The Timaru Hospital Chapel
The Golden Ash tree, now 53 years old, with the Hospital Chapel in the
background and the entrance to the left.
The Hospital Chapel, Timaru Hospital, Queen Street, located between the Clinical Services Block and the Gardens Block, is open 24 hours for anyone to use. O. MacDonald was the architect. The chapel has a lovely pair of stained glass windows designed by Kenneth Burton and executed by Roy Miller at his Miller Studios, Dunedin. Both windows are approximately 9ft by 3ft. The first window was donated by the Timaru Rotary Club, at a cost of $1000.
Christ welcoming all who labours.
Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and
I will give you rest.
The Risen Christ and the Nurse.
Go ye forth ever mindful of the sick and the suffering.This window with the New Zealand Registered Nurses medal was donated by former nurses and nursing staff in 1968 and installed in1969. Ms. Mildred Marsh was the matron of nursing at the time the windows were proposed and she okayed the detail of the uniforms. At Timaru only the sisters (charge nurses) wore a white veil. A student nurse wore a white nurses cap with either no stripes or one, two, three or four blue stripes according to year of training, a white heavily starch apron with a starched black and white pinstriped or blue uniform that came to about two inches below the knees with short sleeves with black stockings and black shoes. Staff nurses wore a blue uniform (same colour blue as the nurse with the red cape) with short sleeves with a white collar and a cap with stripes. Each nurse was issued a beautiful woollen red cape. The uniforms were washed and starched at the hospital laundry out the back towards the gardens. At Christmas time, on a designated evening, the majority of the nurses, dressed in uniform and cape, carrying a candlestick holder and lighted candle, walked the corridors and stairs singing the traditional Christmas carols led by the hospital Chaplain and "Sisters".
Plaque: Relocated from
the main entrance
Nurses Old Home
before demolition
1920-1997.
Timaru Reg. Nurses.
This oak seat is from the old Nurses Home and has been placed in the hospital chapel.
"I remember it so well. Many of us sat there waiting to be picked up on a Saturday night!!"
Photos courtesy of Margaret Todd, EN., 25 Jan. 2008.All the staff had to walk pass the chapel to go on and off duty and to the restaurant that was locate in the old nurses home. When I was a nurse at the hospital, 1976-1982, the chapel was located in between the tunnel leading to the old nurses home and the covered walkway leading over to Jean Todd, the maternity wing, and at the beginning of the main corridor towards the hospital leading near the entrance to Ward Six the psychiatry ward with Sister Hamilton was in charge. Rev. Ken Davy and later Doug Boyd were the hospital chaplain. Only of the nurses from my class got married in the chapel. Today, 2007, the the nurses homes and Jean Todd have been torn down but the chapel remains in its original location. OB., NZRN, South Canterbury School of Nursing.
