GROWTH OF PLUNKET WORK HERE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 31, 29 August 1949, Page 3

GROWTH OF PLUNKET WORK HERE

Development Of Whakatane Branch Over 23 Years

A sub-branch of the Plnnket Society was formed in Whakatane on the 20th December, 1928. and at the 23rd annual meeting last week, Mrs F. Sutcliffe outlined the local history of the movement since then. At that time Whakatane was steadily growing, she said. Doctors, of whom there were three were all very busy. The only maternity home had just been closed, and the present annexe was in course of construction. None of the nursing staff had had Plunket training and young mothers were more or less left to their own devices. “After being in the Karitane hospital with my young baby I fully realised the need there was in Whakatane and the surrounding districts for more ready access to the advice and supervision of a Plunket nurse,” Mrs Sutcliffe said. “The nearest nurse was stationed at Tauiranga and visite,d Te Puke weekly. Roads were not good, cars not so plentiful, and the railhead was at Matata.” A group of young mothers got together and asked Mrs Sullivan (the Mayoress at that time) to convene a meeting to see about forming a sub-branch of the Plunket Society at Whakatane, the Tauranga branch having signified willingness to help. A number of local women guaranteed to find the monies necessary to pay the donations to Tauranga for a nurse’s services. The meeting was convened and Mrs Sutcliffe consented to the nomination of President, Mrs Harvey being Secretary and Treasurer. A Small Beginning “We were given the use of a small rest room in the Borough Chambers free of charge. Several of .us donated the necessary furnishings screen, stools and curtains,” Mrs Sutcliffe said. “Nurse McCool commenced her fortnightly visits immediately. She came by train to Matata and was met there and brought to Whakatane by volunteers who placed their services and cars at our disposal. She stayed in private homes over the week-end and was taken back to Matata to catch the train on Monday mornings.

“In February 1927 we held our first annual general meeting and we felt very proud, to have placed Whakatane on the Plunket map. B> then we had a membership of 49 An energetic committee was elected with Mrs Harvey as President.

“In 1928 we. were still established, and membership grew to 84. with 56 babies on the nurse’s visiting list. We tried to arrange for a weekly visit by the nurse, but transport was the main difficulty, as trains did not run on her free day. Branch Status Achieved

/‘As mothers were bringing their babies from as far afield as Manawahe and Opotiki, we soon realised that there was need for the full time, services of a plunket nurse and during 1929 we worked hard in an earnest endeavour to raise the necessary finance. We managed to increase our funds by £l2O. We Visited Opotiki and met Opotiki members who decided to form a sub-branch as soon as was possible in the event of Whakatane being made a branch, application by then having been made to the Central Council for their approval of the establishment of a residential branch of the Society at Whakatane. Members then numbered 106.

“In 1930 our application for establishment of a branch was granted. We visited Matata, Manawahe, Waimana, Opotiki, Taneatua and. sub-branches were formed at Manawahe, Waimana, Opotiki and Taneatua. Nurse Strachan commenced her duties in June, 1930. “This year we appealed to the Borough and County for funds to erect more suitable Plunket rooms, on a site vested in the Borough for that purpose. The Borough authorities were prepared to grant £250 providing the County Council did likewise. We waited on the County Council, but they decided to make no grant. Early Ups & Downs

“We had our ups and downs. Owing to transport difficulties one or two of the sub-branches went into recess. We drew up a roster list of voluntary drivers who fortnightly drove the nurse all over the Rangitaiki plains. It was a long tiring day for both nurse and driver, never less than 60 miles being covered each day, and over rough roads, tracks and paddocks. Eventually our new rooms were got under way. The Whakatane Branch Plunket Society donated £l5O towards their cost and the Borough the rest. We furnished our part, the majority of the furnishings being given by supporters.

“We visited Rotorua and formed a sub-branch of our branch there. Up to that time Rotorua had only

the services of a District Health Nurse, not fully Plunket trained. That helped us along quite a bit financially as up to then we had had quite a struggle raising funds. Rotorua later became a branch with a full' time nurse of its own.

“People by now were moire Plun-ket-minded. We were able to stand alone and the Plunket work has steadily gone forward. Mrs Sutcliffe finished her address by saying that none of this work would have been possible had it not been for the untiring energy and devotion to duty of Plunket nurses Misses McColl, Simpleton, Gray, Strachan and Armstrong. Miss Armstrong had served here for over 10 years.