The Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand

15/08/2026

In yet another positive step for the Rewi Alley Foundation of NZ, we are honoured to be working alongside the team at the Regimental History Centre at Burnham Military Base.

The Centre is undertaking research into Rewi Alley’s World War I military service, including his wounding and rehabilitation, and exploring whether these experiences influenced the attitudes, values and beliefs that he later carried with him to China.

This is important research into Rewi’s life and legacy — and, to our knowledge, his wartime experiences have never before been explored in this depth.

For Foundation Secretary Jocelyn Alley-Watkin and Vice Patron Chrissy Alley-Rogers, this research has a particularly personal significance. Rewi was one of 11 Alley family members who served in the two World Wars. Four served in World War I — two of Jocelyn and Chrissy’s uncles and their cousins Rewi and his brother Eric. In WWII, Jocelyn and Chrissy’s own fathers and five other uncles served or were involved in several different capacities.

Although Jocelyn and Chrissy were born well after World War II, they grew up seeing, and continued to witness throughout their adult lives, the devastating effects that war had on their uncles.

That family experience makes this research about Rewi more than an examination of military records. It is an opportunity to better understand the experiences that helped shape a remarkable man — and to place an important part of his life and legacy into its proper historical context.

We are very grateful to the Regimental History Centre for undertaking this work and look forward to supporting and learning from their research as it unfolds.

Left to right in the photo: Wayne Cooper, Wayne Hutchinson (both retired soldiers and now with the Regimental History Centre), Chrissy Alley-Rogers, Jocelyn Alley-Watkin, Darryl Jones (Graduate History Student), Michelle MacWilliam (Chair, Rewi Alley Foundation of NZ)

31/07/2026

The Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand has been gifted an amazing taonga / treasure - a Braille version of Geoff Chapple's brilliant biography: "Rewi Alley of China". The Braille version needs nine big folders.

01/07/2026

Jocelyn Alley-Watkin, the Foundation's ambassador and secretary, visited Lu Bo at her home to extend deepest condolences on the passing of her beloved husband, Bangzhen Deng.

With Bangzhen's paintings and Lu Bo's sculptures, they both helped to preserve and share Rewi Alley's legacy for future generations. Their combined works of art form an esteemed historical record and a lasting gift to all who value Rewi's life and work. Through their art, they also helped to create a bridge of friendship and understanding between Aotearoa/New Zealand and China.

Photo: Treasured friends with Lu Bo, who is holding the flowers presented by the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. (Jocelyn on Lu Bo's left).

17/06/2026

Foundation Chair, Michelle MacWilliam and the Mayor of Christchurch (HWM Phil Mauger) visited Honghu and Wuhan, both in Hubei Province, China, last week. Rewi Alley is actively remembered in both cities for his flood and disaster relief work from the devastating floods of 1931 - 1932.

Photo is of Michelle at Rewi's memorial statue in Honghu, where she placed a floral tribute.

The 1931 Yangtze River flood in eastern China (including Hubei Province), which had an associated death toll of over 2 million, is regarded as one of the world’s deadliest natural disasters on record.

In 1932, Rewi arranged for the importation of massive grain supplies to break a famine for multiple thousands in Hong Hu and assisted in the removal of refugees from Wuhan to safety.

Foundation Ambassador and Secretary, Jocelyn Alley-Watkin, made a commemorative visit to Honghu and Wuhan in 2023. For more information about this visit and more details of Rewi's massive work in these cities, please refer to this article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FNz297rvJdSdDeYutq94PA?fbclid=IwY2xjawSe0yhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQqUoOh-t0tunW903W7ldYk0ORKwZjb_-iPtkmC37vsKdNgGUR8zEaLOLtrE_aem_78NDX9xkcBZNwxx4WuJSwA

29/05/2026

We are deeply saddened by the death of Bangzhen DENG (1941 - 2026) on 27th May.

Bangzhen was a foster son of Rewi Alley and also a renowned painter. He was just nine years old when he first met Rewi Alley.

