THE Wilson Home A Celebration of 75 years
1937-2012
Patricia Jones
A thousand times I’ve stared at that view, The summerhouse roof, shade gardens, vines lush-green and tropical. Beyond, the provoker of dreams, the sea, with Rangitoto rising from this, ever-changing foundation. E. Kiff
THE Wilson Home A Celebration of 75 years 1937-2012
Patricia Jones
Published by The Wilson Home Trust Private Bag 93517 Takapuna Auckland 0740 www.wilsonhometrust.org.nz This book is copyright. Except for the purposes of fair reviewing, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Infringers of copyright render themselves liable to prosecution. Š The Wilson Home Trust ISBN 978-0-473-29061-0 First published 2012 Second edition 2014 (online version) Conceived by Russell Vickery Compiled by Patricia Jones Edited by Diana Harris Designed by The Design Co-op Printed by Benefitz
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
8
THE WILSON FAMILY
10
TIMELINE
14
1937–1960: THE POLIO YEARS
17
1961–1981: YEARS OF CHANGE
65
1981-2000: RESPITE AND REHABILITATION
77
2001-2012: THE WILSON HOME TODAY
85
CONCLUSION: THE PAST AND THE FUTURE
93
GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
94
The Wilson Home Trust Opening of the Wilson Home Evacuation – World War II The children speak The doctors The matrons The nurses The gardener Scouts and Guides Celebrations and celebrities
The Chapel Ronald Caughey Assessment and Treatment Centre
Wilson School
18 19 21 22 48 50 53 57 58 60 70 72
90
Introduction This book captures some of the stories, people and events of the 75 eventful years since the Trust’s inception. It cannot record every aspect of those years, but I hope it will inspire curiosity and further investigation. The Wilson Home Trust was established in 1937 when Mr and Mrs W. R. Wilson gifted their family home and 13 acres of magnificent coastal gardens at Takapuna for the express benefit of children with disabilities. Two years earlier the Wilsons had been inspired by an address from noted physician Dr Bernard Myers about the new trends in treating children with polio and other crippling conditions. Myers identified the ideal situation as being a ‘garden hospital’ - and the seed was sown. For many years children lived at the Wilson Home while receiving treatment and schooling. By the 1990s, attitudes towards the care of children with disabilities had changed and greater value was placed on children living in their own home, attending their local school, and participating in their own community. Reflecting this trend, The Wilson Home Trust became active in facilitating a wide range of educational, social and health services across the Auckland region and beyond. In 2009, the Trust moved its administration into a lovingly-restored, 19th-century cottage on the Belmont site. The cottage also provides a venue for community activities and a welcoming environment for people with disabilities and their family members. The Wilson Home site has been renamed the ‘Wilson Centre’. Waitemata District Health Board provides rehabilitation, respite and outpatient clinic services for children with disabilities. The Ministry of Education runs the Wilson School for children with special needs on leased land on the site. The Trust itself also offers a range of activities and support to children with a disability, and to their families. A significant portion of the work is achieved by coordinators liaising directly with families to identify opportunities where the Trust can assist them and their children. Waitemata District Health Board as Trustee and the Committee of Management are both committed to the maintenance and improvement of facilities and spaces for children with physical disabilities, and their families. The Committee of Management is only too aware of the magnificence of the site, and of the interest of the wider community in ensuring it is always utilised as it was originally intended. In support of this the Trust continues to seek suggestions from parents, caregivers and other concerned individuals and organisations about how the Trust can best assist the children, their families and caregivers. Russell Ness, Director
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THE WILSON FAMILY
WILLIAM ROBERT WILSON 1872 – 1952
‘Willy’ was born in Auckland, the eldest son of Scottish immigrants. His grandfather W.C Wilson founded the New Zealand Herald in 1863. In 1897 he married Miss Lucinda Best; they had four children and lived permanently at their home, St Leonards, in Lake Road, Takapuna. He is described by his family as a kindly, modest, unassuming man who refused a knighthood. William Wilson had a 61-year association with Wilson & Horton, the publisher of the New Zealand Herald and the Weekly News. He retired as chairman of the board in 1947 and as a senior director in 1949. He was also a director of South British Insurance and the New Zealand Guardian Trust, and was president of the Auckland branch of the Crippled Children’s Society. He was a gifted yachtsman for over 50 years, owning and racing several yachts of renown including Queenie, Moana I and II and Ariki – this last being the champion yacht of its time. William Wilson was a skilled amateur carpenter and an enthusiastic gardener; he designed the rose gardens and fernery, and built the ornamental pond himself.
LUCINDA HENRIETTA WILSON 1874–1945 Mrs Wilson was born Lucinda Henrietta Best in Dublin, Ireland, the daughter of a Wesleyan minister. She became widely known for her philanthropy and her untiring work in the interests of women and children. She founded the Girl Guide Movement in New Zealand in the 1920s and was its chief commissioner for 12 years. With Bertha Wilson she gave ‘Otimai’, the training home in the Waitakeres, to the movement. Lucinda also founded the Lyceum Club (a women’s social and charitable organisation), and was its first president. She was president of the Down Town Club, which did notable work during the war; and she was recognised for her work for the Red Cross Society and the Order of St John. Her interest in child welfare was shown by the enthusiastic aid she gave to the Door of Hope Home and her work for British evacuee children. In 1935 Lucinda Wilson was included in the King’s Birthday Honours, receiving the award of OBE.
