November 07, 2019
Memorial unveiled to 1918 influenza pandemic
Culture and Heritage Minister Jacinda Ardern this morning unveiled a plaque at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in memory of the estimated 9000 New Zealanders who died in the 1918 global influenza pandemic .
Manatū Taonga chief executive Bernadette Cavanagh says between October and December 1918 the pandemic claimed half as many New Zealanders’ lives as the whole First World War, with Māori dying a rate at least seven times that of the Pākēha population.
The plaque also acknowledges the service and sacrifice of the health professionals and large numbers of volunteers who cared for the sick, and recognises how the tragedy helped shape modern approaches to infectious diseases management and surveillance.
The plaque was designed by Neil Pardington from Ngāi Tahu and Wraight & Associates.
Its zinc appearance recalls the zinc sulphate inhalation sprayers used to treat people during the pandemic, and the stencilled form of the text references the labelling on medical supply crates.
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