Public talk: Life after Armistice (Wellington, 9 November 2018)

As part of the centenary of the Armistice, the National Library is putting on an event exploring life after the Armistice:

What was it like when WW1 ended?

Historians Jane Tolerton, Steven Loveridge and Barbara Mulligan will each draw on their unique knowledge of the First World War to present what life was like after the signing of the armistice agreement on 11 November, 1918. The armistice ended the fighting on land, sea and air.

Dealing with physical and psychological wounds

Jane Tolerton will speak to her upcoming book that focuses on the lives of three men who were teenagers when they went to war. She will discuss their homecomings and how it was the women who picked them up and put them back on their feet, helping them get through their physical and psychological wounds.

Servicemen and their wartime experiences

Steven Loveridge will speak about his current research which focuses on the different positions former servicemen came to in regards to their wartime experiences.

Wellington war memorials

Barbara Mulligan will take a more practical approach to the talk and will discuss her ongoing projects which focus on Wellington war memorials and the restoration of the gravestones of influenza victims at Karori cemetery.

Each speaker will present for around 20-30 minutes and there will be around 5 minutes for questions at the end of each presentation.

About the speakers

Jane Tolerton ONZM is a New Zealand biographer, journalist and historian. In 1987 she worked with Nicholas Boyack to set up the World War I Oral History Archive. Her most recent book, Make Her Praises Heard Afar on the role of women’s involvement in WWI was published in 2017.

Steven Loveridge graduated with a PhD in History from Victoria University of Wellington. He has taught courses on the First World War and written several publications and books on New Zealand’s involvement in WWI, including Calls to Arms: New Zealand Society and Commitment to the Great War in 2014.

Barbara Mulligan has a degree in history and has embarked on further research of the Spanish flu and Wellington war memorials as a passion project. Over the last two years, Barbara has been working to restore the gravesites of Influenza victims at the Karori cemetery and tracking down descendants of some of the 800 Wellingtonians who died from flu between October and December 1918. She also aims to install permanent interpretation panels at the cemetery to restore the memory of the victims.