The young Bangzhen loved drawing, which Rewi encouraged by buying art materials for him. In time, the orphaned Bangzhen came to look upon Rewi as a father figure.

In 1966, Bangzhen graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and pursued an arts career.

Throughout his life, Rewi mentored Bangzhen. He arranged for Bangzhen and his wife, LU Bo (also an artist), to visit and exhibit their artworks in Aotearoa/New Zealand as a way to promote cultural exchange and friendship between China and New Zealand.

Bangzhen was the president of New Zealand-China Painting Academy. His paintings have won several awards and are displayed by many different institutions in China and New Zealand.

He and LU Bo co-created sculptures of Rewi for Auckland’s Rewi Alley Reserve and also at his birthplace of Springfield, Canterbury.

Condolences and deepest sympathy to Lu Bo and their two sons.

24/04/2026

ANZAC Day (25 April) is New Zealand’s War Memorial Day.

We especially remember Rewi Alley and his brother, Eric, on this day, the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings during World War 1 (WW1)

Eric (Service No. WWI 9/239), served at Gallipoli and later on the Western Front, France, where he was tragically killed in action (on 17 June 1916).

Rewi (Service No. WWI 55386). enlisted in the army in February 1916, aged just 19 He served with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, also on the Western Front. He was awarded the Military Medal for courage and devotion to duty.

Rewi was wounded late in 1918. The result of those injuries and the memories of his war experiences stayed with him throughout his life. The photo below is of Rewi just after he returned to New Zealand after the war.

On ANZAC Day, we also remember all of the men and women who have served throughout the decades. Lest we forget.

View this video for more information about Eric and Rewi and their war service in The Great War (WW1): https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/videos/original/5-rewi-alley-april-2018.mp4

21/04/2026

On this day (21 April) in 1927, Rewi arrived in Shanghai. It was his first time in China.

He left New Zealand after what he described as "six years of loneliness and struggle" on his Moeawatea Farm in South Taranaki. His mother supported his decision to leave. Just before he boarded the ship, she said that it was "the best thing he could do, just go and try and find a new way of life". Little did she or Rewi know back then how much this new life would change history.

In the video below, the NZ Ambassador to China, His Excellency Dr Jonathan Austin, visits Rewi's former home in Shanghai and describes what happened next in Rewi's life:

Rewi Alley's residence in Shanghai, 1932 - 1937

18/04/2026

On this day (18 April) in 2017, 10 Alley cousins, their spouses and close family friends visited the memorial grave of their cousin and uncle, Rewi Alley, at Shandan, Gansu Province, China. It was a very emotional visit, where they each laid a yellow chrysanthemum on each of Rewi's and George Hogg's memorial tombs.

Later, the Alley cousins, spouses and friends visited the Rewi Alley Donated Relics Exhibition Hall. This contained 1000s of objects and artefacts donated by Rewi, according to his wishes which were stated in his Will.

16/04/2026

In April 2017, Jocelyn Alley-Watkin (the current Secretary and Ambassador for the Rewi Alley Foundation) was the Alley whānau (extended family) tour leader for a commemorative visit to China. This was in honour of a triple anniversary of their cousin and Uncle Rewi: 120 years since his birth, 90 years since his first arrival in China, and 30 years since his death.

The photo shows the 10 Alley cousins, along with their spouses and family friends, at Rewi's former 'cave house' in Shuangshipu (in Shaanxi Province). This is where he lived from 1938 - 1944, before moving to Shandan (in Gansu Province).

Foundation Secretary, Jocelyn, is centre in the photo (wearing a red jacket) and next to her is the Foundation's Vice-Patron, Chrissy Alley-Rogers.

12/03/2026

In 1916 (110 years ago), Rewi tried to enlist in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War 1. He attempted to advance his age to 20 (the usual age to enlist). His parents found out and he was turned down for enlistment. However, at the end of 1916 (aged only 19) he was accepted into military training.

In 2017, he joined the 28th Reinforcement and was shipped off into the war. He was later wounded during combat in France and was awarded the Military Medal