Farewells and Presentations

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XV, Issue 3, 1 July 1926, Page 132

Farewells and Presentations

In April the little mining township of Denniston did honour to the Matron of the College Hospital, Miss Murray, R.R.C., who, after a number of years' service, had resigned her position to take over a private hospital at Levin.

With many appreciative words and wishes for her success, Mr. Smith, the mine manager, presented Miss Murray with a purse containing a sum of money from the residents of the district, and with a double manicure set from Mrs. Gibson, who had been trained as a midwife by Miss Murray.

Miss Murray responded m a few words of thanks for the handsome gifts, and of regret at leaving those she had been proud of being associated with. A social evening was then carried on till late.

The following extract from the Cook County "Herald" shows the value of a nurse's training m after life away m a country district. Mrs. Pritchard was a country district Mrs. Pritchard was Nurse Ethel Taylor, one of the First Contingent of New Zealand nurses to serve m the Great War:

Never before has the Whatatutu Hall witnessed such a large and enthusiastic gathering as attended on Thursday evening to do honour to a resident of the district, Mrs. A. Pritchard, who for a number of years has rendered wonderful assistance m many cases of accident and sickness. Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Pritchard was district nurse at Te Karaka, and the people of the district had become so used to calling for her when m trouble that they have continued to do so ever since. At all times of the day or night she has been willing to go miles out into the backblocks to attend to bad cases of accidents, and at the gathering on Thursday even-

ing it was mentioned that several of those present m the hall owed their lives to the timely first aid which she had rendered. The function took the form of a social evening, and the proceedings were interspersed with bright musical items and dances. Miss Greenwood officiated at the piano, while songs were given by Misses Cade and King, and Mr. C. Cooper. During an interval m the proceedings, Mr. J. Talbot, on behalf of the residents of the district, asked Mrs. Pritchard to accept a cabinet gramophone and records, and two easy chairs, as an indication of the esteem m which she was held. In a brief but well-chosen speech he said that Mrs. Pritchard had done a wonderful amount of good m the district, and the residents had thought they would like to show her that they appreciated her selfsacrificing work. At any time of the day or night she had been only too willing to go out to distant parts of the district and minister m cases of sickness and accident. She had refused to accept a penny towards her ex-

penses on these visits, and, knowing her as they did, no one had ever dared to suggest that they should pay her. The fact that the hall was so well-filled, despite the fact that all the rivers were high, would show Mrs. Pritchard m some small measure the full extent of the appreciation of her work. They hoped that she would be wtih them for many years to come and wished her health and prosperity. Mrs. Pritchard, who was received with &reat applause, and who was obviously overcome by the warmth of the reception, said that she had merely done what anyone with her training would have done, and her work m the district had been a very real pleasure to her. It would have been impossible for her to render assistance on many occasions if it had not been for the fact that Mr. J. King was always ready at any time of the day or night to teke a car out to the scene of the accident. She thanked them all for the very handsome gifts they had given her, and hoped that she would always be able to be of some use to the district.