HOSTEL SOUGHT FOR YOUNG NEW ZEALANDERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 March 1949, Page 8

HOSTEL SOUGHT FOR YOUNG NEW ZEALANDERS

Founder and president of the New Zealand Club in Sydney, Australia, Mrs .Elenor Hempton, of Sydney, who is visiting Auckland, is well known to many New Zealanders. Mrs Hempton came to New Zealand to visit her mother, Mrs M. Whale, of New Plymouth, and 9 to “sow the seeds” of a venture which she is keen to see undertaken in Sydney. That is the provision of a hostel and recreation centre for young New Zealanders who are in Sydney to work and study. Interest in the work Mrs Hempton is doin° was shown by Her Excellency Lady 1 Frevberg, by whom Mrs Hempton. was entertained at morning tea at Government House in Wellington. She was also received by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. Born In Auckland Mrs Hempton was born in Auckland and has lived in Sydney for 22 years. She founded the New Zealand Club m 1934. In addition to offering hospitality to New Zealanders and entertaining many members of the services during the Second World War, the club has made other -notable contributions. In memory of New Zealanders who save Lhtir lives in the Second World Wai the sum of £lOOO was donated to th° Sydney Hospital to endow a bed which' can' be occupied by a New Zealand patient free of charge. Th R.A.A.F. neurosis clmic has benefited bv £250 and the Bell Haven babies home by £lOO. Permanently incapacitated soldiers received £250 for the furnishing of a new lounge room. At present the club is building a twilight, cottage for the use of two elderly people. Long-Felt Need The need for a hostel for young New Zealanders in Sydney has been felt for seme time by Mrs Hempton. With so manv young people “trying their wings” by going to work in Australia. Mrs Hempton feels that a hostel and recreation centre would solve many problems. Not only has she met many New Zealanders crippled by the high cost of accommodation in Sydney, but typical of the heavy mail she receives from New Zealand are letters asking for help in this direction by those planning to work or study there. Mrs Hempton feels that, if a hostel is established in Sydney for New Zealanders, it may even be possible to have its “twin” in New Zealand for young Australians.

N.Z. HUSBANDS ARE COMMENDED BY OVERSEAS VISITOR New Zealand husbands are more helpful in the home than are husbands in England, considers a London visitor to the Dominion, Mr J. H. M. Shaw. Mr Shaw has been surprised at the way husbands here do such domestic tasks as washing, ironing, and looking after babies. The reason, he thought, was that such a sharing of labour had been necessary in the pioneering days and the children had been brought up in that tradition. Things in England were changing, however, and the country was moving towards the kind of society New Zealand had, he said. It might come that husbands back home would eventually help wives .as they do here. A member of the headquarters staff of Toe H, Mr Shaw is in the Dominion for 12 months as deputy administrator of the movement in New Zealand. He expects to leave for London at the end of May. Women’s Institutes Kotuku W.l. The annual meeting Oi the KotuKU Women’s Institute was held recently in the school. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mrs P. Brereton (re-elected); secretary, Mrs A. Dalzell; press correspondent, Mrs Nestor «(re-elected); vice-presidents, Mesdames J. Bell and W. Dalzell (reelected). During the evening Mesdames Nestor, W. Brereton and P. Brereton were presented with gifts and a shoulder spray. . . Frizes for the most points gamed in competitions for the year were awarded to the following:—Handwork, Mrs A Brereton 1, Mrs P. Brereton 2; flowers Mrs P. Brereton 1, Mrs W. Dalzell 2. Mrs A. Dalzell was the winner of the “wandering shilling.” Cobden W.l. Mrs McKenzie presided over and welcomed two new members at a well attended meeting of the Cobden Women's Institute. Mesdames Anderson and McKenzie were appointed hospital visitors. A soap parcel, and a. food parcel has been forwarded to the “link" and the adopted Italian child respectively. The “mystery parcel”' winner was Mrs J. Minehan. A quiz, conducted by Mesdames Burn and Watkin, was won by the “Over Forties” team. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mrs J J. Haddock; committee, Mesdames Sumner, J. Minehan, McKenzie, Anderson, Meade, Smith, I. Burn, J. Fleming, R. Hayden, Patterson. Prizes for the year were presented to Mrs D. Gunn (sewing), Mrs J. Fleming (cookery and horticultural). Mrs Baty presented bouquets to the retiring president and treasurer. Mesdames McKenzie and Hall, and to Mesdames Sumner and Meade.