How fortunate we have always been, here in New Zealand, in the great generosity of our leading citizens, who so well consider the needs of the community. Archdeacon of Auckland, 1936
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In 1935 Mr and Mrs Wilson were inspired by an address from the noted physician Dr Bernard Myers, who identified the ideal situation to treat children with polio and disabilities as a ‘garden hospital’. In March 1935 the Wilsons offered to donate their home for the care of crippled children, as they were known then. St Leonards carried with it an endowment of £10,000 from the Wilson family, and a similar endowment from Lord Nuffield (the founder of Morris Motors in the UK, and a great philanthropist). In 1936 the Auckland Branch of the Crippled Children’s Society considered that it should not take responsibility until the endowment funds reached £25,000. A fundraising campaign was undertaken which succeeded in collecting the required funds by 1937. The Wilson Home Charitable Trust was established in 1937 when Mr and Mrs W. R. Wilson gifted their family home, and 13 acres of magnificent coastal gardens at Takapuna, for the express benefit of children with disabilities, and others who had received surgical treatment at the Auckland Hospital. They endowed a further £10,200 towards its maintenance. Further donations followed. Thus the Home was able to become a place of convalescence and therapeutic rehabilitation for children.
‘St Leonards’ is a home, rich in all that is implied by one of the most magnificent words in the language. To relinquish its intimate personal associations, formed by many years of happy family life, and to walk out, as distinct from merely bequeathing the place at their death – this represents a sacrifice that can hardly be measured in terms of money, and the decision to make it cannot be lightly taken. Observer, 14 March 1935
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TIMELINE 1935
March 1935 15 April 1937 27 August 1935
Mr and Mrs W.R. Wilson gifted their family home of 28 years for the express benefit of children with disabilities. An endowment fund was established, Lord Nuffield and the Wilsons contributing £10,000 each. William Wilson signed a deed placing St Leonards home under the control of the Auckland Hospital Board. Wilson Home for Crippled Children opened; 25 children transferred from Auckland Hospital; Miss Faulconbridge was appointed first matron
28 August 1937
Official opening of the Wilson Home
September 1939
School classes run by Department of Education commenced
1941–1943
Precautionary evacuation of children from the Wilson Home
1948-1950
Bruce McLaren admitted to the Wilson Home for treatment
1951
16 •
Mrs Lucinda Wilson awarded the OBE for her charitable work
Accommodation built for the matron and her assistant. Bertha Wilson donated £5,000.
1956
Salk and Sabin polio vaccine arrived in NZ; mass immunisation programmes began; polio virtually eliminated.
1983-1984
1960s
Antibiotics changed management of osteomyelitis; anti-tuberculosis drugs largely eliminated tuberculosis of bones and joints.
1987
1960
Retirement of Miss Falconbridge; succeeded by Miss Cooper
1962
25th Jubilee; 15,000 children had been patients of the Wilson Home.
1964-1966
Non-denominational Chapel of St Leonard built to celebrate 25th Jubilee; in 2008 the chapel won the Auckland and National ‘Enduring Architecture Award’.
1966
Nurses' accommodation added
1970s
Recreation Hall opened
Late 1970s onwards 1977 1978-1983
Change in the function of the home from primarily inpatients to outpatients. Ronald Caughey Assessment and Treatment Centre opened; facilities included outpatient clinics, therapy gyms and a hydrotherapy pool. Eastern Bays Hostel established to provide a less institutionalised environment and care for up to 12 children.
Six Villas were constructed assisted by a Telethon grant. These provided temporary homes for children receiving Respite Care.
2009
The historic cottage on the corner of Lake Road and St Leonards Road was resited, restored and the Trust administration moved in.
2010
The Wilson Home Trust administration moved into the restored historic cottage.
2011
Three purpose-designed family accommodation units completed and opened in July 2011
50th Jubilee
1987
Children and young adults transferred from Mangere Hospital. In 1997 they were discharged into Community homes.
1993 -2011
Wilson home services decentralised. Support services increased to assist families care for severely disabled children at home.
1997
‘Radical Respite’ service established to care for ambulant children and young adults suffering from severe epilepsy.
1999
Major re-write of the Trust Deed. Authorities favoured children staying in their own homes, involving family, and social agencies, attending local schools and participating fully in the community, rather than institutionalising children for long periods. A portion of the site was leased to the Ministry of Education to build a school for children with disabilities.
2000
NZ declared polio free
2008
The new Wilson School building was opened and won an architectural award.
2008
The chapel won both the Auckland and National ‘Enduring Architecture Award’.
Today
Unique collaboration between Waitemata District Health Board, the Wilson Home Trust and the Ministry of Education. Jointly they provide purpose built facilities and support services for children with disabilities and their families.
• 17
1937–1960: THE POLIO YEARS
The Wilson Home was opened in the days before free hospital services. Until the widespread use of the Salk vaccine in the 1960s, epidemics of poliomyelitis swept throughout New Zealand at regular intervals. Each epidemic left behind hundreds of people, many of them young, with permanent disabilities. By 1935 there were approximately 5000 children with disabilities in the country, the majority of them with polio (also known as infantile paralysis) or its after-effects. The other major causes of disability were tuberculosis of the bones and joints, or accidents. The future for young people with disabilities was bleak. Day-to-day life offered few opportunities, school was only possible if one could physically get there, surgical and medical treatment were expensive, and there was little chance for friendship or fun beyond that provided by the family. There were polio epidemics in 1936-37, and 1947-48, 1952-53 and 1955-56. The last outbreak was in 1961, with smaller outbreaks in between. During this period the Wilson Home cared for children who had contracted polio, and for those who required convalescence and therapeutic rehabilitation for conditions such as osteomyelitis, tuberculosis of the joints, Perthes disease, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, club feet and burns.
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THE WILSON HOME TRUST
The Wilson Home Trust Deed authorises the Trust to provide a range of services to children with disabilities. The original deed, dated 20 July 1937, settled two parcels of land at Takapuna and £28,843 4s 5d (of which £10,200 for the maintenance of the grounds) upon the Auckland Hospital Board ‘to establish and maintain a recovery hospital where convalescent and post-operative care would be provided for the benefit of crippled children in the province of Auckland’. The definition of a ‘crippled child’, as laid down in the Trust Deed under which the Board operates, was as follows:
OPENING OF THE WILSON HOME
‘A crippled child is a person under 21 years of age who, not being mentally defective, has a defect which causes or leads to deformity or interferes with normal functioning of the bones, muscles or joints. The defective condition may be congenital or acquired but does not include defects of the vital organs.' If there were unoccupied beds in the Home not required for the above, the Board could receive non-crippled convalescent children, but no pulmonarytuberculosis or other infectious case could be admitted. The Board was to appoint a committee to administer the Wilson Home; this committee to consist of members from the Hospital Board and the Crippled Children’s Society.
