DIAMOND JUBILEE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1939, Page 14

DIAMOND JUBILEE

AN INTERESTING HISTORY

ALEXANDRA MATERNITY HOME

An institution inaugurated away back in 1878 which has done incalculable good and filled a useful niche in j the life of Wellington, is the Alexar» dra Maternity Home in Hanson Street This has given valued help to thous- ! ands of young mothers and children. I It is of interest to recall that this home, which was formed 60 years ago ' by the Wellington Ladies' Christian Association as an institution to be a home for women who from ill health, misfortune, or other cause were horned less, has now reached its diamond jubilee year. Beginning in a rented house in Taranaki Street, the inmates did the work of the home and also took in plain sewing and needlework under the supervision of the matron. They also held mothers' and Dorcas meetings, at which clothes were made for the poor, and they visited the gaol and the hospital—there was only one of each in those days. Needy families were helped, and immigrants met and assisted on arrival - from overseas.

A new era was marked in 1879 when three orphans were taken into the home. Owinec to the'increase in work, a new and larger plac? was needed, and the present Ti<">mp in Hanson Street was built in 1882. Parliament making a grant of the land for the purpose, the title Alexandra being added to distinguish the home from another in Mtioribanks Street.

In 1887 more "rooms were added, in I 1R92 the first nurse was appointed, and 1 13 years later the house was constituted a training school for miriwives. and two nurses were trained, the girls attending St. Helens Hospital for their lectures. AS A MEMORIAL. In March, 1927, the present hospital was opened, as a memorial to M'ss E.! Greenwood, who had b°en president for 28 years, and to Dr. Edith Huntlv. I who bequeathed the sum of.€ 10.000 towards the scheme. Until 1930 midwives were trained, and then the institution was mado a training school fo** maternity nurses. The value of the institution may be eauged from the statistics, which show that during the tj^st twelve year«? 4478 births were roistered. The fieures for 1937 and 1938 chow a continued increase in the work done, and a feature of special interest is th^t th^re were no maternal deaths. The first time a woman was "accouchee" was in 1907.

The staff was very small for a good few years, but as the work grew, both in the bosoital and the home, increases were made, until now the number is 9,2 —matron (Miss E. Julius"), lady steward and treasurer (Mrs. Price), four sisters, 12 maternity nurses, and four laundresses.