Featherston Military Camp

Featherston Military Camp, on a "windswept grassy plain" 3 kilometres north of Featherston, New Zealand, was built after the announcement of National Registration of all military-aged men to supplement Trentham Military Camp on the other side of the Rimutaka hill. The National Registration actually took place in October and November 1915, but the bill empowering conscription by the government did not pass until 1 August 1916.

1915
The camp was built in haste in the last quarter of 1915 more than 12 months after the First World War or Great War began. It was then intended to hold 4,500 men. A branch railway line from Featherston, in fact the start of the intended Martinborough branch railway, was a mile and a half long. First, Second etc. streets ran the length of the site and First Avenue, Second Avenue etc. ran crosswise. The first loads of materials arrived by rail in the first week of September 1915. Stabling was provide for 500 horses.



Marches
During World War I over 30,000 New Zealand soldiers marched between military camps at Trentham, Upper Hutt and Featherston via the Rimutaka Hill Road, in a three-day trek of 27 miles (43.5 km), There were 23 marches of 500 to 1800 men between September 1915 and April 1918, at the end of their training as reinforcements for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

1922
Buildings demolished by a special contractor produced 50,000 feet of totara, matai, kauri, rimu and hardwood timber auctioned in August 1922.

1926
Dalgety & Co were instructed by General Headquarters, Military Forces, Wellington to sell by public auction on Friday 26 November 1926 the following temporary wooden structures with Malthoid roofing:
 * 26 hutments: 36 metres by 6 metres
 * 2 dining rooms: 34 metres by 17 metres
 * 4 stores: 43 metres by 5 metres, 25 metres by 12 metres, 7 metres by 6 metres, 20 metres by 10 metres
 * Staff officers' mess: 37 metres by 6 metres
 * workshops: 20 metres by 4 metres, 25 metres by 4 metres, 11 metres by 4 metres
 * orderlies' hut: 37 metres by 6 metres
 * numerous other buildings