The opening ceremony was held overlooking Rangitoto Channel and the back lawn was crowded with people. AUCKLAND
HAMILTON TAUPO GISBORNE NEW PLYMOUTH
In 1999 a major re-write of the Trust Deed was undertaken to reorganise services so that children with disabilities could receive support to stay in their own homes, rather than being institutionalised for long periods. Monica Perkins (now Sefton) of Gisborne, the first child to enter the Wilson Home, is shown arriving. Auckland Branch Annual Report 1937/1938, CCS Auckland
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EVACUATION – WORLD WAR II
Twenty five crippled but happy and excited children left Auckland Hospital in ambulances and motorcars yesterday morning for the Wilson Home. All the children are victims of infantile paralysis, and have been under treatment for months in the Auckland Hospital. Ages range from 5 to 16 – from as far as Gisborne to Kaitaia. Their small belongings were brought across in pillowcases. The ravages of the disease were all too plain in stiffly bandaged arms, while a number of children lay in bed on wooden frames. The staff consists of Sister T.R. Faulconbridge, Matron, two trained nurses, six nurse attendants, four masseuses, two masseuse aids, six domestics and one porter along with visiting doctors. A large room has been fitted up with ‘plinths’ or special couches, and special radiant heat apparatus. The children receive two hours’ treatment morning and afternoon.
This day was one which might well be marked with a white stone in the history of the welfare of the crippled child in New Zealand, because it had brought to those of them who lived in the Auckland Province the dawn of a new era of hope and health and the means of entering a fuller and more useful life.
Jean Benson (nèe Frith) and friend outside Onehunga Intermediate, 1942
NZ Herald, 30 August, 1937
Children outside Onehunga Intermediate, 1942
NZ Herald, 25 August, 1937
Miss Faulconbridge remembers in 1972: The Home had barely started, when the Second World War brought its many problems, chief of which for the Wilson Home was the complete evacuation on the night of 12 December, 1941 – five days after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese – not only of the children but of the entire contents of the house as well. We had about 70 children. Some were able to go to their own homes, but the rest we took by ambulances through the total blackout to a hastilyfound smallish home in Papatoetoe. With the aid of large tents we managed and the children loved it. After three months there was a further move – to Onehunga where we lived in the glossy new classrooms of the unfinished intermediate school. It was a year before the children – their numbers now increased to 80 – could be returned to the Wilson Home.
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THE CHILDREN SPEAK Bev Barnes was a polio victim who went to the Wilson Home in 1949, aged 9. She describes her experience: One day a room-mate in the children’s ward at Auckland Hospital announced her departure to a place called ‘Wilson Home’. She knew others who had gone before and had heard it was a great place where everyone got dressed every day and spent most of the day out in the sun. The Wilson Home was situated on a clifftop overlooking Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf. Surrounded by spacious grounds and beautiful pohutukawa trees, it was perfect for the outdoor living that was so important to the convalescence of its children. The wards and a long solarium looked directly out to the Gulf and the passing shipping was a great source of interest. Below the cliff was the Home’s private beach, but only the most mobile were able to negotiate the bush walks and steep staircase that gave access to it. The building itself remained much as it was when donated by the Wilson family, to be used as a home for the crippled children of Auckland. Only a ‘bath-house’ and a massage department had at that time been added. Six large rooms had been converted to wards merely by the addition of beds, cots and story-book illustrations which lined the walls. Large ramps gave access to the grounds where flower gardens and lawns were beautifully maintained by full-time gardeners. A mini market-garden supplied most of the Home’s vegetables. The original summer houses, tennis court, fountain and walk-in dolls’ house still remained, maintaining the air of a gracious home rather than an institution. The Home was in the charge of the matron, Miss Faulconbridge, who, with just three trained nursing sisters and numerous nurse-aids, maintained our daily nursing care. Three qualified physios staffed the massage department, aided by a constant stream of students who spent a month with us as part of their training. With the large number of polio children at the time, the department was at full stretch but the rate of recovery was testimony to their hard work.
24 •
My first memories of the Wilson Home are of being lifted from the ambulance and placed in a large ‘pram’ or spinal chair, then being propelled along a never-ending corridor lined with small boys in similar ‘prams’. Finally I emerged into the solarium where the girls were assembled for their evening meal. Later we were wheeled into the building for the night. Although the Home catered for children with all disabilities, polio patients requiring ongoing treatment and convalescence had become the largest group. Every nook and cranny was adapted to accommodate children of all ages, from a few months to the upper limit, at that time, of 13 years. The large front entrance was fitted with canvas blinds to sleep babies in cots; the solarium had an area covered by an awning where children on spinal chairs slept, weather permitting. Every corridor was lined with more spinal chairs and the massage department was condensed at night to sleep 10 little boys – one of whom was my future husband. The bath-house, which contained three large concrete baths and a swimming pool, was used for ablutions and therapy. This area was also adapted in wet weather as a dining area by placing trestle tables and stools between the baths. Babies in highchairs sat on one side while mobile children sat at the makeshift tables. The serving table was a tabletop placed across one of the lower baths. Despite this obvious overcrowding, I quickly settled into this new ‘home away from home’. Everyone was wakened at 6 am for breakfast. Bath days for boys and girls alternated and this was ‘girls'’ day. Into one of the big baths I went with several others; I was got out to be dressed in Wilson Home clothing several sizes too large. I loved the freedom of the outdoors after my months in a hospital ward. My treatment continued with daily exercises, slings and a swim in the pool, and before long I had learned to swim the length of the pool. Schooling was well catered for with four permanent teachers. This of course was held outdoors whenever possible, from 9 am to 2.30 pm, and interrupted only for meals or treatment. Each child worked at his or her own pace and level from textbooks supervised by the teachers. Emphasis was placed on reading, English and arithmetic and the standard of these core subjects was found to be very high when children returned to normal schooling. Leisure activities were not forgotten and the definite favourite was movies every Wednesday night; the worst punishment you could receive was to be deprived of a night at the movies. The local community was also very supportive and services like the Fire Brigade and the Navy hosted parties and outings. By the mid 1950s conditions at Wilson Home had changed greatly from the overcrowded days of 1949. Most of the polio patients from the epidemic had been discharged and although a trickle of new ones still arrived, they were now, numerically, a minor disability. Some of those from my era returned briefly to recuperate from corrective surgery to feet and legs; problems that developed as a child grew. Other disabilities were admitted but only as beds became available. Most of the children were now accommodated in wards and the massage department had resumed its normal function.
