About ten years ago I spent two years travelling around New Zealand looking at the nation's war memorials. Two things struck me about this experience - first the extraordinary ingenuity of New Zealanders in commemorating those who had served in war. Second the sheer cost of war and the incredible number of names of those who had served in the Great War -- and even more the numbers who had died.

In looking at this wonderful e-memorial I am again reminded of these truths. For Katikati has demonstrated yet again the ingenuity of New Zealanders in remembering those who served their country. This e-memorial is a great idea, since it takes you beyond the mere contemplation of images in stone and allows you to explore the human meaning of war. And as you contemplate these personal details, you will realise once again the cost of the Great War to New Zealand communities. Between 1914-1918 over 100,000 New Zealand men and a few women went overseas to fight the most horrific war in human history. This represented about 10% of the whole population of the country, and over 40% of the eligible males. So Katikati's contribution -- 60 out of a population of 400 -- was in fact proportionately larger than the country's as a whole. Of those 100,000 over 18,000 died, and over 50,000 were injured.

Many of these men had parents or grandaparents who had migrated from Britain and Ireland up to 40 years before. In Katikati's case many had come from Northern Ireland, around Belfast, and they were anxious to show their loyalty to the 'old country'. They went off with high expectations that war would be 'a great adventure'. What they discovered was the heat and the smell and the terror of Gallipoli or the mud and the lice and the cold of the Western Front. They soon realised that war is hell. Yet they continued to serve and to die with courage and commitment; and at home their families waited in fear and anxiety for the occasional letter from their 'boys' or, even worse, the telegram which brought sad news that their son would never return.

This e-memorial helps us to give a human meaning to the names and lists on our war memorials, and to give the people of Katikati an intimate relationship with those who lived in their community a century ago.

I congratulate all those involved in its preparation, and urge others in different communities around the nation to replicate the idea.

Jock Phillips
Chief Historian, Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Jock Phillips was appointed Chief Historian in 1989 after 16 years teaching American and New Zealand history at Victoria University of Wellington. While at Victoria, he also founded and was the first director of the Stout Research Centre for the Study of New Zealand History, Society and Culture. His best-known publication is A Man's Country?: The Image of the Pakeha Male—A History (1987). Among other books he has also written one on war memorials, and edited a book of diaries and letters by First World War New Zealand soldiers. One of his recent publications is Brief Encounter: American Forces and the New Zealand People (1992)