Plimmerton military historian Allan Dodson has received national recognition for his decades of work preserving Porirua’s wartime history, earning the Community Contribution Award at this week’s New Zealand Cemeteries and Crematoria conference.
Dodson has been the dedicated force behind the Porirua War Stories website, an online archive honouring the lives of local service men and women. His meticulously researched articles have become a valued resource for journalists, local historians, and families alike.
Dodson’s contributions go beyond the digital archive. In 2015, Dodson collaborated with Pātaka Art + Museum to deliver a powerful ANZAC exhibition, and each year, he contributes stories to the city’s official Anzac Day booklet. His advocacy also led to the installation of 15 veterans’ headstones at Porirua Cemetery, restoring dignity to service members whose graves were previously unmarked.
Dodson also played a pivotal role in adding the name of Leon Smith, killed in action in Afghanistan, to the Porirua Peace Memorial, through careful research and coordination with the local community.
This award recognises not only Allan Dodson’s historical work but his commitment to community memory and honouring local heroes.