• 25
Ronald Williams’ album There is a small, leather-covered album in the archives of the Takapuna Library. It was donated to the North Shore Libraries by Ann Brabant, great-granddaughter of William and Lucinda Wilson, from the Wilson family archives. The album portrays life in the Wilson Home in the 1940s and 50s, and was created by Ronald Williams in 1941 as a gift to Mrs Wilson. Ron won a competition for the cover design – ‘Endure to Conquer’, and later in life he became a commercial artist. Additional photos have been inserted in each section to complement the story he tells.
The Grounds This album, the crest and the motto are the original work of Ronald Williams, aged 15 years
Wilson Home for Crippled Children Both staff and children make the fullest possible use of the level grounds, which thanks to our two efficient groundsmen have looked very beautiful the whole year round.
To Mrs Wilson With love from The Children of the Wilson Home
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Lessons are given outside as no schoolrooms are provided at the Home. When the weather is wet, the wards are utilised for schoolwork. The Home is staffed by three schoolteachers provided by the Education Board, which is responsible for educational maintenance and equipment. A certain amount of kindergarten equipment is provided for the large number of children under five years. Miss M.A. Burton, Matron, North Shore Times, 18 May, 1949
Day School Of our 60 children nearly all are of school age. We have a number of teachers and the children are all making good progress with their studies. A number of the older children are taking advanced courses with the Correspondence School and are receiving excellent reports.
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Sunday School A small Sunday School was commenced this year to provide a simple form of instruction for the younger children. It has proved so successful that nearly all the children are regular attendants each Sunday morning.
Massage Department Approximately 50 children receive daily treatment in this department. Since August 1937, 300 children have passed through the Home. Phillip Ian Adamson
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Treatment
Edith Morris describes the care she required at the Wilson Home for polio: For me, and for most polio patients, the best therapies were warm water, gentle (or not so gentle) massage and physical exercise. How thankful I am for the care and kindness I received at the Wilson Home from 1946 to 1949. At the age of almost five I was discharged ready to face the outside world. Edith Morris, ‘We’re still here,’ Familycare Magazine, issue 13, 2009
Hydrotherapy and pool exercises and massage were my main treatments, and afterwards I would be laid out in the sun. Edith Morris
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Some conditions were treated with plaster casts, traction, callipers and bed rest.
As a six-year-old in 1938 I got scarlet fever and it affected my bones and I got multifunctional osteomyelitis. There were no antibiotics to deal with the open abscesses in my bones; they were just drained and some were packed with maggots. I was in a plaster cast from the chest down for about two years. When I came out of hospital I was sent to the Wilson Home for Crippled Children. I spent a lot of time away from my family, a lot of time having surgery. Jean Benson in ‘Life is for Living: 25 New Zealanders with disabilities tell their stories’, 2005, p. 25, Office of Disability Issues, Ministry of Social Development, P0 Box 1556, Wellington
Some of the children at the Wilson Home had contracted tuberculosis which affected their bones and joints. Their treatment included prolonged bedrest.
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Edith Morris describes the care she required at the Wilson Home for polio:
Paralysis, isolation, hospitalisation, years of rehabilitation, plaster casts, splints, hot blanket wraps, muscles being pulled and pounded, massages, water exercise, special shoes, braces, sticks and crutches were all part of our early lives to some extent. Edith Morris, ‘We’re still here,’ Familycare Magazine, issue 13, 2009
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Some children required frames, crutches or callipers to assist their walking.
I now spent most of the day on a spinal frame with my back held straight by my 'shell'. Exercises concentrated on retaining the strength in my leg muscles.
Whenever my plaster cast needed replacing I was taken from the Wilson Home by ambulance to the Pitt Street ambulance centre, where a change of ambulance took place to take me to Middlemore Hospital. On the return journey to the Wilson Home (by vehicular ferry) I was always happy to see Mr Brown driving the ambulance as he would often buy fish and chips in Devonport, park up a back street and share the treat with me. Alan Godfrey, ‘Sharing your memories’, Wilson Home website
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Fresh air and sunshine On fine days the children are out of doors from 8 am until 3 pm. Eighteen of the smaller children have slept outside all the year, and have shown marked improvement in their general health. Dr Henry Wilson’s gift of blinds has proved a great boon.
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Outdoor Life Dinner under the trees or the large lawn is a very popular weekend treat. The ornamental ponds are a very fascinating weekend playground also. The boys have fleets of boats and even a vehicular ferry!
The playhouse in 1937
Some General Views At school, at play, or even leaving on a trip to hospital, the children are unfailingly cheerful, and courteous and considerate both to one another and to members of the staff.
