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The 1918 influenza pandemic

Page 7 – North Island influenza death rates

These figures are taken from Geoffrey Rice, Black November: the 1918 influenza pandemic, University of Canterbury Press, 2005. The population figures are those of the 1916 Census. Death rate is per 1,000 of population. Maori populations for counties are inclusive of interior boroughs. Only registered Maori deaths are listed, and these are not available for some districts. The total death toll for New Zealand is thought to be over 8,600.

Region:

Northland

  European Maori
Place Deaths' Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Mangonui and Whangaroa Counties 14 4,338 3.2 126 3,215 39.1
Hokianga County 9 3,596 2.5 158 3,829 41.2
Bay of Islands County 35 3,600 9.7 147 2,592 56.7
Whangarei County and Whangarei 57 11,389 5.0 34 1,087 31.2
Hikurangi 5 775 6.4      
Hobson County and Dargaville 31 5,993 5.1 52 814 63.8
Otamatea County 8 3,647 2.1 28 460 60.8
Rodney County and Warkworth 7 4,043 1.7 8 171 46.7
Waitemata County and Helensville 5 9,354 0.5 8 392 20.4
Total 171 46,735 3.6 561 12,560 44.6

Auckland

Suburb

Deaths

Population

Death rate
Auckland City 193    
Ponsonby 117    
Herne Bay, Grafton 14 (40,536)* 8.0
Arch Hill 20 (2,120)* 9.4
Grey Lynn 67    
Newton 33 (7,454)* 13.4
Edenerrace 17 (2,595)* 6.5
Epsom and One Tree Hill 47 (6,064)* 7.8
Parnell 48 (5,849)* 8.2
Remuera and Otakei 39 (5,318)* 7.3
Inner City against 1916 Census 595 72,243 8.2
Mt Eden 90 12,555 7.2
Takapuna 20 2,756 7.3
Birkenhead 15 2,116 7.1
Northcote 10 1,651 6.1
Devonport 36 7,613 4.7
Onehunga 59 5,913 9.9
Newmarket 24 2,863 8.4
Ellerslie 9 1,363 6.6
Papakura 19 821 23.1
St Heliers 7 507 13.8
Avondale 28 2,451 11.4
Piha, Waitakere 10 947 10.6
Pakuranga 3 302 9.9
Mt Albert 56 9,654 5.8
New Lynn 6 1,041 5.8
Panmure 2 400 5.0
Otahuhu 11 2,328 4.7
Manurewa 3 968 3.1
Henderson 3 879 3.4
Penrose 1 307 3.3
Mangere 3 1,219 2.5
Mt Roskill 4 1,785 2.2
Waikumete 2 1,330 1.5
Remainder, metropolitan area 421 61,769 6.8
Outside metropolitan area (including soldiers in camp) 74 14,180 5.2
'Auckland' no address 38    
TOTAL 1,128 148,192 7.6
*1911 Census figures      
Maori deaths 35 511 68.4

Thames and Bay of Plenty

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Coromandel County 4 2,256 1.7 12 298 40.2
Thames County 20 4,690 4.2 43 665 64.6
Thames 31 3,273 9.4      
Ohinemuri County 8 4,661 1.7 50 690 72.4
Paeroa 6 1,376 4.3      
Waihi 26 4,774 5.4      
Tauranga County 12 2,942 4.0 30 1,703 17.6
Tauranga 6 1,685 3.5      
Te Puke 3 1,005 2.9      
Rotorua County 10 1,400 7.1 21 1,367 15.3
Rotorua 20 2,845 7.0      
Whakatane County 14 1,994 7.0 126 2,569 49.0
Whakatane 12 960 12.5      
Opotiki County  -
 1,881  -
107
  1,600  66.8
Opotiki 9 1,073 8.3      
TOTAL 181 36,815 4.9 389 8,892 43.7

