One hundred years ago today, the 1400-strong Advance Party of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, led by Colonel Robert Logan, landed at Apia.

When war had broken out in Europe earlier that month, Britain asked New Zealand to seize German Samoa as a 'great and urgent Imperial service” and New Zealand's response was swift.

Hamish Pettengell and Fleur MacRae of the Whakatane Museum and Research Centre look over the albums and new website entry of Robina Thomson Cameron, who was a nurse in Egypt during WW1 and later in the Whakatane District.

There was no resistance from German officials or the general population, and this was the second German territory, after Togoland in Africa, to fall to the Allies in World War I.

It also represented New Zealand's first military action in World War I.

To commemorate this, the Whakatane Museum and Research Centre recently launched a new website (whakatanemuseum.org.nz) with a sample of recently digitised World War I photographs and archives from both the community and the museum collection.

In July 2013, the first two-day digitisation community day was held at Te Koputu te whanga a Toi – the Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre – with similar events held at the Murupara Service Centre, Edgecumbe Public Library, Matata Community Hall, Waimana School and Te Uru Taumatua in Taneatua.

Museum and arts team leader Hamish Pettengell says the events aimed to collate and digitise material from the wider Eastern Bay of Plenty pertaining to World War I, thereby ensuring their preservation for future generations.

To date the Museum has digitised over 2500 photographs, archives and objects, and Hamish says this number will continue to grow.

'We also want to educate the community about this historic event and the role the Museum plays in the preservation of the District's heritage and the launch of our new website offered the perfect opportunity to highlight this.”

The website was developed by Whakatane District Council in collaboration with Klixo, a locally-based web developer.

In addition to information on Museum services and exhibitions, the website also offers online access to the Museum's collection.

'We have a fantastic and extensive collection here at the Museum,” says Hamish.

'This site makes it much more accessible to the community.”

The site will continue to grow over the next year in preparation for the opening of the World War I exhibition King and Country on March 29, 2015.