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The Beach Boxing Day Whenever 26 December arrives, particularly if I’ m not near the sea, I think with longing of 26 December, 1942, when Miss Faulconbridge took us down to St Leonards beach, and she and the other staff gave us a picnic. It was a day of pure happiness to me, and no other Boxing Day has surpassed its magic. At the time we were in quarantine because of diptheria.
A visit to the beach is naturally one of our most popular treats, especially if it includes a picnic lunch. On different occasions as many as 35 children have been taken down to the beach at one time. Their enjoyment has more than repaid our effort.
Erica Cowan, 16 November, 1987
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The wonderful summer of December 1942–March 1943. ‘I hope this summer will never end,’ I wrote in my diary. We used to go regularly to the beach when we came back to the Wilson Home after evacuation ended, in the last week of November, 1942. Sister Margaret Burton was in charge.
A wooden staircase leads almost vertically clown the cliff to a secluded corner of the beach. Children were carried or piggybacked down this perilous path.
Written by Erica Cowan on the back of the photo
February 1943: children gathered for a swim on the beach of St Leonards
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When the beds were made Miss Faulconbridge was very particular that the top blankets were rolled back to air the bed. Dawn Faulkner
The Wilson Home was opened during the Depression in the 1930s, and families were unable to supply clothes for their children. The Women’s Auxiliary was formed to assist Matron, the head teacher, and the children. Miss Faulconbridge asked them and the local community to procure bolts of material to make over 270 garments: pyjamas, nightgowns, boys’ shirts and trousers, schoolgirls’ gym frocks and blouses, baby clothes and napkins and underwear, as well as handknitted cardigans and pullovers.
When special guests or open days were held, all the children’s bedcovers were changed for the ‘best ones’. Faye Nilsson, née Wolfenden, nurse-aid 1953-4, in ‘Sharing your memories’, Wilson Home website
Janie Farquharson, Women’s Auxiliary, speaking at the 50th Jubilee
The wards The ward I found myself in was nothing like the one I had left at Auckland Hospital. It looked like a large lounge with a huge ornamental fireplace and bay windows, which was exactly what it had been in the Wilsons’ days. Now, however, every space was filled with beds and spinal chairs. There were 10 hospital beds, between which there were girls on frames in spinal chairs. At times as many as 17 girls occupied that one room; I learned later that around a 100 children were resident at the time. The Wilson boys' bedroom pre - 1937
48 •
Bev Barnes' story 1949
• 49
THE DOCTORS A medical superintendent administered the Home and there was a team of visiting consulting doctors and orthopaedic surgeons.
Lord Nuffield (left) visits the Wilson Home in 1945, accompanied by William Wilson, Sir Charles Norwood and Medical Superintendent Dr C.B. Bilherd.
NOTES FROM AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON
Supplied by the Wilson family
Polio epidemics occurred in New Zealand during the years 1948–49 and 1955–56. Middlemore Hospital opened in May 1947, and I spent three months there from July 1947 as an orthopaedic house surgeon and a further three months in 1948. In 1949 I was a junior orthopaedic registrar; there was close liaison with the Wilson Home and the senior orthopaedic consultants visited monthly. I returned to Middlemore after training in London in 1953 and often visited the Wilson Home with the consultants. After a further period overseas I returned to Middlemore as a consultant in 1957 and visited the Wilson Home monthly. The management of many orthopaedic conditions in children has changed markedly in recent years. In addition to the polio patients there were a wide variety of other conditions treated at the Wilson Home. Congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) was routinely treated by traction on a frame, often for several months. Perthes disease of the hip was treated similarly. In the early years penicillin was the only antibiotic available for the treatment of osteomyelitis and chronic infection was not uncommon. This often required long periods in hospital. Tuberculosis (TB) infection of the joints was treated by immobilising patients for long periods (sometimes a year) on a plaster bed if the spine was affected, or on an abduction frame with traction for the hip. Children undergoing staged surgery for club foot (CTEV) and cerebral palsy were commonly transferred between operations. My association with the Wilson Home continued until I retired from Middlemore in 1987. Ross Nicholson - Orthopaedic Surgeon
Earl R. Carlson was born in the US with athetoid cerebral palsy, but received an MD degree from Yale in 1931 and later established a cerebral palsy clinic at the Neurological Institute in the Presbyterian Medical Center, New York.
An American, Dr Carlson, visits New Zealand; Edith Graham is held by a masseuse, 1948.
In 1948, he visited New Zealand and wrote a very important report for the New Zealand Government about services to people with cerebral palsy. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Rotorua was altered to make it suitable for people with cerebral palsy, and the Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy in Epsom, Auckland, was named after him. Dr Carlson's life story, with his handicaps, strivings, and achievements, is especially valuable because he represented both patient and doctor, devoting effective effort to assisting others.
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THE MATRONS Miss Thelma Ruth Faulconbridge, OBE, 1905-1991 Matron of the Wilson Home for Crippled Children 1937-1960, Miss Faulconbridge was a general and midwifery-trained nurse. She completed her nursing training at Rotorua Hospital and became a Sister at both Te Kopuru (Northland) 1932 – 34, and Auckland Hospital 1934-37. She created a warm and loving atmosphere for the children in her care, and in the Honours List 1953 she was awarded the MBE in recognition of her services to children with disabilities. ‘Miss F’ will be remembered with affection by her friends and the many disabled children to whom she extended loving and devoted care throughout her years at the Wilson Home and later the Crippled Children’s Society.