Waikato

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Franklin County 34 7,602 4.4 24 629 38.1
Mercer 6 375 16.0      
Pukekohe 13 1,533 8.4      
Tuakau 16 571 17.5      
Waiuku 7 849 8.2      
Raglan County 9 4,027 2.2 23 1,579 14.5
Waikato County 28 6,564 4.2 9 528 17.0
Cambridge 4 1,507 2.6      
Hamilton and Franklin     54 5,677 9.5  
Huntly 26 1,535 16.9      
Waipa County 21 5,997 3.5 405    
Ngaruawahia 13 867 14.9      
Te Awamutu 19 1,064 17.8      
Piako County 21 3,950 5.3 7 133 52.6
Morrinsville 7 1,063 6.5      
Te Aroha 20 1,452 13.7      
TOTAL 298 49,527 6.0 73 4,280 17.0

East Cape and Hawke's Bay

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Waiapu County 8 2,075 3.8      
Stratford County 28 5,152 5.2      
Waikohu County 1 3,013 0.3   443  
Cook County and Gisborne 46 17,319 2.6 11 1,299 8.4
Wairoa County and Wairoa 24 3,862 6.2 65 2,536 25.6
Hawke’s Bay County 31 11,467 2.7 24 1,194 20.1
Hastings 73 7,918 9.2      
Napier 94 12,704 7.3      
Waipawa County and Waipawa 16 5,284 3.0 5 253 19.7
Waipukurau County and Waipukurau 20 3,001 6.6 6    
Patangata County 3 2,080 1.4 4 253 15.8
Dannevirke County 20 3,837 5.2 204    
Dannevirke 46 3,336 13.7      
Norsewood 4 701 5.7      
Woodville County and Woodville 8 2,897 2.7 5    
Weber County 1 420 2.3      
TOTAL 395 79,914 4.9 121 8,886 13.6

King Country

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Waitomo County 35 5,181 6.7 65 1,335 48.6
Te Kuiti 22 1,982 11.0      
Ohura County 10 2,382 4.1 5 307 16.2
West Taupo County 4 2,351 1.7 4 1,020 3.9
East Taupo County 1 515 1.9 17 1,056 16.0
Kaitieke County 17 2,784 6.1 54 237 227.0
Manunui and Taumarunui 45 2,688 16.7      
Waimarino County 16 2,705 5.9 17 695 24.4
Ohakune 26 1,371 18.9      
Raetihi 9 797 11.2      
TOTAL 185 22,756 8.1 162 4,650 34.8

Taranaki and Wanganui

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Awakino County 1 702 1.4 1 176 5.6
Clifton County 8 2,156 3.7 33 364 90.6
Waitara 4 1,422 2.8      
Taranaki County 17 7,100 2.3 18 554 32.4
Inglewood 20 1,199 16.6      
New Plymouth 40 8,704 4.5      
Egmont County 13 2,727 4.7 29 821 35.3
Opunake 8 537 14.8      
Stratford County 28 5,152 5.2      
Stratford 28 2,713 10.3      
Whangamomona County 12 1,387 8.6 – 19 –
Eltham County 9 2,743 3.2 5 288 17.3
Eltham 14 1,711 8.1      
Kaponga 4 650 6.1      
Waimate West County 6 1,731 3.4 18 169 106.5
Manaia 11 904 12.1      
Hawera County 21 4,599 4.5 67 369 181.5
Hawera 38 3,375 11.2      
Patea County 7 2,688 2.6 30 274 109.4
Patea 6 1,010 5.9      
Waverley 3 1,071 2.8      
Waitotara County 15 5,842 2.5 10 363 27.5
Wanganui County 18 3,397 5.2 10 670 14.9
Wanganui and suburbs 83 14,380 5.7      
TOTAL 414 77,900 5.3 221 4,067 54.3

