Nurses' Memorial Chapel

Last updated

Nurses' Memorial Chapel
Nurses Memorial Chapel 47.jpg
The Nurses Memorial Chapel following the February 2011 earthquake
Nurses' Memorial Chapel
43°32′03″S172°37′27″E / 43.53419°S 172.62429°E / -43.53419; 172.62429
Location Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch
CountryNew Zealand
Denomination interdenominational
Website cnmc.org.nz
History
Statusclosed due to damage sustained in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
Designated20 July 1989 [1]
Reference no. 1851

The Nurses' Memorial Chapel at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, is registered as a Category I heritage building. The chapel is significant as New Zealand's first hospital chapel, and as the country's only World War I memorial solely dedicated to women, [1] and is worldwide the only hospital chapel dedicated to nurses who died in World War I. [2]

Contents

History

The foundation stone shows the name of the Duchess of York, but her husband stood in for her as she was ill that day Nurses Memorial Chapel 39.jpg
The foundation stone shows the name of the Duchess of York, but her husband stood in for her as she was ill that day

Sibylla Maude and Mabel Thurston, both former matrons of Christchurch Hospital, first thought of a chapel at the hospital. [3] Rose Muir, the matron from 1919 to 1936, wrote to the hospital board in July 1924 reiterating the need for a chapel. This request was approved in principle in January 1925. [4] The hospital board provided the land and paid for the foundation and the basement, and was in turn granted the use of the basement. The Ministry of Health did not permit the hospital board to fund any other part of the building, and the government did not provide any of the funds either, but suggested that the public should fund the chapel. [4] A fundraising campaign commenced in November 1925. [1]

The foundation stone was laid on 15 March 1927 by the Duke of York. The foundation stone shows the name of the Duchess of York, but she was ill on the day and her husband stood in for her. [4] [3] The chapel was built during 1927 to a design by John Goddard Collins (1886–1965) of Collins and Harman, who offered his time free of charge. [1]

The first service was held on Christmas Day of 1927. [1] The chapel is dedicated to nurses who died during World War I, and to nurses who died during the 1918 flu pandemic. Three Christchurch nurses—Nona Hildyard, Margaret Rogers and Lorna Rattray—died when the troopship SS Marquette was sunk in 1915 by a German submarine. Two Christchurch nurses—Grace Beswick and Hilda Hooker—died during the flu pandemic. [1]

Threats of demolition

In the mid-1970s, the hospital board proposed to demolish the chapel to make way for additional operating theatres. This was met with strong opposition, and the hospital board found a solution that left the chapel in place. The next threat of demolition occurred in the 1980s and was again met with strong opposition, with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust issuing a protection notice in August 1989. Subsequently, the hospital board leased the building to Christchurch City Council, and it is administered by a trust and cared for by a group that calls itself 'Friends of the Chapel'. [1]

Earthquakes

The chapel was closed after 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake had damaged the building. It suffered additional damage in subsequent earthquakes. In October 2011, the Canterbury District Health Board announced that the chapel would be repaired, after demolition had been considered. [5] Work to restore the chapel began in September 2017 and despite some unforeseen setbacks, was completed to schedule in August 2018. [6] It was re-opened by the Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy on 27 October 2018. [7]

Architecture

Collins chose the Arts and Crafts architectural style for the building, with the walls made of exposed brick inside and out, and timberwork on the inside. [1] The timber includes Oregon panelling, and blackwood and oak parquet floor. There are carvings in the sanctuary by Frederick Gurnsey and Jack Vivian. In the early 1990s, a porch was added to the chapel. [8]

Stained glass windows

Name of windowDesignerDedicated toUnveiling
The Angel of Charity and a Waif Veronica Whall Mary Ewart, first qualified nurse at Christchurch Hospital; Matron, 1898–1908Bishop West Watson, 1933
Faith and a Sick ChildVeronica Whall Sybilla Maude (Nurse Maude), founder of the Nurse Maude AssociationArchbishop Julius, 1936
Christ and ChildrenVeronica Whall Annie Pattrick, wartime nurse and supporter of the early Plunket Society Chaplain Henry Williams, 1939
The Angel of HopeVeronica WhallPioneer nursesBishop Warren, 1953
The Conversion of St Paul Francis Spear Mabel Thurston, wartime nurse and Matron of Christchurch Hospital 1908–1916Bishop Warren, 1964
St Agatha Francis SpearMary Christmas, Marquette survivor and first nursing tutor at the Christchurch Preliminary School of NursingMarquette survivors Jean Erwin and Emily Hodges,1968 [9]
St. Faith Francis SpearRose Muir, Matron of Christchurch Hospital 1916 – 1936Grace Widdowson, 1971
Lamb of God & The Dove of PeaceGifted from the former St. Mary's Church, Merivale
Poppy's RemembranceSuzanne JohnsonPoppy Blaythwayt, home sister at Christchurch Hospital Nurses' Home, 1950s and 1960s2000
Nurses' Memorial WindowStephen Belanger-TaylorFirst and Second World War nurses

