BEFORE Featherston Military Training Camp opened in January 1916, southern Wairarapa already had two army camps in operation. Tauherenikau and Papawai camps were set up 100 years ago, in July and August respectively.
The July 1915 health scare at Trentham Camp caused the army to evacuate 5000 of the 7000 men in training. The infantry shifted up the west coast to Waikanae, Rangiotu and Foxton. The mounted rifles, artillery and engineers moved up to the Wairarapa, with the mounteds crossing over the Rimutaka Hill Road by horse.
Although the intention was to use the 1911 Territorial training camp site near the Tauherenikau Racecourse, the army actually used the racecourse itself, with tents pitched within the racetrack and horse-lines near the entrance. The tea pavilion was established as a hospital for infectious cases, and the stewards' stand as a convalescent ward.
A few days later, a group of locals metalled the racecourse entrance to prevent horse hooves cutting up the ground. James Allen, Minister of Defence, visited the new camp a few days after it was established. He noted that the site was well-drained and the wet weather had not prevented the camp operating, although wooden floors for the tents were urgently needed.
The public inquiry into health problems at Trentham resulted in newspapers getting frequent updates from the camps on numbers of sick soldiers. On July 29, the tally in Tauherenikau and Greytown Hospital was: measles, 14; sore throats, 2; rheumatism, 2; lymphangitis, 1; varicocele, 1; varicose, 1, minor surgical cases, 5; colic, 1; lumbago, 1; bronchitis and asthma, 1 - with an assurance that none were serious cases.
