NEW STAFF QUARTERS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 12

NEW STAFF QUARTERS

Additions At Otaki Health Camp OPENED BY MINISTER The new staff quarters at. Hie Otaki Children’s Health Camp were officially opened yesterday by lhe Minister ot Health, Mr. Fraser, in Hie presence of a gathering of some 2(H) people, including many from Wellington. Built at a cost of £SIDi) from money made available from the King George V Memorial Fund the new buifiling. a two-storie'd structure of pleasing design, combines simplicity with comfort. There is accommodation for 20 nurses ami Hie lied rooms have been decorated in soft pastel similes of various colours. Twelve of the liedrooms are upstairs, where Hie matron's sitting-room, bathroom and bedroom are also situated. On Hie ground floor is tlie roomy stall' sitting-room. furnished in restlm shades of green and fawn and separated by folding doors from an airy sunroom. Two bathrooms, kitchen, washhouse and boilerhouse complete an establishment. which is a far cry from the tents in which tlie staff originally slept and the hardly less inconvenient liniments which replaced them. Since its opening in 1931. Hie camp lias handled 2896 children. There were no children in residence yesterday but 10 are to arrve on December 14 and by December 20 Hie number will have been increased to 100. Opening Ceremony. Tlie mayor of Otaki, Mr. C. I. Atmore, who was accompanied by tlie mayoress. Dr. Atmore, welcomed tlie gathering, which included, in addition to Hie Minister and Mrs. Fraser, the Acting-Director-General of Health, Dr. A. R. Shore, and Mrs. Shore, the Director of Education, Air. N. T. Lambourne, and Airs. Lambourne. the Director of School Hygiene, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, the ALP. for Otaki, Air. Lowry, and Airs. Lowry, the ALP. for Master* ton, Air. Robertson, and Airs. Robertson. the ALP. for Dunedin West. Dr. McMillan, the M.P. for Wellington West, Airs. Stewart, Air. Byron Brown, who gave the land for the camp, Messrs. T. Jordan and J. W. Dove, two of the trustees of the King George A" Memorial Fund, tlie chairman of the Wellington executive of the Health Camp Association. Dr. 11. E. Gibbs, the Medical Officer of Health, Wellington, Dr. F. S. Maclean, and Airs. Alaclean, the chairman of the Wellington Education Board, Air. W. V. Dyer, and Airs. Dyer, the secretary of the Wellington Health Camp Association. Air. C. Aleachen and Airs. Aleachen, the principal of the Wellington Teachers’ Training College, Mr. F. C. Lopdel, the chairman of Hie Wanganui Health Camp Trust Board, Air. Hope Gibbons, Dr. Al. Cbamptaloup, Dr. H. Short, Air, Frank Campbell, representing the Wellington Rotary Club, the secretary of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society, Mr. J. Meltzer, and Miss Janet Paterson, sister of the late Dr. Ada Paterson. ■ Air. Atmore traced the growth of the Otaki Health Camp since its opening in 1931 following a generous gift of land by Mr. Byron Brown. He deplored the death of Dr. Ada Paterson, whose services to the association had been given unstiutingly, and thanked all those other workers who lin'd assisted to bring the movement to its present position. Congratulating the association on the erection of the new staff quarters, Dr. Gibbs said the occasion was a proud one as improved accommodation for the nurses had long been recognized as of major importance. Air. Lowry thanked Air. Fraser for his interest in the health camp movement over a long period, and expressed gratification that at last staff quarters had been provided which were a credit to all concerned. “Valuable Additions."

Describing the new quarters as very valuable and very beautiful additions, the Minister thanked all those who had interested themselves in the health camp movement. He said he was pleased that Mr. Jordan and Mr. Dove, two of the trustees of the King George V Memorial Fund, had considered it their duty to attend the ceremony and acquire at first-hand knowledge of the workings of the camp in Otaki. Three or four more such permanent camps would be established, the Minister said, and Otaki would undoubtedly be recognized as the main camp for the Wellington area as far as Napier and New Plymouth. The fund, in addition to commemorating the great, reign of a truly great Sovereign, would perpetuate a. movement, that would be of infinite value in the years to come. The magnificent, response to the appeal bad meant an arousing of interest in what had been done by the pioneers of the movement, from the first, camp in Turakina, organized by Dr. Gunn.

The Minister paid a tribute to the. memory of the late Dr. Ada Paterson, another of the pioneers of the movement, describing her as one of the most single-minded as well as the most valued and valuable woman New Zealand bad ever known.

In formally declaring the new building open, the Minister wished all who worked there the greatest amount of happiness and success.

The matron. Miss O. M. Gould, and the staff later entertained the visitors at afternoon tea provided by the women's auxiliary.