Greenlane Hospital heritage receives high recognition

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT) has announced the registration of three buildings at Auckland's Greenlane Hospital with category one historic place status - the highest level of recognition the trust can apply to buildings.

The buildings have been home to major medical breakthroughs and changes in medical beliefs regarding treatments and cures over the past 120 years, the NZHPT said in a statement today.

In particular, Greenlane Hospital became internationally renowned for heart surgery under Sir Douglas Robb and Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes, seeing the first open heart operation in the country in 1958, and the second heart valve replacement in the world in 1962.

The category one registration includes the former Costley Home for the Aged Poor building, the former infirmary ward for incurables, the main building, and the land under the 1960s administration building.

The Auckland Regional Council (ARC) applauded the decision to register the buildings, as it had opposed the demolition of one of them when the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) was granted resource consent to remove it in early 2008.

ARC Parks and Heritage Committee chairwoman Sandra Coney said many Auckland people had connections with the buildings and they were landmarks in Epsom.

"The collection of three neighbouring buildings represents the development of health care, from charitable aid to the provision of modern medical care by the state, as a human right."

Heritage advocate Helen Geary said it was time for the ADHB to show some leadership by putting in place a long-term strategy for the redevelopment of the site and renovation of the buildings.

- NZPA