The Featherston Incident

Outside the Wairarapa town of Featherston (North East of Wellington), a memorial garden marks the site of the death in 1943 of 48 Japanese prisoners of war and one guard.

In 1942 a POW camp was opened in Featherston to house 800 Japanese POWs captured in the South Pacific. In early 1943, a group of recently arrived prisoners refused to work and staged a sit-down strike. During management of the strike activity, a guard fired a warning shot at the group and in the following confusion, the guards opened fire resulting in 49 deaths. 

This year marked the 82nd anniversary of what has become known as the Featherston Incident and, as part of the Open Space Management (OSM) contract that Citycare Property holds with the South Wairarapa District Council, the team were tasked with ensuring the grounds were perfect for this year's commemoration event.

While we manage the grounds as part of the regular contract, getting everything looking 100% on the day of an event takes planning and foresight. There are many moving parts that need to come together in a timed manner which means that the Citycare Property team must work closely with the council team to carefully manage actions in the lead up to an event such as this. And, on the day, the team also take care of event set-up ensuring chairs, marquees flags and flag poles are all in place.

It was great to receive the following feedback from the Deputy Mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter following the successful commemoration event:

Featherston Incident Commemoration 2025

"On behalf of South Wairarapa District Council I want to extend my gratitude for everything you and your team did regarding the commemoration of the Featherston Incident. Your contribution helped ensure that this important event was a meaningful and respectful tribute to those affected by this chapter in history. 

The grounds looked incredible, and staff appreciated your assistance with the logistics to ensure that the commemoration went smoothly."

Over the coming weeks Citycare Property team members across the country will be preparing for similar ANZAC commemorations in our larger city centres and smaller townships as communities take the time to honour and pay tribute to our defence forces. While the work we do largely takes place in the background, and often behind the scenes, the end result is a very visible and tangible acknowledgement of our service men and women.