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Westland Hospital, Hokitika. ca.1940.
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Location (city or town)HokitikaOrganisation (eg business)Westland Hospital
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CommentsAnnette Martin I worked there was annette mahuika happy memories
Brendan Stewart is it a mahuika to the left on the pic
Maureen McCrimmon Was that Mandal Ward
Alison Hale Gosh I remember being flown to hokitika hospital from Westport after a sheep bent my knee sideways . I was 15 and I remember it being like a war zone everyone lined up in cubicles seemed to have bloodied bandages after having cartilages removed etc . No keyhole surgery then. Scared the he'll out of me.
Natalie Win Looks like Mandel but could be Manson or Williams they looked all very similar from that angle
Loved working there
Miriama Lance Johnsen My mum worked here I remember visiting whanau there in the wards and maternity ward and the lovely tiles in children’s ward
Maria Auld Miriama Lance Johnsen i remember going there, not happy times
Miriama Lance Johnsen Maria Auld loves to you Ma
Ken Petersen Miriama Lance Johnsen who's whanau
Miriama Lance Johnsen Ken Petersen Iris Weaver née Tainui was my beautiful Mum my mums sister Asela Kay passed away in Westland hospital in 1974 my mum used to take us to visit uncle Harry parker
Kathryn Ward Had my tonsils out there.
Hazel Haver Me too. Looked the same. 1964
Bryan Eckhoff Kathryn Ward me too
Bryan Eckhoff Had a tendon under my big right toe put back together after cutting it on broken beer bottle in long grass
Heather Newby Bryan Eckhoff ouch!!
Lois Little my mother was a nurse there as well told me many stories about living in the nurses home she loved going back there looking thru the grounds met my father there at a dance in rimu
Ursula Tauwhare Tainui I worked in the kitchen with uncle Jimmy it was hard work many sad memories in that place
Joye Hanrahan I worked there 1954 I think Joye Wilson , Gloria,Martin also
Anne Brown Loved working there.
Sarah Veller Douglas Smales The first look I said Mandel with the table sitting where it is. Could be wrong .
Shona Mcclelland My late mother Agnes (Nessie) Keen and my auntie Leba Keen worked there 1930 -1940
Naomi Tainui-Jones i worked for 17 years all together, between Wesland and Seaview hospital.. was an awesome brilliant fun, happy time.
Maureen Bedford My friend Denise and I worked there.Maureen McCrimmon
Maureen McCrimmon Maureen Bedford yep I know that's where I met you two
Denise Mariu-Cleeton I worked in Mandal ward in 1977 as a nurse aid before joining the Army. We had some great fun living in the nurses hostel. Anyone else there at that time?
Terri Prince Denise Mariu-Cleeton I was a nurse aid at Seaview hospital during that year also, living at the hostel on the hill.
Denise Mariu-Cleeton Terri Prince what...didn't know that. Brenda was there too I thinkDianne Smith It should still be there.
Marg Delore Mandl ward??
Robert Wilson my mother spent over a year there,,,,they were wonderfull,,
Christine Jones Those were good times. Lots of happy memories
Denise Mariu-Cleeton Christine Jones Christine HELLO gosh I remember you I was Denise Mann then. I left Westland Hospital o join the Army. How ru? Where ru these days?
Stuart McHugh Me too Kathryn,can remember sawdust being strewn around on the floor and swept up, ? and the ice cream the day after
Kathryn Ward Stuart McHugh I was too sick to eat the ice cream!! Marie needed her tonsils out, I didn't, she recovered quickly and I didn't!!
George Samuel my father had a car accident on the westcoast mr black repaired his leg and bones
Greg Mait Yeah mr Black was the man . fixed me up a few times . and you could eat your food of the floor the place was so clean . times have changed. so much for technology .
Sarah Veller Douglas Smales Greg Mait so true. Clean as.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop I was born in that hospital - Westland Hospital. 1959
Karen Lawson Kathy Mintrom I was there with you. I was Karen Nelson. The uniforms we were there were way shorter than the 40s.
