In 1914 most New Zealanders made sense of the costs of war through the idea of the good Christian death. This form of consolation and ritual could not prepare people, though, for the scale and manner of death experienced during the war, particularly in France and Belgium.
Known as 'King Dick', Seddon had dominated New Zealand politics since the early 1890s. His Liberal government is widely credited with establishing the tradition of state-supported welfare in this country.
The train carrying Savage's body north to Auckland made 20 stops, allowing thousands of people to pay their last respects. Huge crowds lined the route to his burial site at Bastion Point, above Waitemata Harbour.
