WELLINGTON WOMEN AND THEIR WORK

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 20, 18 October 1930, Page 18

WELLINGTON WOMEN AND THEIR WORK

Mrs. G. W. Barltrop

OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, or that branch of it represented in New Zealand, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, has many faithful workers, but none, perhaps, have served it more faithfully than Mrs. G. W. Barltrop who, joining over twenty years ago, has been an ardent worker ever since. Going through her' ambulance course and joining the brigade, she began to demonstrate at ambulance and home nursing classes in 1907, organising classes in schools and other instituions, and this work she has carried out ever since. In 1912 she was elected an executive member of the Wellington Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association, and many times gave clerical assistance to the secretary, in the years between then and 1915. Mrs. Barltrop only resigned from the executive in Tune, 1929. When any member of St. John receives an honour, it is only after much service and a record of the work accomplished has to be forwarded to the headquarters of the order when any recommendation is made Mrs. Barltrop received several recognitions of service, and the record of that service is something to wonder at. Taking the war years alone, when there was so much to be done, Mrs. Barltrop acted as secretary for the special committee of St. John Ambulance Association, which prepared its quota for the hospital ship, Maheno, often working eight hours daily. She was also among the St. John workers in the equipment of the Wellington quota for the second hospital ship, and for the first and second stationary hospitals. She personally-collected 8050 garments and 11,855 bandages which were for the use of hospitals at the front. Even earlier than this Mrs. Barltrop had taken part in helping with the ambulance equipment of the Samoan expeditionary force and in providing and packing 22 panniers for the main force in September of 1914. These special activities over, Mrs. Barltrop worked at the Red Cross depot for three years, being head of the surgical department, where she had 40 workers under her charge. Then, too, there were the many special works, at the Soldiers’ Club, at the Red Cross shop, at the weekly Entertainments and dances for the soldiers, at the soldiers’ convalescent home—all these occupied many days of work, and then there was the meeting of returned wounded and disabled soldiers, when the St. John Ambulance men and women were called on for their help, while during the epidemic time their help was invaluable both at the hospitals and among the patients in their own homes. Mrs. Barltrop was not content with ambulance work, for she was a member of the Liverpool Fund and helped in the purchasing and packing of goods in the gift parcels sent to men at the front. As .secretary of the Citizens’ Gift Fund, she organised the workers, purchased goods, and attended to the packing and shipping of these (approximately 22,000 parcels). Mrs. Barltrop assisted in the formation of the Wellington South Nursing Division of St. John Ambulance Brigade, and has been in turn secretary, second officer, and first officer of the division. In 1921 Mrs. Barltrop made a tour with Mrs. Stace, at the request of the Government, for the extension of ambulance knowledge in the country They visited 23 towns, lecturing and carrying out organisation and extension of ambulance work. Mrs. Barltrop was made a district officer in 1923, and since then her work has lain more with the general organisation than with the local branch. In 1924 she was made an honorary serving sister of the order. Later Mrs. Barltrop spent a lengthy holiday In England where, like all St. John workers she received a cordial welcome at headquarters. While there she received a special service medal, which was presented to her at St. John's Gate by the Earl of Scarborough, at a most impressive ceremony, when the members of the order wore their uniforms and insignia. Last year Mrs. Barltrop \was promoted to be an officer of the order and received that insignia from the Governor-General this year.

With all this work it would not seem possible that Mrs. Barltrop Could have time for any more, but she was a member of the hostel committee of the Y.W.C.A. for several years, and also of the Levin Home for Girls, only resigning from the latter in 1920, when leaving for an extended holiday in England. She is now a member of the committee of the District Nursing Guild of St. John, and is the St. John Ambulance Brigade representative on the Wellington Hospital Board Women’s Auxiliary.