Grandchildren of Hugh Paterson. Ian, Liz, Helen (grand-daughter-in-law), Margaret and Ian visited Pahīatua Museum along with younger members of the family to reminisce about "Dr Pat". Photo / Leanne Warr
Grandchildren of Hugh Paterson. Ian, Liz, Helen (grand-daughter-in-law), Margaret and Ian visited Pahīatua Museum along with younger members of the family to reminisce about "Dr Pat". Photo / Leanne Warr
By Leanne Warr
When a Paterson family member decided to visit New Zealand from the United States, it prompted the rest to hold a get-together.
So a group of about 30 descendants of Dr Hugh Paterson decided to spend a day or two in Pahīatua to revisit an area that became a large part of the former Scottish doctor’s life.
They paid a visit to Pahīatua Museum to see some of the memorabilia from Dr Paterson’s time in the township.
Dr Pat, as he was known, worked as one of the town doctors from late 1912 until 1944.
“I think we’ve always talked about Pahīatua as being part of our family history,” his granddaughter Liz Allen says.
“He was a bit of a character,” she says. “It’s hard to live up to him.”
Liz - the “youngest daughter of the eldest son” - has written about her grandfather’s history, compiling articles from Papers Past along with what she knew of her grandparents’ lives.
Born in Scotland, he got his qualification through Glasgow University, Liz says.
He and his wife Mary came out to New Zealand, where he worked in Ōtaki before coming to Pahīatua in December 1912.
The photo of Dr Hugh Paterson which is on the wall of Tararua Medical Centre.
Mary was heavily pregnant at the time of the move and she was supposed to stay behind, but she didn’t want to wait, Liz says.
A carriage and nurse were hired to get her over the Pahīatua Track and William Irvine (known as Irvine by his parents) was born at a private hospital.
In those days, Liz wrote, Pahīatua was mostly farmland with a population of around 1350.
The couple quickly became involved in many community groups. Hugh also served as an honorary surgeon for Pahīatua Hospital.
Mary would become involved in the Country Women’s Institute and also had an interest in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
Dr Hugh Paterson leaving Pahīatua Hospital (date unknown).
World War I intervened and Hugh would perform medical examinations for recruitment. He also began trying to work out how he could enlist with the New Zealand Army, knowing there was an urgent need for doctors to support military personnel, Liz wrote.
He found a replacement doctor to cover for him and left Pahīatua in August 1917 for training.
Meanwhile, Mary had gone back to Scotland, taking the children - two boys by this time - with her, to be near family.
Following his training, Hugh departed for England, going on to serve in France from April 1918.
Liz notes he was on leave in Scotland when the armistice was declared and he stayed for a few months, working in hospitals in Edinburgh and Glasgow before the family returned to New Zealand in March.
He resumed the medical practice which “during these years required the doctor to be available at all hours to his patients and much time was spent making house calls on shingle roads in the wider district”, Liz writes.
Back: Hugh Paterson, George and Mary. Seated: (William) Irvine, Kenneth and Mary. Dr Pat, as he was known, was a doctor in Pahīatua for 31 years from 1912-1944.
After the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, the Pahīatua community established a committee to arrange transport to bring people down from Napier to stay.
Hugh had a strong focus in the welfare of returned soldiers and was involved in several committees which focused on assisting returnees and their families.
He was kept on as an honorary army doctor doing medical checks for enlisting men and was a member of the army medical board in Wellington.
