The world's first Junior Red Cross

It came as a surprise when students from Maraekakaho School were told that they were part of the first Junior Red Cross circle in the world.

On 3 September 1915 students at Maraekakaho School, near Hastings, were told by the London Red Cross headquarters that they were part of the first Junior Red Cross circle in the world.

They are pictured above gardening on the same day that they found out the news, 3 September 1915. Their teacher, Miss Daisy McNaughton, taught the students to knit clothes for the sick and wounded soldiers on the New Zealand hospital ships.