The 1918 influenza pandemic

Page 8 – North Island influenza death rates

These figures are taken from Geoffrey Rice, Black November: the 1918 influenza pandemic, Canterbury University Press, 2005. The population figures are those of the 1916 census. Death rate is per 1,000 of population. Māori populations for counties are inclusive of interior boroughs. Only registered Māori deaths are listed, and these are not available for some districts. The total death toll for New Zealand is thought to have been about 9000.

Region:

Northland

 EuropeanMāori
Place Deaths' Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Mangonui and Whangaroa Counties144,3383.21263,21539.1
Hokianga County93,5962.51583,82941.2
Bay of Islands County353,6009.71472,59256.7
Whangarei County and Whangarei5711,3895.0341,08731.2
Hikurangi57756.4   
Hobson County and Dargaville315,9935.15281463.8
Otamatea County83,6472.12846060.8
Rodney County and Warkworth74,0431.7817146.7
Waitemata County and Helensville59,3540.5839220.4
Total17146,7353.656112,56044.6

Auckland

Suburb

Deaths

Population

Death rate (per 1000)

Auckland City193  
Ponsonby117  
Herne Bay, Grafton14(40,536)*8.0
Arch Hill20(2,120)*9.4
Grey Lynn67  
Newton33(7,454)*13.4
Edenerrace17(2,595)*6.5
Epsom and One Tree Hill47(6,064)*7.8
Parnell48(5,849)*8.2
Remuera and Otakei39(5,318)*7.3
Inner City against 1916 Census59572,2438.2
Mt Eden9012,5557.2
Takapuna202,7567.3
Birkenhead152,1167.1
Northcote101,6516.1
Devonport367,6134.7
Onehunga595,9139.9
Newmarket242,8638.4
Ellerslie91,3636.6
Papakura1982123.1
St Heliers750713.8
Avondale282,45111.4
Piha, Waitakere1094710.6
Pakuranga33029.9
Mt Albert569,6545.8
New Lynn61,0415.8
Panmure24005.0
Otahuhu112,3284.7
Manurewa39683.1
Henderson38793.4
Penrose13073.3
Mangere31,2192.5
Mt Roskill41,7852.2
Waikumete21,3301.5
Remainder, metropolitan area42161,7696.8
Outside metropolitan area (including soldiers in camp)7414,1805.2
'Auckland' no address38  
TOTAL1,128148,1927.6
*1911 Census figures   
Maori deaths3551168.4

Thames and Bay of Plenty

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Coromandel County42,2561.71229840.2
Thames County204,6904.24366564.6
Thames313,2739.4   
Ohinemuri County84,6611.75069072.4
Paeroa61,3764.3   
Waihi264,7745.4   
Tauranga County122,9424.0301,70317.6
Tauranga61,6853.5   
Te Puke31,0052.9   
Rotorua County101,4007.1211,36715.3
Rotorua202,8457.0   
Whakatane County141,9947.01262,56949.0
Whakatane1296012.5   
Opotiki County -1,881 -107 1,600 66.8
Opotiki91,0738.3   
TOTAL18136,8154.93898,89243.7

Waikato

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Franklin County347,6024.42462938.1
Mercer637516.0   
Pukekohe131,5338.4   
Tuakau1657117.5   
Waiuku78498.2   
Raglan County94,0272.2231,57914.5
Waikato County286,5644.2952817.0
Cambridge41,5072.6   
Hamilton and Frankton545,6779.5   
Huntly261,53516.9   
Waipa County215,9973.5  405 
Ngaruawahia1386714.9   
Te Awamutu191,06417.8   
Piako County213,9505.3713352.6
Morrinsville71,0636.5   
Te Aroha201,45213.7   
TOTAL29849,5276.0734,28017.0

East Cape and Hawke's Bay

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Waiapu County82,0753.8   
Stratford County285,1525.2   
Waikohu County13,0130.3 443 
Cook County and Gisborne4617,3192.6111,2998.4
Wairoa County and Wairoa243,8626.2652,53625.6
Hawke’s Bay County3111,4672.7241,19420.1
Hastings737,9189.2   
Napier9412,7047.3   
Waipawa County and Waipawa165,2843.0525319.7
Waipukurau County and Waipukurau203,0016.66  
Patangata County32,0801.4425315.8
Dannevirke County203,8375.2204  
Dannevirke463,33613.7   
Norsewood47015.7   
Woodville County and Woodville82,8972.75  
Weber County14202.3   
TOTAL39579,9144.91218,88613.6

King Country

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Waitomo County355,1816.7651,33548.6
Te Kuiti221,98211.0   
Ohura County102,3824.1530716.2
West Taupo County42,3511.741,0203.9
East Taupo County15151.9171,05616.0
Kaitieke County172,7846.154237227.0
Manunui and Taumarunui452,68816.7   
Waimarino County162,7055.91769524.4
Ohakune261,37118.9   
Raetihi979711.2   
TOTAL18522,7568.11624,65034.8