Heritage registration

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust registered the building with registration number 1851 on 20 July 1989. The chapel is significant as New Zealand's first hospital chapel, and as the country's only World War I memorial solely dedicated to women, [1] and is worldwide the only hospital chapel dedicated to nurses who died in World War I. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Hospital, New Zealand</span> Hospital in Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington Hospital, also known as Wellington Regional Hospital, is the main hospital in Wellington, New Zealand, located south of the city centre in the suburb of Newtown. It is the main hospital run by Te Whatu Ora, Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex Hospital</span> Hospital in London, England

Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally closed in 2005. Its staff and services were transferred to various sites within the University College London Hospitals NHS Trust. The Middlesex Hospital Medical School, with a history dating back to 1746, merged with the medical school of University College London in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Hospital</span> Hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch Hospital is the largest tertiary hospital in the South Island of New Zealand. The public hospital is in the centre of Christchurch city, on the edge of Hagley Park, and serves the wider Canterbury region. The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) operates the hospital with funding from the government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham Street Methodist Church</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

The Durham Street Methodist Church was a former heritage-listed Methodist church located in Christchurch, New Zealand. Built in 1864 in the Gothic Revival style, it was, prior to its destruction, the earliest stone church constructed in the Canterbury region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Avonside</span> Church in Christchurch, New Zealand

Holy Trinity Avonside was a heritage-listed Anglican church located in Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand. It was registered as a "Historic Place – Category I" by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The church building was "damaged beyond the point of repair" in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was demolished the following September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Trethewey</span> New Zealand sculptor

William Thomas Trethewey was a sculptor and monumental mason from Christchurch, New Zealand. His best known work is the Citizens' War Memorial in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, where the city's annual Anzac Day service is held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armson, Collins and Harman</span>

Armson, Collins and Harman was an architectural firm in New Zealand. It was founded by William Barnett Armson (1832/3–1883), and after his death, became the practice of two architects who articled with him, John James Collins (1855–1933) and Richard Dacre Harman (1859–1927).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaview Asylum</span> Hospital in South Island, New Zealand

The Seaview Asylum was a psychiatric hospital located to the north of Hokitika, in the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island, adjacent to the former Westland Hospital. Open from 1872 to 2009, Seaview trained psychiatric nurses and was once the town's biggest employer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil Wood (architect)</span> New Zealand architect (1878–1947)

Cecil Walter Wood was a New Zealand architect. He was the dominant architect in Canterbury during the interwar period.

Mabel Thurston, was a notable New Zealand nurse, hospital matron and army nursing administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nurse Maude</span> Hospital matron, district nurse, social worker (1862–1935)

Sibylla Emily Maude, known as Nurse Maude, was the founder of district nursing in New Zealand. She was loved for her selfless work for the poor, walking many miles each day in every kind of weather to treat those who could afford no medical help.

Hanorah Philomena FitzGibbon MBE was a New Zealand civilian and military nurse, hospital matron and nursing administrator.

Eileen Marjorie Fosbery Chambers was a New Zealand nurse, hospital matron, nursing tutor and administrator. She was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 29 May 1906.

SS <i>Marquette</i> (1897) Ship

SS Marquette was a British troopship of 7,057 tons which was torpedoed and sunk in the Aegean Sea 36 nautical miles (67 km) south of Salonica, Greece on 23 October 1915 by SM U-35, with the loss of 167 lives.

Edith Mary Rudd was a New Zealand civilian and military nurse. She served in both World War I and World War II, and received the Florence Nightingale Medal from the Red Cross in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Isdell</span> New Zealand nurse (1888–1915)

Helena Kathleen Isdell was a New Zealand nurse who served in the First World War and died in the sinking of SS Marquette in 1915.

Muriel Grace Widdowson was a New Zealand nurse. She was the superintendent of various hospitals in North Canterbury from 1935 until her retirement in 1952. A year before her retirement, Widdowson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire at the 1951 New Year Honours,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mary Hospital (Hanmer Springs)</span> Former Hospital in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand

Queen Mary Hospital, in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand is a former residential alcohol and drug treatment hospital. It opened in 1916 to treat returned servicemen from World War I, on the site of a sanatorium built in 1879. From the 1920s to 1960s it treated mental health conditions generally but in the 1970s it became the national specialist addiction and alcohol treatment centre. The hospital closed in November 2003. The Queen Mary Hospital (Former) and Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve Historic Area was designated as a historic site by Heritage New Zealand in 2004. Within that area three buildings, the Soldiers' Block, Nurses' Home and Chisholm Block, were given Category I protection by Heritage New Zealand in 2005.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Nurses' Memorial Chapel". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand . Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Welcome to the Christchurch Nurses Memorial Chapel". Friends of the Chapel. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Nurses' Chapel". The Press . Vol. LXIII, no. 18951. 16 March 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Construction". Friends of the Chapel. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. Stylianou, Georgina (14 October 2011). "Historic chapel saved from wreckers". The Press . Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  6. "Work begins on restoring Nurses' Memorial Chapel". Newsline. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  7. "Re-opening of the Nurses Memorial Chapel". gg.govt.nz. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  8. Blundell, Sally (26 August 2012). "Chapel holds special place for nurses". The Press . Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  9. Latham, Iris. "Jean Neill Erwin". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 July 2016.