Eden Terrace, Epsom

Eden Terrace

Nurse Gisbey (1906)

Methven Private Nursing Home, New North Road, Eden Terrace (c.1902-1913). Between Victoria (Virginia) Ave and Haslett Street. Mrs Wrathall. The house became a private hotel in October 1913 during the Auckland Exhibition.

Epsom

Nurse Ruby Haleen Smart, Kipling Ave (c.1926-1935). Shifted to Great South Road, Papatoetoe. Married to Herbert Cecil Smart.

Nurse Shepherd, 57 Green Lane (c.1924)

Epsom Convalescent Home / Bewdley Home (1903-c.1923). Gillies Avenue, off Ranfurly Road. Practioner(s): Rose Elizabeth Millington Scherer, Nurse Burlton, Caroline Wilkinson. Nurse Scherer advertised in 1903 she had long nursing experience, England and South Africa. Epsom Convalescent on Gillies Ave, "near McDonald's nursery." Apparently had been in Taranaki pre 1903: as Rose E Scherer, she was proprietress of the Moturoa Hotel from December 1886 at the New Plymouth Breakwater, with Charles Scherer. They left 1887. (Additional info by Peter Moyes)

Burwood Home (c.1921- April 1939). Nurse Julia B Hollibone. Husband John worked as a turncock. 82 (later renumbered around 212) Gillies Avenue, Epsom, later (c.1926) 66 (later renumbered around 184) Gillies Avenue, Epsom according to birth notices from September 1926, although 1928 Eden roll shows her still at No.82. Practitioner: Julia Hollibone died 7 May 1939 after a motor car accident 25 April 1939, when the car in which she was riding went over a bank on the main Rotorua-Hamilton highway. She was aged 45 and died at Rotorua Hospital.

St Margaret's Home (1934 - at least 1945). 1 Warborough Avenue, Epsom. Practitioners(s): Margaret Munro (see St Margaret's, Ponsonby); Misses Kingsford and Fiest (according to Archway)

"St Margaret's, in Warborough Avenue, was opened in 1934. It was the first private obstetric hospital in Auckland to have been custom planned and equipped. The Auckland Starreported that the new hospital was a single-storey building of pleasing design and that the planning and equipment complied with the latest advances in obstetric work. There was accommodation for twelve patients, and 30 rooms in all.

"The owner and matron, Margaret Munro, soon encountered trouble with the authorities for exceeding the terms of her license by taking too many patients and not providing sufficient staff. Then there was a dispute with the Plunket Society when one of its advisers was, in effect, accused of trying to do the owner out of business. However, by 1952 the Director General of Health's stance was that St Margaret's was extremely well run and well equipped and that its closure would be a great loss to the city ...

"St Margaret's ended its obstetric role, briefly became a private surgical hospital and was eventually acquired by the Auckland Hospital Board. Then began a series of moves that ended with the hospital being renamed as the Epsom Day Hospital and becoming an abortion clinic. During this phase it gained notoriety as the focus of protestors. Eventually the abortion work was moved to Green Lane Hospital (Epsom Day Clinic) and the building was sold, to become a geriatric hospital." (The History of Epsom, 2006, pp. 197-198)

Willesden Private Nursing Home (c.1917-1925)

Fencourt Private Hospital (1926). Carrick Place/corner Gillies & Epsom Ave/ corner Gillies and Bracken Ave / 87 Owens Road, Epsom. Practitioner(s): Nurse E Jean Keay (c,1917-c.1923); Nurse Eliza Jane Fullerton-Whyte; Sister Leonie Whyte (manageress 1925-1926); Nurse Charlesworth

The home shifted at the beginning of 1921 from Carrick Place to corner Gillies and Epsom Ave (Ad, NZ Herald 9 February 1921, p. 12) to "large, commodious and up-to-date premises". Then advertised in April 1921 as being at the corner of Gillies & Bracken Avenues. Nurse Keay advised she was "qualified by exam. Cases taken with or without doctor." February 1922, moved to Owens Road. Nurse Keay's husband Rev. W A Keay, late of the Church of Holy Sepulchre in Khyber Pass, died 1 April 1922. The home got caught up with the puerperal fever issue of 1924-1925.

"Concerning the outbreak of puerperal sepsis which was reported in last Tuesday's "Star," the matron, proprietor of Willesden private nursing home, who is also the owner of Fencourt nursing home, made the following statement to a "Star" reporter: "In the article on the subject of puerperal sepsis, the impression has been given that I, as proprietor of Willesden private hospital in Owen's Road, Epsom, did nothing in the matter. Although not in charge of Willesden when the trouble occurred, as soon as I knew of the first suspicious case I notified Dr. Hughes by 'phone before he left his home for the city. I then rang the medical men who had patients at Willesden, and asked them to have their patients removed to their own homes for safety. In fact, one patient had been removed before the Health Officer appeared on the scene, and all patients were moved out of Willesden on that day. As other cases were reported after leaving Willesden, I decided not to reopen it as a hospital."

