LATE SIR TRUBY KING

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3560, 30 May 1939, Page 7

LATE SIR TRUBY KING

A NATIONAL MEMORIAL . AN ENDOWMENT PROPOSED When Sir Truby King began his crusade for the improvement of conditions relating to infant welfare the available medical knowledge on the subject as, judged by present-day standards, very limited. However, by the research and practical work pursued by him the sum of total medical knowledge has been greatly augmented, and world wide interest in the more-scientific care and feeding of infants has not only been aroused but continuously sustained. His work in the direction of educating mothers in the correct and proper care of their children has had a wonderful and far-reaching effect. His influence, at first confined to New Zealand, has been recognised by eminent authorities in other countries, and Sir Truby was invited to visit personally overseas countries so that the work to be undertaken there might be firmly bas 7 ed on the priciples which he advocated. Today we find his system firmly established in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa -f-and Palestine. In New Zealand Sir Truby was responsible for the formation of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (commonly known, as the Plunket Society, in recognition of the interest taken by Lady Plunket, wife of the then Governor of New Zealand), and through the society he gathered round himself a steadily growing band of enthusiastic workers. The society is now acknowledged io be of inestimable value to the nation.

In grateful memory of the work done by Sir Truby King the society desires to establish a national memorial to him which will not only perpetuate the memory of his work but will fittingly mark the deep respect and affection' with which he inspired all those privileged to be associated with his activities and at the same time lead to the furtherance of the society’s aims. The memorial for which it is proposed to raise a fund, will take the form of an endowment for the Truby King House, Wellington, which was bequeathed to the society by Sir Truby King for mothercraft work ""and the establishment of a post graduate course for Plunket and Karitane nurses. The aim of the society is to make

Truby King House a place where members of the society, friends, visitors to New Zealand and others may visit and where they may see Sir Truby’s library—his personal possessions. In such atmosphere it is hoped that visitors may capture something of the spirit which animated Sir Truby and receive perhaps some inspiration from the thought of the great work planned and executed in Truby King House.