The sacrifice and impact of World War I on Rotorua families will be heard during a talk at the Rotorua Museum this weekend.
Great War Stories - Rotorua remembers World War I is an exhibition which shares some of the powerful and diverse stories of the war, through items contributed by the local community.
Curator Chris Rapley will give a floor talk at 2pm on Sunday about the war, how these treasured objects were collected and the stories behind them.
"There's an amazing collection, we have photograph albums, a bugle, lantern slides, items from Gallipoli," he said.
"We had put out an appeal [for the exhibition] right back in November last year and we went out to the families and interviewed them. We hope [Great War Stories] is a good chance to learn more about World War I and why it's important to know out about our local history."
From 1914-1918, World War I saw the death of millions and its impact was felt throughout communities and across generations. Six out of every 10 men who went to war died or were wounded. Over the four years of the war, 18,000 New Zealanders lost their lives and another 42,000 were wounded at infamous battles such as Gallipoli, Passchendaele and on the Western Front.
The talk is included in the price of museum admission. There is free entry for Rotorua residents with proof of address.