Continuing, Nurse Fullerton-Whyte said, "I am also closing Fencourt private hospital, not because of infection, for such is not the case, but because I feel I cannot continue under existing conditions. The statement that Auckland has been clear of sepsis ever since Kelvin until now, is not correct. The first patient reported from my hospital should have gone to another hospital, but could not do so on account of the latter place being closed with a septic case. If you look up statistics you will find cases are being reported every month, both from hospitals and private homes-.

"I am thankful no death resulted from the infection at Willesden," said Nurse Whyte in conclusion, "and also that the patients are all well on the way to recovery." When the above statement was referred to Dr T J Hughes, Health Officer, he stated that what Miss Fullerton-Whyte said concerning the removal of the one patient before the health officer arrived was correct. In regard to closing the hospital, however, Dr Hughes pointed out that the regulations require that no further cases can be taken until authorised by the Health Department." (Auckland Star, 14 November 1925)

Fullerton-Whyte, as at 1926, said she had 10 years experience, employed other registered nurses and midwives, and had conducted Willesden for 9 years.

Charges laid against Willesden staff in 1926 were dismissed.

Further news articles: Auckland Star 22 May 1926 p. 10; 27 May 1926 p. 10; 28 May 1926 p. 5; 7 June 1926, p. 9

Miss Nancye H Rose, Awanui Private Hospital,  1-3 Brightside Road (off Gillies Avenue) (1922-1943). Moved from upper Symonds Street.

House was originally construcyed c.1856 for George Burgoyne Owen, and named Brightside. After his death in 1893, and his wife's death in 1904, it was sold in 1922 to Rose. Half-acre site. Billiard room converted into nurses' cubicles. Theatre placed on top of billiard room. Ballroom converted to eight-bed ward. Primarily a general/convalescent but also had some maternity cases. Purchased in late 1943 by company known as Brightside Hospital Ltd and extensively altered. The house was demolished in the late 1990s. Now site of Brightside Hospital

Te Whare Iti (1932 - c.1937). 22 Banff Ave, Epsom. Practitioner: Nurse Doris Marion England. Died c.1951

Cairnhill Private Hospital, 95 (was 41) Mountain Road (1921-1944). Maud & Vivian Montgomery (1921-1927), Gertrude Swears & Dorothy Harding Wright (1927-1932), Vivian Montgomery (1932-1936), Mrs Florence Clarke (1936-1944)

Large building with lift, 11 rooms. BY March 1934, this was on a dedicated hospitals bus route.

Originally built as the home of George and Margaret Blake, c.1905, the Blakes called it "Runamai". 14 rooms, "replete with every convenience," amongst them 10 bedrooms. They sold it in 1910, then in 1920 it was purchased by Misses Maud and Vivienne Montgomery, both trained nurses. They got a license to run a private hospital and surgery, and as "Cairnhill" it featured as a stop on the early hospital bus route in the 1930s. It was leased for a time to both Swears & Wright, and later Clarke. Then, the sisters sold the property in 1947 (on the market from 1944),and it became a boarding house for a time. The Sisters of Mercy came into the picture in 1955, until it was sold again in 1979.

Looks like it's still known as "Cairnhill" (as as June 2016). http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/doc…/…/cairnhill-health-centre/

Cairnhill, Oct 2015 (Google Maps)

Lavington Hospital (corner Domett & Gillies Ave), c.1942-1981. Mainly a general private hospital, but some births.

Old hospital buildings under knife

"Parts of Lavington Hospital, Epsom, may be spread around Auckland and as far as Taupo by early next year. The Southern Cross Medical Insurance Group is replacing the old hospital with a new $3 million 60-bed building. The old hospital - a two-storey homestead, two 10-bed wards, an operating theatre and kitchen -- is being removed by the haulage firm James Davern Ltd. The managing-director, Mr James Davern, said the operating theatre may be used in a veterinarian's clinic in Epsom, the homestead may go to Clevedon, and the wards to Taupo for a rest home. Each part of the hospital would be hauled by road to its new site.

"He said the last operation at the hospital would be on December 18. The old buildings would be sold for about half their replacement value, he said. "Someone will get a bargain." The new hospital will cost $2.5 million." (Star, 19 October 1981)

"For the sake of this tree, old Lavington Hospital will be demolished. The remover, Mr James Davern (pictured), finds it laughable that the rubbishy silver birch should stand in the way of preserving the old building.  But the tree, and another small one on the grass verge in Domett Avenue Epsom, have Auckland City Council protection. Today Mr Davern intended to shift the building across Domett Ave to a vacant section he owns on the other side. But the council stepped in.

"I offered to replace or replant any trees I damaged but there is no way, unless I go through 500 committees and waste about three weeks, that they will let me --for the sake of two stupid trees." A council letter to Mr Davern said: "The council has a firm policy of protecting its street trees and accordingly, am unable to grant permission for you to either damage or remove the street tree ..."

 "Mr Davern said: "So I have called in the wreckers and the building is going to be demolished. A 370 sq m house is going to be destroyed just for the sake of two trees." By the end of the month the new Lavington Hospital, being built on the same site, is expected to be completed. The new hospital, costing $2.5 million, will have three operating theatres." (Star, 3 March 1982)

(Auckland Star 3 March 1982)