Director Peter Jackson is developing a temporary First World War exhibition at New Zealand’s former Dominion Museum Building in Wellington to go on display from April 2015.

New Zealand-born Jackson, who filmed and directed both the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series of films among others, will lead the creative team developing the exhibition, which was announced in August by the country’s Prime Minister John Key.

The free exhibition, to open in what is now part of Massey University’s Wellington campus, is being developed to complement other aspects of New Zealand’s First World War commemorations.

“The Commemorative Exhibition will help enhance New Zealanders’ understanding of the First World War and its impact on our nation,” said the minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Christopher Finlayson. “It will draw on and complement private collections and other museums across New Zealand including the Army, Air Force and Navy service museums, and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It will be a tremendous addition alongside Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition, being developed in partnership with Weta Workshop and also scheduled to open next year.

“This historic building sits behind the National War Memorial and overlooks the site of the National War Memorial Park. It is a perfect location for a temporary museum that will help tell in an innovative way the story of key aspects of New Zealand’s military history and the purpose of the park.”

Other partners in the project – which will run from April 2015 through the duration of the centenary period – include the New Zealand Defence Force and the Wellington City Council.

“Now the last veteran has gone, it’s appropriate that New Zealand commemorates their achievements during this four year period,” said Jackson. “This museum will not cover the strategies of the generals, but will deal with what life was like for both the Kiwi soldier leaving their families to fight a foreign war on the other side of the world, and for those left behind. I’m thrilled that Massey have agreed to provide the most perfect of all locations to house this national commemorative museum.”