Miss Faulconbridge and some of the staff shortly after arriving back at the Wilson Home after their evacuation to Onehunga Intermediate School, 1942
At the 25th Jubilee in 1962 Miss Faulconbridge, MBE, reminisced that her years as matron at the Wilson Home had been busy but rewarding ones. Fifteen thousand children passed through her hands between 1937 and 1960. North Shore Times, 5 May 1962
Miss E. Cooper, MBE Matron of the Wilson Home 1 June, 1960-9 January 1972 Trained in England and Scotland, Miss Cooper was appointed Sister at the Wilson Home in 1950, and assistant matron in 1955. After 21 years at the Wilson Home, the last 11 of them as matron, she felt that she had been privileged to have been so closely connected with the field of nursing which is her special love – the care of sick children. The family atmosphere encouraged by Miss Faulconbridge was developed by Miss Cooper, so that the Home was like a large home with children from 1 to 14 living in relaxed surroundings. An indication of the warmth and family feeling in the Home could be gauged by her office, which was well stocked with dolls and soft toys, a doll’s house, books and guitars.
Miss Cooper speaks in 1971 The emphasis of the home is on normality – fitting the child to cope despite having a disability. When you see a child’s health progressing and watch the progress until she or he is cured, you get a great thrill. The affection with which the home is remembered by those who were once living there is shown by the numbers who return, often bringing their wives or husbands and children with them. I could not say that any one person, or any department, is more important than any other. We all work together - nurses, doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, office and household staff – for the good of the children whose disabilities require special treatment.
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Miss Elaine Dow Matron of the Wilson Home 1 February 1972-26 June 1987 Trained at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Auckland, Miss Dow worked in Rotorua as a maternity nurse for Waikato Hospital Board for three years, and then in England for five years. She returned to New Zealand in 1968, when she worked as a field officer with the Rotorua Crippled Children’s Society. She says, ‘On the whole I have found that children adjust very well to their abnormalities as long as their abilities are magnified and not their disabilities.’
THE NURSES
Skilled and caring nurses became like family over the years. Edith Morris
Children were given a daily dose of malt and cod liver oil with a Vitamin C tablet attached. A nurse at the Home 1938-48 remembers in ‘Sharing your Memories’, Wilson Home website
Two reasons why nurses and hospital aids like working at the Wilson Home for Crippled Children are their love of children and their liking for a changed routine from that of ordinary hospital life. From Woman magazine, 26 February, 1951
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‘Do Not Feed the Children’ In the vestibule of the Home a notice reads: ‘Visitors are requested to refrain from feeding the children during visiting hours. Unnecessary digestive upsets occur each visiting day and unless visitors cooperate in this matter the Hospital Board will be asked to take action.’ When questioned why this seemingly harsh restriction was made, Miss Burton replied that the children were not entitled to indiscriminate feeding. Visitors, she said, stuffed them with a lot of rubbish and that had to be controlled. It was done, she considered, because visitors knew of no other way to treat the children. Such niceties were collected and distributed at a suitable time. In addition the children were well provided for by the Hospital Board, which supplies sweets and ice-creams on occasions. (Miss Burton was Acting Matron for Miss Faulconbridge, who was studying overseas.) North Shore Times, 18 May, 1949
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THE GARDENER
Occupational therapy Occupational therapy started in the early 1950s. The children were taught crafts and cane work.
Ronald Shaw
Dawn Faulkner
The head gardener appointed by William Wilson, Ron Shaw worked as a groundsman at the Wilson Home for about 40 years. He was a gentle, wellloved man who was dedicated to his work and family, and the Wilson Home benefited greatly from the lovely gardens and area he helped to create in those years.
THE COOK
I recall the huge vegetable gardens Dad used to have supplying the Wilson Home and other North Shore hospitals. They covered the area from the entrance on St Leonards Road to the old Nurses Home accommodation that was on the boundary of Lake Road.
Mrs Rainbow
During the year, my father built the bonfire for Guy Fawkes night (in an area of ground near the vegetable gardens) and the Wilson Home children built the ‘guy’. The community all came on 5 November to celebrate with the children, including the Fire Service who managed the safety side of the event, damping down buildings, etc. All the children would be lined up in their beds and wheelchairs, far enough away for safety but close enough to feel the warmth of the fire. They took part in the lighting of fireworks and being out on a lovely night under the stars. It was a great community event for many years.
Felt objects created by the children during occupational therapy classes
Mrs Rainbow, the Wilson Home cook
I also remember the Garden Party on the big lawn that is now covered with buildings. The Army came with their tents and erected them for events. The pétanque court on the plan was originally a tennis court. On Saturday mornings, as a child, I went with my father to ‘the Home’ as we called it. He always rode his bike (we never owned a car), with his leather bag on the carrier at the back. I used to help him in the glasshouses, planting seeds in the seed trays and planting out in the many flower borders. When we were not working in the glasshouses, we would work along the paths and native bush area leading down to the beach. I also played in the grounds, riding on the bikes and playing on the swings and rockers. Although the Wilson Home was a hospital for sick children, it was also the most wonderful environment for a small child. It has had a huge influence on my love of structured, landscaped gardens, and my experiences there led me to study for my Diploma in Landscape Design. My father was always interacting with the children; he would wave and give them a beaming smile as they called out, ‘Mr Shaw, Mr Shaw!’ They were very much part of his life for all the time he worked there. Christine Shaw
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Bev Barnes as a Girl Guide
SCOUTS AND GUIDES For the boys there were Scouts and Cubs and, soon after my arrival, a Wilson Home Girl Guide and Brownie company was formed. Bev Barnes' story 1949
We often took the children in their trolleys for a walk to Takapuna. Nurse-aid at Wilson Home, 1966, in ‘Sharing your memories’, Wilson Home website
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CELEBRATIONS AND CELEBRITIES
The highlight of the year for the children and friends of Wilson Home during the years of Miss Faulconbridge and Miss Cooper was the Christmas garden party. Much excitement would hail the arrival of Father Christmas driving a team of white ponies laden with gifts for the children. On other occasions he came by sea.
When the Queen and Prince Philip stopped for a brief visit to Devonport in 1953, as many children as possible were loaded into army trucks and taken down to Windsor Reserve, so they could see the royal couple close up. One of the children presented the Queen with flowers.
