Skip to main content

Story: Wairarapa places

Prison labour

Image
Prison labour

A Japanese prisoner of war fixes imperfections in state house chimneys, at Featherston Military Camp in 1943. About 800 Japanese were held in the camp, and were assigned work duties. Some went on strike in February 1943, leading to a tragic incident and shooting in which 49 people died – 48 prisoners and one New Zealander.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)

Reference: 1/4-000779; F

by John Dobrée Pascoe

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Wairarapa places – Featherston, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12034/prison-labour (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 2 March 2009, updated 11 June 2015.