Carol Jones Yep great memories of that place. Worked there 1970/71 as a nurse.
Rose Nolan I can remember working in Wd ’s with that type of partition. Today’s method of curtain dividing may optimise bed space but partition walls are easily wiped down
Helen Ruscoe I was sad to drive through where Westland was and see the place bare and no nurses home.
Carolyn Vasta I remember going there as a kid to visit my mum and baby sister with my siblings.
Jennifer Roberts Your mum also used to wake us up as well a Gwen great times and memories
Raewyn Louttit Loved working there . My second son was born their
Carolyn Murphy My cubicle was the first one on the right when I had my tonsils out. They offered icecream. I said no thanks. I want sausages and mash. I got them.
Jenny Leach Aww didn,t know mary ellis was your mum les, she was i sister at the maternity ward when i had my daughter julie when i was a young 16 yr old mum wow
Stephen Lucas
I lost my tonsils there
June Williams
Stephen Lucas so did I
Margaret Suggett
Stephen Lucas me too!
Iri Sinclair
Wow
Trevor Keith Scott
Mr Black the Bone specialist put my pelvis back together, it was broken in 5 places 60's I was there for 11 months and told I had died 11 times!! I do remember even today two times I left the body very clearly, even at 75 that experience has never left… See More
Valda Ford
Good story … pleased you had a good outcome..
Trevor Keith Scott
Valda Ford Mr Black did a very good job on me and even today I have had little trouble with the back and pelvis, I think I was 17 then. Time fly's when you are having fun!!
Valda Ford
Trevor Keith Scott good for you Trevor.. I remember when I lived down there .. Mr Black was spoken about with such reverence..
Yvonne Larner
My mother was bborn here.
Vaughan Smith
If that was colour photo. You would be able to know if those nurses were Pinkies or not (pinky is 1st year junior nurse)
Greg Mait
Choice. note the polish on the floor.
Jenny Leach
Yes my 2 sisters and I had our tonsils out there too and were allowed to eat jelly and ice cream afterwards
Jenny Leach
Also all my children were born at this hospital it was a wonderful hospital and wonderful nurses there too
Judith Jones
I had a few years nursing there in the early 1970's and the pleasure of working with Mr Black and many lovely nurses. It was a great hospital.
Bill Gardyne
Judith Jones Mr Black done my knee 3 times he was a hard shot.
Mind I was a bit naughty with the nurses
Bill Garth
Good doctors in those days Greymouth Hospital had Mr Barclay and locals Doc Nixon, Ray, Logan, They also did house calls
Maureen Bedford
I worked there
Maureen McCrimmon
I worked there as a Hospital Aide from mid 1978 to mid 1979. I'm pretty sure the partitions were removed from Mandal Ward removed in late 78 or early 79, someone may remember when. Loved my time working there. Manson ward was closed before my time there.
Raewyn Louttit
I did my nursing here
Pauline Malloch
My husband David malloch was born there October 1940
Raewyn McKnight
Mr Black left me with an arm that looks like wool sack stitching - doctors today are still horrified! Jolly near 50 years ago…
Jan Douglas
You should see what allen bryant did to ME. No, maybe you don't...Margaret Simpson
I loved listening to the Hospital request session on the radio at the weekend
Denise Kerr
Our neighbours daughter Daphne Hayes worked in the kitchen.
Wonderful kind person..
Margaret Reisinger
Mr Black rebuilt my husband’s crushed ankle 40 years ago and it’s still perfect
Lyn Coleman
Graham Jacobs, my father was kicked in the shin by a horse out waikiti Downs. Placed on a mattress in the back of a car and taken to Greymouth then onto Hoki hospital where Mr black operated on his crushed tibia, just below the knee, still got the plate, nuts and bolts in there, a nerve pinches off and on now but he just slams his foot down hard and it brings it right most of the time. I remember at the Hoki hospital, Dad had the other inmates making oppossum skin clips. These held the skin's onto the board for drying. Mr black tried to keep Dad there for a while but he discharged himself after a bit of a heated discussion.
