NURSES' HOME

Nelson Evening Mail, 6 April 1916, Page 6

NURSES' HOME

THE OFFICIAL OPENING. Although the Nurses' Home has boon Jn- occupation- for some little time, the official opening did not take place rill vesterdav, when there was a large assemblage of the public. The new building stands in the Hospital grounds at the corner facing Kawhai and Franklyn streets. It is art imposing structure, on an admirable site. Tbo design is picturesque, while inside tlie accommodation is all that could be desired. A member of the Hospital Board has inscribed the new home as "a palace/' and the best place of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. This may or may iot he an extravagant description, but -t can safely be said that in the new Home the nurses have a building of which, they might well be proud, while the public should feel no less pleased at the fine home that is now at the nurses' disposal. Mr H. Baigent, chairman of the Hospital Board, before calling on the Mayor of Nelson to declare the building open, mentioned that the late Mr Austin Bissau 1910 was the first person to actively itake up) the question of building a home for the nurses. Mr Bisley held several gift sales of stock, and raised by this means £9l lis 2d. Various entertainments were afterwards held, bringing in over £BOO. A levy of £ISOO was made on (the local bodies in the hospital district, carrying a. Government subsidy of a similar amount.. The late Mr Cawthron gave £IOOO which carried a Government subsidy of £I2OO. The total amount available for a. home was £6094 9s 3d. The contract price '"or the building was £5281, and extras amounted to £2OO 13s Id. Plans, specification, and supervision came to about £265. It was estimated' that the amount incurred for cleaning, furnishing, gates, paths, etc. would be about £347. The Mayor {Mr C. J. Ha.rley) said that when the* present hospital was erected 50 years ago there was sufficient accommodation in it for the nurses. The num<ber of patients then was about 25, and the iramber of nurses about half a dozen. Now the patients averaged 70 to 80, and the number of nurses had risen- to 20. A :few years ago a movement was started to secure a nurses' - home, and amongst the leaders of that movement was the late ili' Austin Bisley. Eventually a sum of over £6OOO was in hand and the ■building- was commenced. As they would pee that afternoon, the home was nicely though plainly furnished. There was accommodation for about 30 nurses, and it.was an excellent home. The nurses deserved it. {Applause.) Mr Harley snentioned that ten nurses trained at the INelsonr Hospital had gone to the front. and made special reference to Nurse Ingram and Nurse Jaeobson. The work at the Home was not finished. The nurses must -have recreation. A piano was needed, and it was hoped to make tennis and croquet jrTounds. There would "be appeals for these purposes, and le was sure there would be a hearty response. The Mayor then declared the building opened, after which the National Anthem, was sung. The public proceeded to inspect the ibnilding, and were supplied by the nursing and domestic staff with afternoon /tea. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING. The new Home is of two storeys, in ferro-conerete, rough-cast, with tileroof, and occupies a ground space of 110 ft by 50ft. The inside partitions are mainly of trussite. Throughout the conveniences are of the most modern and everything that could he done to save labour and give comfort has been adopted. There close on 30 bedrooms, those for the nurses being upstairs ,and those for the domestic staff on the ground floor. By a system of -folding doors the dining-room can be converted into a -recreation room. 50 feet "by 24 feet. Sitting-rooms, a library, ibath roams on both floors are provided. There are 'bins for wood and coal, under cover, and various devices which tend to save labour and running about. The appearance of the kitchen called forth general praise. All the rooms upstairs open on to balconies at the front and Iback of the ■building. On all hands yesterday -were to be heard complimentary references to the new building. The architect for the building was Mr A. R. .Griffin. Messrs Johnston and Manssen '•were the contractors. The sub-contrac-tors were :—Plumbing, Messrs Willmot and Cross.; joinery, Messrs Robertson Bros., Ltd.;" tiling, Messrs E. Bricoe and Co., "Wellington; bricklaying; Messrs Pettit and Layton; painting, Messrs Louisson Bro.; plastering, Mr E. Grimmett.