MARCH PAST

- REVIEW -

Book review of March Past
(A review of the first 50 years of Burnham Camp).

 

Title: March Past (A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp. Author: John Storey & J. Halket Millar Pub. 1973 Pub's: Pegasus Press Ltd. Christchurch, New Zealand. Desc. 139 pages, 24 leaves of plates : ill. ; 23cm

The Burnham Military Camp has a relatively long history. March Past (A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp) looks at the first 50 years of the camp's history.

This book goes back to when Richard Bethell settled in the area in the 1860's and follows the history of the land through the establishment of the "Burnham Industrial School" in the 1870's (which was like a kind of a reform school). This school was closed in 1918. The school facilities were deemed suitable for military use and were then used for Territorial soldiers annual camps.

In 1920 the site became Defence property and known as the Burnham Camp. From there the camp slowly grew until the Second World War during which it experienced an explosive growth which is evident in a couple of aerial photos taken two weeks apart in 1939. The book carries on through CMT and the modernisation of the facilities in the 1960's and early 1970's up to the time of publication in 1973 with the camp's 50th Jubilee.

Published in 1973 March Past (A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp) contains quite a few black and white photos and looks at both the camp and key people who have been involved with it over the years.
In the appendixes at the back of the book is a list of who has held the office of Commandant over the years, Who the camp Priests/Ministers were as well as (very) brief histories of units in Burnham Camp.
There is also a Chronology listing key dates and facts.

March Past (A Review of the First Fifty Years of Burnham Camp) was published for the camp's 50th Jubilee.