Trevor Keith Scott
Lyn Coleman I had the accident at Paroa and was rushed to Greymouth Hospital, they took one look and sent me through to Hoki. As you can understand I do not remember me arriving as I was out to it, when I did awake I had a tube up penis and into bladde… See More
Lyn Coleman
Trevor Keith Scott wow, you would of missed the place when you finally left.
Cheryl Brennan
Mum did her training here
Annette Rosanowski
Mr black operated at hoki and fixed my hip when I was very young. I saw him every few months for a long time then again as a teenager. He was very kind.
Jill Smith
I broke my arm 2 years running (1966 and 1967) and spent 6 weeks there each time. I was aged 9 and 10. My parents came to visit from Greymouth only on weekends as Mum didn't drive. I had screws and plates inserted by Mr Black which I still have. Makes you wonder why a child had to stay in hospital for 6 weeks just because my arm was in plaster. Couldn't imagine that happening today!!.
Sheila Coghlan
l worked at the Westland Hospital in Nineteen Forty nine as a nurse Dr Black was the Doctor then he was a great Surgeon Shame that they had to close it downTony Gardyne
Wow
Darryl Smith
Sue Dando - remind you of boarding school?
Sue Dando
Darryl Smith It does!
Sue Dando
Darryl Smith It was our room at the time of the Wahine sinking and the bloody Inangahua earthquake.
Pamela Watters
My grandmother worked there.
Kevy Rea
That was a lovely hospital those days my aunt use to work there
Pam Finch
what a lot of memories from looking at this photo..
Trish Hutana
Gosh remember it well in later years
Edited
June Williams
Had a couple of operations there. Was in Mandl ward.
Maureen Bedford
Worked there for a while.
BrianJoyce Hassan
spent about 7 months there between 1968 and 1969 great staff
Elizabeth Watson
oh look nurses on the ward.
David Howe
Remember how the nurses shoes squeaked when they walked on the polished lino? Any hospital.
Kathy Mintrom
worked there
Brendan Stewart is it a mahuika to the left on the pic
Maureen McCrimmon Was that Mandal Ward
Alison Hale Gosh I remember being flown to hokitika hospital from Westport after a sheep bent my knee sideways . I was 15 and I remember it being like a war zone everyone lined up in cubicles seemed to have bloodied bandages after having cartilages removed etc . No keyhole surgery then. Scared the he'll out of me.
Natalie Win Looks like Mandel but could be Manson or Williams they looked all very similar from that angle
Loved working there
Miriama Lance Johnsen My mum worked here I remember visiting whanau there in the wards and maternity ward and the lovely tiles in children’s ward
Maria Auld Miriama Lance Johnsen i remember going there, not happy times
Miriama Lance Johnsen Maria Auld loves to you Ma
Ken Petersen Miriama Lance Johnsen who's whanau
Miriama Lance Johnsen Ken Petersen Iris Weaver née Tainui was my beautiful Mum my mums sister Asela Kay passed away in Westland hospital in 1974 my mum used to take us to visit uncle Harry parker
Kathryn Ward Had my tonsils out there.
Hazel Haver Me too. Looked the same. 1964
Bryan Eckhoff Kathryn Ward me too
Bryan Eckhoff Had a tendon under my big right toe put back together after cutting it on broken beer bottle in long grass
Heather Newby Bryan Eckhoff ouch!!
Lois Little my mother was a nurse there as well told me many stories about living in the nurses home she loved going back there looking thru the grounds met my father there at a dance in rimu
Ursula Tauwhare Tainui I worked in the kitchen with uncle Jimmy it was hard work many sad memories in that place
Joye Hanrahan I worked there 1954 I think Joye Wilson , Gloria,Martin also
Anne Brown Loved working there.
Sarah Veller Douglas Smales The first look I said Mandel with the table sitting where it is. Could be wrong .
