Spanish Civil War memorial poster

Poster advertising a memorial meeting to the New Zealanders who died fighting in Spanish Civil War. Held at the Regent Theatre, Queen Street, Auckland on 14 May 1939, the ceremony was addressed by Dr J. P. Hastings MD, W. J. Lyon MP, Rev. J. W. McKenzie, Dr Doug Jolly and an unnamed speaker from the university. The meeting was organised by G. E. Jackson, Honorary Secretary of the Spanish Medical Aid Committee. The poster was printed by the Griffin Press.

The NZ Herald reported that 900 people attended this meeting.

A memorial on the Wellington waterfront honours the New Zealanders who fought during the Spanish Civil War. There are memorials around the world to the men and women who served in the International Brigades, including in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

On 26 January 1996 the Spanish government granted honorary citizenship to all surviving members of the International Brigades in recognition of their endeavors to defend the republic. At the time, around 600 were still alive. During the civil war Prime Minister Juan Negrín had promised citizenship to those serving in the Brigades, but this promise could not be kept when the republic lost the war.

There is one memorial to a New Zealander who provided medical support during the Spanish Civil War. On 23 February 1942 the New Lynn Borough Council renamed a local reserve the Sister Rene Shadbolt Park. René Shadbolt was one of a group of three New Zealand nurses sent to Spain during the war by the Spanish Medical Aid Committee.