Rotary was established in New Zealand in 1921 when clubs were formed in Wellington and Auckland.

The concept of service and fellowship that is the heart of Rotary has always been attractive to New Zealanders and, on a per capita basis, the nation is one of the top countries for membership around the world. New Zealand has contributed 13 International Directors, one President of Rotary International in Harold Thomas of Auckland in 1959-1960, and will have another in 2006/2007.

Exciting news for New Zealand Rotary Clubs and Districts came in September last year when the announcement was made that Rotary International Past Treasurer Bill Boyd was the choice of the nominating committee for the position of Rotary International President in 2006-07.

Bill Boyd is a member of the Rotary Club of Pakuranga, N.Z. and has served with distinction on many Rotary projects and committees. His nomination was acclaimed around the Rotary world.

The first Rotary community service project in New Zealand was an Advance Auckland campaign organised in 1921 by the Rotary Club of Auckland. This involved the production of 15,000 copies of an Advance Auckland pamphlet, and these were distributed throughout New Zealand and as far afield as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Karitane Hospital, which opened in 1927, was the first major service project for the Rotary Club of Wellington. The decision to take responsibility for the building followed a speech to the club by Doctor Truby King, and the funding proved a challenge through The Depression years, so that it was 1935 before the building was free of debt.

Community service is the most easily seen area of Rotary activity and the range of projects is limited only by the needs of the community and the imagination of Rotarians. Many communities have adventure playgrounds, fitness trails and walkways provided by Rotary clubs. Police and community organisations use vehicles donated by Rotary while fire engines have Jaws of Life and heat-seeking cameras funded by Rotarians.

Possibly as significant to New Zealand society have been the number of organisations that have been founded by Rotary and which have grown to become important contributors to community life.

The Crippled Children’s Society was the first, founded in 1935.

Over the years there have been the Health Camps, the first Defensive Driving Courses, the National Kidney Foundation, Riding for the Disabled, the Asthma Society, the Child Health Research Foundation, Trees for Survival and the Ellerslie Flower Show. This list is far from complete, but indicates the impact of Rotary on the community in ways that are often unseen or forgotten.

Rotary has a green interest, and Trees for Survival is just one environmental program initiated by Rotary. Established by the Rotary Club of Pakuranga in 1991, and with strong support from the Auckland Regional Council, growth has been rapid and there are now more than 115 plant growing units in schools around New Zealand growing seedlings that are planted out in areas prone to erosion. Young people learn the value of trees, how to raise seedlings, and the need to protect our soil.

PolioPlus the greatest humanitarian project the world has ever seen
No history of Rotary, no matter how brief, should overlook PolioPlus. The concept of ridding the world of poliomyelitis was developed by Rotary internationally in 1980, and the first project of the then new Health, Hunger and Humanity program of The Rotary Foundation was a mass immunisation campaign in the Philippines.

The success of this campaign impressed the World Health Organisation (WHO) to the extent that it joined into a partnership with Rotary in the mid-1980s. In 1988, the governments of the world collectively committed themselves to the eradication of polio.

Rotary agreed to provide a minimum of $US120 million, and raised more than double that amount in a two-year
campaign. The significance of this contribution was that it virtually funded all the polio eradication efforts during the 1980s until the other partners could assist.

The Rotary clubs of New Zealand contributed more than $US1.2 million, and the fundraising ideas were numerous. Plucking chickens, building and selling a house, several variations of train excursions, fishing contests and a public walk over the Tauranga Harbour Bridge all made their contribution to a magnificent total. A subsequent international campaign raised further funds, and Rotary’s financial contribution by the end of the project will exceed $US600 million.