Shona Mcclelland My late mother Agnes (Nessie) Keen and my auntie Leba Keen worked there 1930 -1940
Naomi Tainui-Jones i worked for 17 years all together, between Wesland and Seaview hospital.. was an awesome brilliant fun, happy time.
Maureen Bedford My friend Denise and I worked there.Maureen McCrimmon
Maureen McCrimmon Maureen Bedford yep I know that's where I met you two
Denise Mariu-Cleeton I worked in Mandal ward in 1977 as a nurse aid before joining the Army. We had some great fun living in the nurses hostel. Anyone else there at that time?
Terri Prince Denise Mariu-Cleeton I was a nurse aid at Seaview hospital during that year also, living at the hostel on the hill.
Denise Mariu-Cleeton Terri Prince what...didn't know that. Brenda was there too I thinkDianne Smith It should still be there.
Marg Delore Mandl ward??
Robert Wilson my mother spent over a year there,,,,they were wonderfull,,
Christine Jones Those were good times. Lots of happy memories
Denise Mariu-Cleeton Christine Jones Christine HELLO gosh I remember you I was Denise Mann then. I left Westland Hospital o join the Army. How ru? Where ru these days?
Stuart McHugh Me too Kathryn,can remember sawdust being strewn around on the floor and swept up, ? and the ice cream the day after
Kathryn Ward Stuart McHugh I was too sick to eat the ice cream!! Marie needed her tonsils out, I didn't, she recovered quickly and I didn't!!
George Samuel my father had a car accident on the westcoast mr black repaired his leg and bones
Greg Mait Yeah mr Black was the man . fixed me up a few times . and you could eat your food of the floor the place was so clean . times have changed. so much for technology .
Sarah Veller Douglas Smales Greg Mait so true. Clean as.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop I was born in that hospital - Westland Hospital. 1959
Karen Lawson Kathy Mintrom I was there with you. I was Karen Nelson. The uniforms we were there were way shorter than the 40s.
Carol Jones Yep great memories of that place. Worked there 1970/71 as a nurse.
Rose Nolan I can remember working in Wd ’s with that type of partition. Today’s method of curtain dividing may optimise bed space but partition walls are easily wiped down
Helen Ruscoe I was sad to drive through where Westland was and see the place bare and no nurses home.
Carolyn Vasta I remember going there as a kid to visit my mum and baby sister with my siblings.
Jennifer Roberts Your mum also used to wake us up as well a Gwen great times and memories
Raewyn Louttit Loved working there . My second son was born their
Carolyn Murphy My cubicle was the first one on the right when I had my tonsils out. They offered icecream. I said no thanks. I want sausages and mash. I got them.
Jenny Leach Aww didn,t know mary ellis was your mum les, she was i sister at the maternity ward when i had my daughter julie when i was a young 16 yr old mum wow
Stephen Lucas
I lost my tonsils there
June Williams
Stephen Lucas so did I
Margaret Suggett
Stephen Lucas me too!
Iri Sinclair
Wow
Trevor Keith Scott
Mr Black the Bone specialist put my pelvis back together, it was broken in 5 places 60's I was there for 11 months and told I had died 11 times!! I do remember even today two times I left the body very clearly, even at 75 that experience has never left… See More
Valda Ford
Good story … pleased you had a good outcome..
Trevor Keith Scott
Valda Ford Mr Black did a very good job on me and even today I have had little trouble with the back and pelvis, I think I was 17 then. Time fly's when you are having fun!!
Valda Ford
Trevor Keith Scott good for you Trevor.. I remember when I lived down there .. Mr Black was spoken about with such reverence..
Yvonne Larner
My mother was bborn here.
Vaughan Smith
If that was colour photo. You would be able to know if those nurses were Pinkies or not (pinky is 1st year junior nurse)
Greg Mait
Choice. note the polish on the floor.
Jenny Leach
Yes my 2 sisters and I had our tonsils out there too and were allowed to eat jelly and ice cream afterwards
Jenny Leach
Also all my children were born at this hospital it was a wonderful hospital and wonderful nurses there too
Judith Jones
I had a few years nursing there in the early 1970's and the pleasure of working with Mr Black and many lovely nurses. It was a great hospital.
