The Story of Ella Cooke
In the winter of 1914, Ella Cooke was looking forward to a grand adventure. The Auckland-born nurse and her twin sister Lily had just departed New Zealand in a boat bound for Vancouver, New York and finally England. She was looking forward to seeing the sights, and eventually a working holiday in London, or maybe Paris.
The outbreak of war in July 1914 dashed all her plans. Rather than return home, Ella joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve. The work was extremely difficult, and Ella described it in her letters as 'frightfully hard'.
The story of Ella Cooke, captured below in our Online Cenotaph, is one of ceaseless dedication to nursing the ill and ailing back to health. Her work is reflected in the remarkable efforts of New Zealand's doctors, nurses and healthcare staff, who are taking every measure to ensure the ongoing safety of New Zealanders. A huge thank you to these essential workers for the incredible job they do.
www.aucklandmuseum.com...
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Denim, but make it one-of-a-kind 💙
Not every pair of jeans makes it to the rack... but that doesn’t mean their story ends there. Our talented volunteer Annie has been transforming damaged denim into handcrafted bags, hats and aprons in our Onehunga SPCA Op Shop ✂️🧵
This latest batch even features her own hand-sewn designs, and customers have been loving them, they sell almost as soon as they hit the shelf!
It’s creativity, sustainability and community all stitched together, helping animals in need 🐾
📍 217 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga
🕘 9am–5pm, 7 days
Step by step for a great cause!
Our amazing Hillary Hikers from Edmund Hillary Village showed their support for Bowel Cancer New Zealand's Move Your Butt campaign this month!
Sporting the bright purple and orange campaign shirts, these wonderful walkers hit the Auckland waterfront and marched from Mission Bay to Kohimarama, raising awareness for bowel cancer and the importance of early detection along the way.
Click read more to read the full story.
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