Janie Farquharson, Women’s Auxiliary, speaking at the 50th Jubilee
Wilson Home became my ‘home’ as I was there more often than at my parents’ home. My uncle often invited brass and pipe bands to perform on the ‘big lawn’ at weekends. Alan Godfrey in 'Sharing your Memories', Wilson Home website
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BRUCE McLAREN When he was a child, world famous racing-car driver Bruce McLaren was admitted to the Wilson Home for treatment for Perthes disease. He spent three years there (1948-50), and on his first return to New Zealand after driving overseas, he took his racing car to the Home and drove the delighted children ‘all over the place’ in it.
THE SURVIVORS
‘I remember crashing my bath chair with Bruce McLaren’s. Wilson Home became my ‘home’.
The experience of surviving the initial polio illness seems to have produced children who when they became adults, with a strong, independent streak and a resilient character (I could say stubborn).
Alan Godfrey in ‘Sharing your Memories’, Wilson Home website
Edith Morris, National President, Post-Polio Support Society
TONI WILLIAMS Toni Williams was a famous New Zealand singer who topped the Hit Parades and toured in the 1960s with the Everly brothers. While lying on his back for 13 months in the Wilson Home he used to entertain himself and others with his ukulele. He credited the Home with his success, as his musical training began with membership of the excellent choir that was a feature of the Home for 10 years. His family donated a train set to the Wilson Home at the 25th Jubilee celebrations. Newspaper clipping from the Wilson family archives
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1961-1981: YEARS OF CHANGE
With the advances in medicine in the post-war years, particularly in the 1960s, the medical conditions that had required prolonged treatment and rehabilitation no longer existed. Salk and Sabin’s vaccine discovery brought a dramatic stop to polio epidemics in New Zealand after the mass immunisation campaigns began in the late 1950s. With the introduction of the vaccination, polio has been virtually eliminated. Antibiotics considerably changed the management of osteomyelitis, and anti-tuberculosis drugs largely eliminated tuberculosis of the bones and joints. Conditions at the Wilson Home had changed greatly from the overcrowded days of 1949. Most of the polio patients from the epidemic had been discharged. Some returned briefly to recuperate from corrective surgery to their feet and legs: problems that developed as they grew older. Children with other disabilities were admitted as beds became available. The period 1960–1980 witnessed a gradual shift from long-term, institutionalised care to the provision of rehabilitative therapy, respite care, and paediatric clinics.
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The ambience and atmosphere were more like those of an independently run Trust hospital than a public institution. When I visited the Home I was greeted by cheerful staff and with tea served in bone china with freshly baked scones and cream. I.A.N. Campbell: Recollections of a manager at the Auckland Health Board, 1980-1990
Bunting and flags flying at the Wilson Home, to celebrate the 25th anniversary, 1962 North Shore Times
It is interesting to note that, even now, warmly welcoming visitors to the Wilson Home is something enthusiastically maintained by The Wilson Home Trust staff. Visitors to the Trust’s heritage cottage can expect members of the team to quickly stop their work and welcome visitors to have a cup of tea and enjoy a relaxed conversation. Russell Ness
Excerpts from a booklet distributed by the Wilson Home in the 1960s A one-storey building with 13 acres of grounds is an ideal setting for a treatment and education centre for children who require a long period of hospitalisation. Some patients may be in the Home for only a few months, but others require treatment for years. Every effort is made to keep the children in touch with their families; some of them go home for weekends and periods of holiday leave. The majority of the children are admitted from the Auckland Province, some from other areas in New Zealand and a few from the Pacific Islands. Most have polio, other bone diseases and congenital deformities. Many of the children eventually leave without even a limp, while the cerebral palsy cases are encouraged to be as physically and mentally independent as possible. A children’s physician visits the Home each week and a group of orthopaedic surgeons visit at regular intervals. Local practitioners take the place of the family doctor and treat the usual illnesses of childhood. All the facilities of the Auckland hospitals are available to children who require surgery, X-ray examinations, laboratory tests and other hospital treatment.
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From bedside teaching methods the educational aspect had developed into a fully accredited school with five teachers.
The Wilson Home Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1937 and is composed of members of the local community who assist financially and in a variety of other ways, such as providing cars and drivers for outings, knitting woollen garments, helping with mending children’s clothing and arranging flowers in the chapel These people make a valuable contribution to the daily life of the children. The Auckland branch of the Crippled Children’s Society has always played an active part in the affairs of the Home. It has provided equipment, funds for some recreational activities, personal assistance with travel and other arrangements prior to and after the children are discharged from the Wilson Home.
Miss Faulconbridge remembers at the 25th Jubilee. North Shore Times, 5 September 1962
A special Wilson Home Committee makes recommendations to the Auckland Hospital Board about the affairs of the Home. This committee consists of the chairman of the Board, four Board members and three representatives of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society.
Wilson Home circa 1969-70; teacher Irene Martin
There is a generous allocation of nursing staff and staff allocations in all other sections of this service, so that despite the Wilson Home being a busy, vigorous place, there is time to give the essential extra attention to the very disabled, homesick, ill or insecure child. Education is an important part of a child’s life and the Home has a schooling unit. The children are divided into four groups for formal schooling and a kindergarten which functions every morning. Secondary school children have lessons by correspondence and supervision from the teachers. The staff comprises a headmaster, four teachers and a speech therapist. The teachers’ salaries are paid by the Auckland Hospital Board. The children enjoy the weekly church services, which are conducted by the various local clergy and are held in the chapel, which was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Wilson Home.
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THE CHAPEL
The tall windows and the views from within the Chapel enchanted those of us attending these weddings. As the wedding vows were exchanged, we particularly remember the long windows with the Cross: so tranquil and spiritual. A truly beautiful place of worship.