Bill Gardyne
Judith Jones Mr Black done my knee 3 times he was a hard shot.
Mind I was a bit naughty with the nurses
Bill Garth
Good doctors in those days Greymouth Hospital had Mr Barclay and locals Doc Nixon, Ray, Logan, They also did house calls
Maureen Bedford
I worked there
Maureen McCrimmon
I worked there as a Hospital Aide from mid 1978 to mid 1979. I'm pretty sure the partitions were removed from Mandal Ward removed in late 78 or early 79, someone may remember when. Loved my time working there. Manson ward was closed before my time there.
Raewyn Louttit
I did my nursing here
Pauline Malloch
My husband David malloch was born there October 1940
Raewyn McKnight
Mr Black left me with an arm that looks like wool sack stitching - doctors today are still horrified! Jolly near 50 years ago…
Jan Douglas
You should see what allen bryant did to ME. No, maybe you don't...Margaret Simpson
I loved listening to the Hospital request session on the radio at the weekend
Denise Kerr
Our neighbours daughter Daphne Hayes worked in the kitchen.
Wonderful kind person..
Margaret Reisinger
Mr Black rebuilt my husband’s crushed ankle 40 years ago and it’s still perfect
Lyn Coleman
Graham Jacobs, my father was kicked in the shin by a horse out waikiti Downs. Placed on a mattress in the back of a car and taken to Greymouth then onto Hoki hospital where Mr black operated on his crushed tibia, just below the knee, still got the plate, nuts and bolts in there, a nerve pinches off and on now but he just slams his foot down hard and it brings it right most of the time. I remember at the Hoki hospital, Dad had the other inmates making oppossum skin clips. These held the skin's onto the board for drying. Mr black tried to keep Dad there for a while but he discharged himself after a bit of a heated discussion.
Trevor Keith Scott
Lyn Coleman I had the accident at Paroa and was rushed to Greymouth Hospital, they took one look and sent me through to Hoki. As you can understand I do not remember me arriving as I was out to it, when I did awake I had a tube up penis and into bladde… See More
Lyn Coleman
Trevor Keith Scott wow, you would of missed the place when you finally left.
Cheryl Brennan
Mum did her training here
Annette Rosanowski
Mr black operated at hoki and fixed my hip when I was very young. I saw him every few months for a long time then again as a teenager. He was very kind.
Jill Smith
I broke my arm 2 years running (1966 and 1967) and spent 6 weeks there each time. I was aged 9 and 10. My parents came to visit from Greymouth only on weekends as Mum didn't drive. I had screws and plates inserted by Mr Black which I still have. Makes you wonder why a child had to stay in hospital for 6 weeks just because my arm was in plaster. Couldn't imagine that happening today!!.
Sheila Coghlan
l worked at the Westland Hospital in Nineteen Forty nine as a nurse Dr Black was the Doctor then he was a great Surgeon Shame that they had to close it downTony Gardyne
Wow
Darryl Smith
Sue Dando - remind you of boarding school?
Sue Dando
Darryl Smith It does!
Sue Dando
Darryl Smith It was our room at the time of the Wahine sinking and the bloody Inangahua earthquake.
Pamela Watters
My grandmother worked there.
Kevy Rea
That was a lovely hospital those days my aunt use to work there
Pam Finch
what a lot of memories from looking at this photo..
Trish Hutana
Gosh remember it well in later years
Edited
June Williams
Had a couple of operations there. Was in Mandl ward.
Maureen Bedford
Worked there for a while.
BrianJoyce Hassan
spent about 7 months there between 1968 and 1969 great staff
Elizabeth Watson
oh look nurses on the ward.
David Howe
Remember how the nurses shoes squeaked when they walked on the polished lino? Any hospital.
Kathy Mintrom
worked there
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West Coast New Zealand History (8th Nov 2023). Westland Hospital, Hokitika. ca.1940.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 22:19, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/16854