Taranaki and Wanganui

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Awakino County17021.411765.6
Clifton County82,1563.73336490.6
Waitara41,4222.8   
Taranaki County177,1002.31855432.4
Inglewood201,19916.6   
New Plymouth408,7044.5   
Egmont County132,7274.72982135.3
Opunake853714.8   
Stratford County285,1525.2   
Stratford282,71310.3   
Whangamomona County121,3878.619
Eltham County92,7433.2528817.3
Eltham141,7118.1   
Kaponga46506.1   
Waimate West County61,7313.418169106.5
Manaia1190412.1   
Hawera County214,5994.567369181.5
Hawera383,37511.2   
Patea County72,6882.630274109.4
Patea61,0105.9   
Waverley31,0712.8   
Waitotara County155,8422.51036327.5
Wanganui County183,3975.21067014.9
Wanganui and suburbs8314,3805.7   
TOTAL41477,9005.32214,06754.3

Manawatu

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Rangitikei County218,3982.516061.6
Hunterville755512.6   
Marton151,6509.0   
Taihape371,92719.2   
Kiwitea County12,5850.311
Pohangina County11,5810.68
Oroua County223,3046.6280
Feilding93,4382.6   
Manawatu County94,5211.9917551.4
Foxton151,7728.4   
Kairanga County174,1244.139431.9
Palmerston North10312,8298.0   
Horowhenua County155,8512.5191,19615.8
Levin121,6307.4   
Otaki131,0651.21   
Hutt County235,8433.9   
Upper Hutt61,5543.8   
Makara County (excluding Wellington)17740.5   
TOTAL32763,4115.1322,37013.5
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

 EuropeanMaori
Place Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)Deaths Population Death rate (per 1000)
Pahiatua County83,1102.562128.5
Pahiatua111,3008.4   
Akitio41,4162.823
Eketahuna County and Eketahuna83,0662.6124 
Mauriceville47715.111
Masterton County253,7466.6829726.0
Masterton535,8948.9   
Castlepoint26213.214 
Wairarapa South112,7440.3619031.5
Carterton151,6149.2   
Featherston County*183,2355.51830459.2
Featherston151,15912.9   
Greytown111,1869.2   
Martinborough872511.0   
TOTAL19530,5876.34087445.7
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 (per 1000)

Miramar and Seatoun94,6101.9
Island Bay183,8504.6
Hataitai and Roseneath233,6696.2
Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay352,23715.6
Berhampore and Mornington206,0603.3
Brooklyn197,0512.6
Newtown987,20513.6
Mt Victoria and Oriental Bay356,8125.1
Tory Street district544,13013.0
Mitchelltown104,1302.4
Webb Street district395,3897.2
Willis Street district554,56512.0
Kelburn233,9725.7
Thorndon294,8306.0
Tinakori164,5993.4
Wadestown51,3873.6
Karori and Northland163,2164.9
Ngaio and Johnsonville253,0788.1
Eastbourne39523.1
Petone427,1155.9
Lower Hutt264,8955.3
Porirua*281,47518.9
‘Wellington’, no address61  
Seamen from ships in port30  
Wellington soldiers who died in camp38  
TOTAL75795,2357.9
Maori deaths1645535.1

*includes Porirua Mental Hospital

How to cite this page

'North Island influenza death rates', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic/north-island-death-rates, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 5-Apr-2022

Community contributions

9 comments have been posted about North Island influenza death rates

What do you know?

Jamie M

Posted: 20 Oct 2022

Note death rate is per 1,000 of population (not a percentage)

Nathan

Posted: 29 Jan 2020

Some of the death rates cited here are incorrect e.g. Clifton County Maori. It appears the decimal place has been misplaced in multiple entries.

Please check and correct. No need to post comment.

Pitiroi Rapana-Robin

Posted: 27 Oct 2018

My great grandfather died on the 20 November 1918 cause unknowing but the timing of his death makes me curious as to was the cause the Spanish influenza.

He was buried in our community cemetery at Kohupatiki which is little Settlement between Hastings and Napier in the Hawkes Bay.

What is of interest, is that in the middle of this cemetery is a area that was sealed off with a wrought iron fence without any gateway. The dimension of this area measure about 20m x 20m.

The old people use to tell us that those who had died of the Spanish influenza from around the wider community were buried here. The dead were brought here by horse and tray.

A part from those stories there is no documented evidence or records.

However there is still this burial site?

John Dodgson

Posted: 24 Sep 2018

Kawhia in 1918 was an isolated community accessed by boat, the access road not yet completed. Maori tell of a mass grave on Motutara peninsular believed to contain 20 - 30 bodies from Kawhia. Death by influenza appears to have carried an element of shame that even today is seldom mentioned. There are a number of marae around Kawhia Harbour. How each marae responded to flu deaths is not clear to me. Pakeha paperwork probably did not extend to cover Maori activities.

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