Tauherenikau Racecourse
The kiosk (left) and the circular tea pavilion at Tauherenikau Racecourse before World War One.
GPS 41.118 S 175.375 E
Tauherenikau, State Highway Two
When Trentham Camp was largely dispersed in July 1915, mounted riflemen in training rode over the Rimutaka Road to Tauherenikau Racecourse, where they trained at a tent camp for about three weeks. From there they moved about two kilometres north to a new ground (Tauherenikau Camp) on the farm of Herbert Williams, west of the main road.
Buildings at the racecourse were used at times as an isolation hospital for soldiers with contagious diseases. Some work on installing extra bathroom and toilet facilities appears to have been done in 1915-1916. Although the octagonal tea kiosk at the racecourse is superficially similar to the octagon wards at Featherston Camp, it was not regarded by Featherston’s principal medical officer as suitable for medical purposes.