recreation Centre (behind the Library), at 2.00pm.
"The Great Death in Paradise: the 1918 Influenza pandemic in Fiji, Tonga, and the Samoas.”
presented by Dr Ryan McLane
There will be a cuppa and biscuits after a Q&A session following Dr McLane's presentation.