World War I

During the war, many New Zealand nurses and Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) went overseas to assist sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals in Europe and Africa. It was their own choice and it was a dangerous role.

In 1915, people began asking Lord Liverpool, New Zealand’s first Governor-General, about the Red Cross in New Zealand as it was already well established in Britain. Lord Liverpool then made a call to action.

During World War One (WWI), the Red Cross emblem was used by ambulances and medical personnel to protect the sick and wounded in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. The red cross emblem continues to be used as protection today. So what are the rules around using the emblem?

The first Red Cross Shop was inaugurated on 1 June 1915 in Cathedral Square, Christchurch next to the General Post Office. By April 1916, more than £4,450 ($591,196.68, 2014 inflation) had been raised for the Red Cross Fund for the Sick and Wounded.