During periods of World War II, New Zealanders lived in fear of attack or invasion, first by the Germans and later by the Japanese. This exhibition explores the forgotten story of Westerfield Military Camp located 19km inland from Ashburton, established in 1941 to provide a mobile response to a feared invasion.

In 1942, the Army marched into Westerfield in a great flurry of activity, changed the 162 hectare landscape, and then disappeared as fast as they came. Witness the stories, photographs and memories from the fleeting life of Westerfield Camp shared through this exhibition.