TE KOPURU HOSPITAL
 Te Kopuru Hospital 1903, porters room is in the top of the tower to the right ©Dargaville and District Museum |
In 1899 a Hobson County Council meeting chaired by John Stallworthy was held to discuss the establishment of a hospital in the area, offers of land were made by Mr. FJ Dargaville and Mr. AE Harding, the formers offer was in Dargaville the latter in the Mt Wesley area.
Mr. Harding’s valued the land at £250 and stated that if his offer was not accepted he would give £100 for a hospital on any other site selected by the council. Neither offer was accepted.
In the following year a public meeting was held at Aratapu to consider the question of a hospital site. Residents of the lower part of the Pouto peninsular agreed to the establishment of a hospital at Mt Wesley but would not support one constructed any further away.
The council accepted the Mt Wesley site, however a later council decided against it Mr. Harding offered a new site at Mangawhare but again the council took no further action.
The Timber Workers Union eventually decided to take up the matter, establishing a hospital on the lines of a similar one working at Mercury Bay.
Mr. Wordsworth of Te Kopuru was approached and consented to give the land upon which the hospital now stands, the county clerk valued it at £120 this was accepted by Mr. Wordsworth and on payment being made he donated the whole sum to the hospital.
The incorporation of the Hospital Board was approved in late 1901, the first trustees elected were J Stallworthy, H Hammond, M Harding, T Webb, L Nisbett, and FW Phillips. Mr. Philips was appointed secretary and Mr. Stallworthy to the chair.
The first meeting of contributors was held at Aratapu in January 1902 there were 40 subscribers present and Mr. Stallworthy was appointed to the chair.
Old Mens Home 1921
With the contributions collected they had £750 towards construction. Later in that year the Hon. Sir Joseph Ward MP. - at that time being the Post Master General in Seddons government - visited the district and in response to a deputation at a well attended meeting in Aratapu, he promised a grant of £1000 towards the hospital’s establishment.
The trustees subsequently collected a further £1200 from the residents the North Auckland Charitable Aid Board contributed £ 260 the trustees now had £3660 to work with.
Mr. H Hammond drew up the plans he being the County Engineer, the foundation stone was laid by the Chairman Mr. J Stallworthy on 11th April 1903 and Mr. Heron was the successful tender which included the doctors residents completed in 1903 the total construction price amounted to £3628. The opening took place on the 21st November of the same year.
Governor General Lord & Lady Bledisloe during a visit to the hospital in May 1931,Lady Bledisloe facing the camera. On the extreme right is Dr G Marshal, Lord Bledisloe is possibly talking to Mr W Simpkins both of whom were members of the Kaipara Hospital Board at this time
With the coming into force of the Hospital and Charitable Aid act of 1908 the hospital ceased to exist as the Northern Wairoa Hospital and it came under the control of the Marsden Kaipara Hospital Board. This arrangement proved to be unsatisfactory and a move was made to secure more local control.
In 1913 an amending act was passed and the Kaipara Hospital and Charity Aid District board came into being, this was a combination of the Hobson and Otamatea counties and the Dargaville borough, these three groups later to become what is now the Kaipara District Council.
The main entrance from Norton Street as it is today
One of the distinguishing features of the hospital was it's flag pole, this was situated in a prominent place over looking the river and the approach to Te Kopuru hill. After World War 1 a memorial to those of the district who failed to return was erected and regular commemorations where held there every ANZAC day, these were always well attended. However over the yearss these seem to have been replaced by parades held at Te Kopuru School, but over the last few years, the flagpole and memorial have been tidied up and a civic service has been held there on ANZAC Day for the last 3 or 4 years.
