The Kathleen Hall Fundraising Lunch was held by the Hamilton branch of the NZ China Friendship Society on Saturday 31st August 2019. The hall was decorated and tables sat
6–8 people. The deputy Consul General and Cultural Consul from the Consulate in Auckland attended plus local MPs, the Mayor of Hamilton and city councillors. After a delicious lunch, cooked on site by our favourite chef, James Ding. an auction was held with interesting articles donated by members and a magnificent Tang dynasty pottery horse donated by the Chinese Consulate. Raffles were also held.
Kathleen Hall, born in Napier in 1896 was a New Zealand nurse who trained at Auckland Hospital and arrived in China in 1923 where she saw a need for medical services for rural areas in western Hebei where she established a cottage hospital. She became famous for her exploits in carrying medical supplies through the Japanese military lines during the Chinese-Japanese war in the late 1930s. She returned to New Zealand in 1951.
She was one of the founders of branches of the New Zealand China Friendship society and became an advocate for friendly relationships between the two countries. She died in Te Awamutu in 1970. The fundraising lunch generated financial support for the Kathleen Hall Memorial Scholarship which supports nursing students from poor areas in China to enable them to complete their studies and work in rural communities.
This year’s delicious lunch, auctions, donations and raffles, raised $1,496.50 for the Scholarship.
The Committee thanks those that attended and contributed to the Scholarship Fund.
