New Zealand Red Cross

New Zealand Red Cross has been providing humanitarian assistance in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world since 1915. Read about our history and our work over the last century.

New Zealand Red Cross is part of an international humanitarian movement that began in Europe in the 19th century in response to the devastating impact of war.

When the First World War broke out in 1914 and our service personnel joined the war effort, many here called for Red Cross to be formally set up in New Zealand. Governor-General Lord Liverpool called a meeting, and in 1915 the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross was born. The first tasks were to collect funds, food parcels and medical supplies to send to troops overseas.

Red Cross groups worked closely with the Order of St John throughout the war. When it was over, the two organisations implemented First Aid programmes and set up vocational training for returned servicemen. They also provided relief during the 1918 influenza pandemic and the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

In 2015 we celebrated 100 years of Red Cross in Aotearoa New Zealand. A key part of our longevity has been our commitment to providing first aid training (and more recently supplies) to generations of Kiwi.

In the past year, New Zealand Red Cross has trained just over 73,000 people in first aid, contributing to the more than 23 million people who receive first aid training from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement each year. More than 2,800 AEDs are supported by New Zealand Red Cross in communities across Aotearoa.

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