In preparation for the centenary of World War I, the Whakatāne District Museum has started a NZ Lottery Grants Board-funded project to digitise the museum and community photographic and archival collections relating to “The Great War”.

The first of five opportunities for members of the public to have their material digitised – photographed and stored on DVD or memory stick - will be held at Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi – The Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre on Friday, 30 August and Saturday, 31 August 2013.

Venues in other parts of the Whakatāne District are currently being arranged, with the aim of providing the digitisation service in Edgecumbe and Murupara in September and Waimana and Tāneatua in October.

Members of the public can choose whether their material will join the Museum’s digital collection and be made available via an online database, scheduled to go live on 25 April 2014.

Whakatāne District Council Museum and Arts Team Leader Hamish Pettengell says another way the community can take part in this project is by helping to identify the people and places in selected photos that the Whakatāne Beacon has offered to run over a six week period. The selected images can also be seen on Whakatāne District Council’s Facebook page.

“We have some incredible images depicting the life and times of soldiers in World War I,” he says.

“What we’re missing are the details about who these people are, where they’re from, and what their service involved. There will be people in our community who recognise these faces, and can shed some light on their involvement with the First World War.”

Mr Pettengell says the project will ensure that the District’s World War I collections are safeguarded for the benefit of future generations.

“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. Most were young men and their loss had a massive impact on our society,” he says. “That conflict affected New Zealand deeply and was instrumental in forging not just our Anzac ties with Australia, but also our sense of nationhood. How appropriate then that we can preserve our memories of The Great War and make them available for centuries to come to anyone with an interest in that pivotal event.”

If you have any questions regarding the WW I project, please contact the Whakatāne District Museum on 07 306 0505 or email museum@whakatane.govt.nz.