A golden jubilee for the N.Z. Red Cross Society

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 9

A golden jubilee for the N.Z. Red Cross Society

This year marks the golden jubilee of the founding of the N.Z. Red Cross Society (Inc.). Before being given its own national Red Cross identity in 1932. however. New Zealand had been associated with the movement for some 17 years. The work of the Red Cross in New Zealand began in 1915 in the first months of World War I. under the influence of the British Red Cross Society. Red Cross and other sewing parties were formed in various parts of the Dominion to provide hospital comforts, clothing and other requisites for use in connection with the war.

This work grew so rapidly that the need for some organisation, with a constitu-

tion of its own to control it, became obvious. In November. 1915, a meeting convened by His Excellency the Governor was held and' the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross Society was formed. The work of the society continued to expand and it became impractical to re-, main a branch of the British Society. In May 1930, it was the British Empire Red Cross Conference that inspired the. move to become independent and the proposal for the New Zealand branch to form a separate society was discussed in London in December of that vear.

Early in the next year, on February 3. 1931. Napier was devastated by an earthquake

and the Red Cross in New Zealand played an important part in relief operations.

This is often quoted as being the reason why the New Zealand Red Cross Societv was established, and it may well have added impetus to the idea, and to the speed at which the decisions were made, but it did not initiate the move to a separate society. _ •_ ' This had already been done the year before, and incorporation followed in December 1931. In 1932 the New Zealand Red Cross Society was officially recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and admitted to the League of Red Cross Societies.