KEY POINTS:
The 100th anniversary of the opening of the first Plunket-Karitane Hospital was celebrated today at Plunket's "birthplace" in Dunedin today.
A commemorative plaque was unveiled by Dunedin city councillor Syd Brown to celebrate the work of visionary Plunket founder, Sir Truby King, at his original home in Karitane.
"Sir Truby King was an incredible man and a pioneer for the health and well being of children and mothers," said Plunket New Zealand president Carol Becker.
"His vision of helping the mothers and saving the babies is still relevant today as it was 100 years ago."
Before the opening of the hospital in December 1907, Sir Truby cared for 13 sick, emaciated babies at his own home, a cottage in Karitane.
Sir Truby called a public meeting in Dunedin in May 1907, bringing together influential women from around the area. They formed the Society for the Protection of Health for Women and Children, which later became the Plunket society.
It was this society that leased the cottage in Andersons Bay which became the first Karitane hospital, where Sir Truby and his Karitane nurses eventually cared for up to 150 sick and ill-nourished babies a year.
The unveiling was followed by an afternoon tea in the grounds of Sir Truby King's original cottage, which is now a private residence, still owned by the Lawson family who purchased the house from Sir Truby in the mid 1920s.
- NZPA