Manawatu

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Rangitikei County 21 8,398 2.5 1 606 1.6
Hunterville 7 555 12.6      
Marton 15 1,650 9.0      
Taihape 37 1,927 19.2      
Kiwitea County 1 2,585 0.3 – 11 –
Pohangina County 1 1,581 0.6 – 8 –
Oroua County 22 3,304 6.6 – 280 –
Feilding 9 3,438 2.6      
Manawatu County 9 4,521 1.9 9 175 51.4
Foxton 15 1,772 8.4      
Kairanga County 17 4,124 4.1 3 94 31.9
Palmerston North 103 12,829 8.0      
Horowhenua County 15 5,851 2.5 19 1,196 15.8
Levin 12 1,630 7.4      
Otaki 13 1,065 12.1      
Hutt County 23 5,843 3.9      
Upper Hutt 6 1,554 3.8      
Makara County (excluding Wellington) 1 774 0.5      
TOTAL 327 63,411 5.1 32 2,370 13.5
Awapuni Military Camp* (7) (317) 22.0      
Trentham Military Camp* (77) (3,270) 23.5      

* these victims have been added to their home regions

Wairarapa

  European Maori
Place Deaths Population Death rate Deaths Population Death rate
Pahiatua County 8 3,110 2.5 6 21 28.5
Pahiatua 11 1,300 8.4      
Akitio 4 1,416 2.8 – 23 –
Eketahuna County and Eketahuna 8 3,066 2.6 1 24  
Mauriceville 4 771 5.1 – 11 –
Masterton County 25 3,746 6.6 8 297 26.0
Masterton 53 5,894 8.9      
Castlepoint 2 621 3.2 1 4  
Wairarapa South 11 2,744 0.3 6 190 31.5
Carterton 15 1,614 9.2      
Featherston County* 18 3,235 5.5 18 304 59.2
Featherston 15 1,159 12.9      
Greytown 11 1,186 9.2      
Martinborough 8 725 11.0      
TOTAL 195 30,587 6.3 40 874 45.7
Featherston Military Camp** (177) (7,800) (22.6)      

* includes 12 soldiers who died at Featherston Camp, home address unknown

** these victims have been added to their home regions

Wellington

Suburb

Deaths

Population

Death rate
Miramar and Seatoun 9 4,610 1.9
Island Bay 18 3,850 4.6
Hataitai and Roseneath 23 3,669 6.2
Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay 35 2,237 15.6
Berhampore and Mornington 20 6,060 3.3
Brooklyn 19 7,051 2.6
Newtown 98 7,205 13.6
Mt Victoria and Oriental Bay 35 6,812 5.1
Tory Street district 54 4,130 13.0
Mitchelltown 10 4,130 2.4
Webb Street district 39 5,389 7.2
Willis Street district 55 4,565 12.0
Kelburn 23 3,972 5.7
Thorndon 29 4,830 6.0
Tinakori 16 4,599 3.4
Wadestown 5 1,387 3.6
Karori and Northland 16 3,216 4.9
Ngaio and Johnsonville 25 3,078 8.1
Eastbourne 3 952 3.1
Petone 42 7,115 5.9
Lower Hutt 26 4,895 5.3
Porirua* 28 1,475 18.9
‘Wellington’, no address 61    
Seamen from ships in port 30    
Wellington soldiers who died in camp 38    
TOTAL 757 95,235 7.9
Maori deaths 16 455 35.1

*includes Porirua Mental Hospital

How to cite this page

'North Island influenza death rates', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic/north-island-death-rates, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 20-Dec-2012

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Community contributions

4 comments have been posted about North Island influenza death rates

What do you know?

546730588674672

Posted: 24 Feb 2013

but how many deaths there per day approx????

admin

Posted: 06 Dec 2011

Hi Montana - good point! This information is available elsewhere in the feature, but it should be on this page too. The total death toll from the 1918 influenza pandemic in NZ is generally thought to be over 8,600.
Regards, Jamie Mackay

Montana Borell

Posted: 06 Dec 2011

this is very interesting information as i am researchin about the 1918 flu pandemic for school and i was trying to find this! and now i have, but i want to know how many people died all together in New Zealand