BOPDHB History Whakatāne Hospital History Book | Page 55

Porters’ Quarters, built pre-1923
The old Porters’ Quarters located to the extreme south of the Hospital site and to the east of the
Laundry (see 1971 photograph at back) was originally the Nurses’ Quarters at the Māori Mission
Hospital and was moved to the Whakatāne Hospital site at around the time it opened. In later years
this became the staff social centre until it’s demolition in the 1990s

Medical Superintendent’s house, built in 1939, removed 1994
In June 1936 the Board discussed the construction of the Medical Superintendent’s residence on a site
‘facing Stewart Street immediately to the West of the Maternity Annex.’ However, due to other more
pressing demands for the limited amount of money available, this project and others were deferred
in favour of a new Laundry Building. In the 1937/38 capital works budget, the Superintendent’s
residence was allocated £1,200 together with £1,400 for an extension to the Men’s Ward, £1,700 for
further additions to the Nurses’ Home, £140 for a short wave generator and £100 for a refrigeration
unit and two lavatories.
The two-storey residence, just beyond the nurses’ two fenced tennis courts, was eventually built
in 1939 but by that time a decision had been made to put the building towards the back of the
Hospital site with an entrance off Garaway Street. Negotiations for this ‘back access to the Hospital’
with the land owner Allan Stewart had started as early as September 1937. For 55 years the house,
affectionately known as ‘the Dolls House’ was used by successive Medical Superintendents. In early
May 1994 the house was sold and trucked in sections to its new site in Hamilton. Earlier, the tennis
courts had been acquired to provide additional public parking spaces and the house site was quickly
converted into a helicopter landing pad which was still in use in 2011. The 2011 re-development plan
will see the ‘heli-pad’ moved to a new location close to the parking area to the south-west corner of
the hospital site.

Medical Superintendent’s house built close to Garaway Street with the 1957 Nurses’ Home
on the right. Photo: Bay of Plenty District Health Board Archive

Later, in 1955, a second residence was built to the south and slightly to the west of the Medical
Superintendent’s house. This provided accommodation for a Medical Resident until November 1992
when it began to be used by Te Koingo Whaturei - the Community Mental Health Services.

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