Public health nurse retires

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 29, 20 December 1983, Page 3

Public health nurse retires

Mrs Kay Wallis, who has been a public health nurse in the Waimarino/ Waiouru area for the past 1 1 years, retired a fortnight ago and is now busy farming the 1200 acre property she and her husband 'Blue' Wallis had acquired when they sold their Miro Street/ Ohakune farm in 1960. 'Blue' died last year and Mrs Wallis has decided to carry on with the help of her son William and other members of the family when they are available. Both 'Blue' Wallis and Kay (Ross) were from Masterton but neither had met until they came to Ohakune — he as a forestry worker and she as a public health nurse in 1948. They, like most other single newcomers to Ohakune, stayed at the Kings Court which.was a boarding house in those days, run by a couple known to guests as and 'Aunty' Young. ^^orestry workers, railways staff, teachers — they all stayed at the Kings Court and as far as she'can recall it was the only accommodation house or hotel in Ohakune at that time though the Argonaut (now Turoa Lodge) may also have provided some accommodation. She also recalls that, in those early days there were dances held in the Majestic Hall (the building that has just been demolished) every Saturday night and these were always very popular and well attended by the local community. Kay Ross trained at the New Plymouth Hospital in • and, when she joined Health Department in 1948, her first appointment was to Ohakune. She stayed a year and then went overseas to England and Europe. She worked in

London and travelled widely in the U.K and on the Continent. She returned in 1951 to marry Blue Wallis and raise a family — she has two sons and three daughters. Blue worked for a time for Eric Fetzer before buying the Miro Street farm. In the early '50's and '60's Kay Wallis remembers that Ohakune enjoyed quite a lively social and theatrical scene — she saw a number of performances by visiting artistes. These included a performance of dancing by Paul Gnatt and his fledgling New Zealand ballet company and a presentation of Bruce Mason's one-man show "The End of the Golden Weather." Mrs Wallis rejoined the Health Department in 1972

and was appointed as Ohakune's public health nurse, a position she held for about seven years until she was transferred to Waiouru. In the eleven years she has served the district attending to the new-born, the sick and the dying, she has covered many miles between National Park, Pipiriki, the Paraparas, Ruatiti, Ohakune, Raetihi and Waiouru. Mrs Wallis was farewelled by colleagues throughout the Wanganui and Taumarunui health district when she retired. Her place as Waiouru's public health nurse will be taken by Miss Leigh Bishop who was trained as a comprehensive (technical institute) trained nurse. She has been working at the Palmerston North Hospital.