OBITUARY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27678, 7 June 1955, Page 2

OBITUARY

MISS D. G. RASTER An outstanding personality in the field of education in New Zealand, Miss Dorothy Grace Baster, died in Christchurch on Sunday. She wa> an acknowledged leader in methods of infant teaching, and the principles she laid down more than 30 years ago are still used, not only in New Zealand but in some schools in England. Miss Baster was bom in England and in her early life was a governess in Lady Aberdeen’s family. Later she trained as a teacher under Professor J. Findlay, professor of education at Manchester University from 1903 to 1925. About 1920 she came to Christchurch to take the position of infant mistress at the Normal School and also that of lecturer at the Teachers’ Training College (now the Teachers* College). In these positions she was remarkably successful Although her work as lecturer took much of her time, she continued to have direct contact with the children in the work that she loved. Her first thought was always for the children and consideration of how best she could direct her methods for their benefit. Women teachers who trained under her say that her work in the classroom was a joy and the atmosphere one of great gaiety, freshness and happiness. Miss Baster developed, her own reading methods for children and these methods were well in advance of those generally accepted at that, time. With Professor (now Sir James) Shelley, she wrote “The Live Readers,” which were published in Christchurch in the early 1920’s and these books were to be found in English schools in 1939 and'are still widely used in many countries. Some years ago, after her retirement, Miss Baster returned to England to visit her three sisters, all of whom are now dead. About 1951, she returned to Christchurch but unfor- < tunately her health soon began to fail and for tne last few years she had been a semi-invalid. 9 ent ! e .. iil manner, lovable, enthusi- ! astic, full of vitality and possessed of a keen sense of humour, Miss Baster was always interested in ' P®?P le a nd particularly devoted to ! children. She was fond of outdoor ! life and spent many holidays on ! Wwt I %S?* dit,On ’’ cBpecially on the '

The funeral will be held tomorrow, after a service in St. Michael’s Church, Oxford terrace

MISS GERTYE MEDDINS A lifetime of service was given to nursing by Miss Gertye Meddins whose depth occurred in Christchurch yesterday. Born in Ashburton, where her father founded the Baptist Church, Miss Meddins began her training at the Wellington Hospital in 1909 and was placed second for New Zealand in her final examination. On the outbreak of the First World War she was one of the first New Zealand nurses to volunteer but was asked to take over the Willis Street Private Hospital, Wellington, for a period before she went overseas at the beginning of , 1918. Much of her war service was in the Brockenhurst Military Hospital, England, from which she was invalided home during the post-war influenza epidemic, but soon after her return she took up duties at the Trentham Military Hospital.

Some years after the war, Miss Meddins was appointed to the Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs, where she was sub-matron in charge of military cases, and she remained there for nearly 20 years. In partial retirement she was home sister of the Palmerston North and Seacliffe Hospitals, and then matron of the Richmond Special School, Nelson. She retired about seven years ago because of ill-health. Miss Meddins is survived by her sister, Mrs Harvey Cook.