The Chapel of St Leonard was built 1964-66 to celebrate the 25th Jubilee. The nondenominational chapel was dedicated in 1966, and in 2008 it won both the Auckland and National ‘Enduring Architecture’ Awards. The design by Mr Dennis Hewson and Mr Robert Drake of Haughey and Fox and Partners won first prize in the Auckland Hospital Board’s competition for a chapel at the Wilson Home. The professional advisor for the competition said, ‘It has an intimate scale suited to children, and clear glazing in the side walls allows the special beauty of the site to become part of the chapel interior.’ Newspaper report, 6 May, 1964
The award-winning St Leonards Chapel, in the grounds of the Wilson Home, stands amidst mature pohutukawa trees and these days is available for ceremonies of all kinds. A son and three nieces of Ron Shaw (groundsman for 40 years at the Wilson Home) were married there. They sought this venue particularly because of love for their uncle and father and with the knowledge of the Chapel’s beauty and surroundings. The lovely gardens and environment made for charming photographs and the Chapel will be remembered for its serenity and peace.
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June Shaw, daughter of Ron Shaw
St Leonards Chapel
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RONALD CAUGHEY ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT CENTRE
The Ronald Caughey Assessment and Treatment Centre opened in 1977. It housed outpatient clinics, a hydrotherapy pool and gyms.
There was a team of skilled professionals including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, a clinical neurophysiologist, play specialists, and a Maori liaison advisor. If required the child could receive 24-hour care provided by registered nurses, enrolled nurses and skilled hospital aides. Medical and orthopaedic cover was provided by consultants from Starship. The local GP was also available.
The Centre provided a free, comprehensive, family-centred rehabilitation service for children 0 –16, and for those children who were still at school. Rehabilitation was provided for children and young people with neurological and orthopaedic conditions on an inpatient or an outpatient basis.
EASTERN BAYS HOSTEL
A flexible programme was tailored to meet the child’s and the family’s needs, so that the child could be supported to gain the skills and abilities necessary for participation in everyday activities. An onsite Rehabilitation School classroom, separate from the Wilson School, was staffed by the Northern Health School. Both schools on the Wilson Home site have always been Ministry of Education schools.
As part of the move towards less institutionalised care, the Eastern Bays Hostel was opened in 1978 to accommodate 12 children. It was administered and staffed by the Wilson Home until 1983, when it was closed because staff and resources were required back at the Home site.
The aim of the Centre was to work with the child and their family to provide the best possible outcome. With the assistance of community and support services, the Centre aimed to help children make the transition to their home, school and community.
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GARDEN PARTY FUN An American helicopter flew in to land on the centre of the lawn. There was a flurry of nurses hastily grabbing the sun umbrellas as the wind from the rotor blades lifted them off the ground. The Auxiliary supplied cakes and sandwiches and tea was served by the Auckland Hospital staff. Janie Farquharson, Women’s auxiliary, speaking at the 50th Jubilee
On the stroke of 12 the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh drove in their gleaming open car into the grounds of the Home. The royal couple waved and smiled broadly at the children. The car stopped and a young Maori – 12-year-old Dover Hughes – in scout uniform approached the Queen with a bouquet. He said,’With love from the children at the Wilson Home.’ Her Majesty looked down at the nervous face of the youngster and replied with a faint touch of sadness in her voice, ‘Thank you very much. It was very kind of you.’ North Shore Times, 13 February, 1963
In the 1950s and 60s the Wilson Home was the jewel in the crown of the Auckland Health Board. Once a year in November the Trust held a huge garden party. Right up to the 1970s the garden party was a ‘must attend’ function for local celebrities. Even the Beatles came along to the event when they visited New Zealand. Ross Flood,The Review, magazine of the Cerebral Palsy Association, August 2011
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1981-2000: RESPITE AND REHABILITATION In 1980 the Home was still largely a place staffed by nurses caring for inpatients under the direction of the matron.
The years between 1981 and 2000 saw a continued move towards outpatient and short-term residential care services.
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Golden Jubilee 20 August, 1987 Wilson Home: the 50th Birthday cake
The three retired matrons Miss Cooper, Miss Faulconbridge and Miss Dowe with the present Principal Nurse - Wyn Perkinson attending the Golden Jubilee.
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THE VILLAS
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE WILSON HOME
The ‘Villas’ were built between 1983-1984 to care for children in a less institutionalised environment. They were to be used for short-term surgical recovery and later respite care.
In May 1992 the Wilson Home Committee agreed to a new service direction for the Home’s future - a move towards more outpatient and short-term residential care services; and a major revamp of its buildings and homestead.
A cash boost from Telethon helped fund the Villas. Each Villa provided two single bedrooms, two twin bedrooms, a lounge and dining room area, pantry, shower-room, storage and cupboard lobby. The villas were linked by covered walkways and will include a nurse’s station.
The first part of a three-stage redevelopment of the Wilson Home for children with special needs in Auckland should start early in the New Year. It is expected to cost about $700,000. NZ Herald, 17 October, 1992
The manager Viv Maidaborn has been at the centre of plans to reorganise services to conform more closely to the changing needs of society. This involves reversing the proportion of beds available for respite and permanent care. Ms Maidaborn spoke of the 'balance that will respect the Trust deed and the wishes of those who have been associated with the home over the years'. NZ Herald , 19 May, 1992
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Proposed Changes to the Wilson Home - 1992 PLANNED
AMENDMENT OF THE TRUST DEED By the 1990s, attitudes towards the care of children with disabilities had changed.
CURRENT
Villas
Homestead
Kitchen/dining
24 Beds
Young adult accommodation has own entrance and more privacy
Developed to provide community conference or function rooms
New decking
Parent accommodation on northern aspect
Secure from rest of building
Access to grounds
Household services centralised
Income for trust
Common room
Reception area reworked
Could be used in conjunction with chapel
Increased storage
Original villa architecture recaptured
Increased office space
New ramp and access off front of building
2 new toilets
Light well in central corridors
Villas
Homestead
Kitchen/dining
36 Beds
Parent accommodation very small and poor aspect
Unused
Poor access to grounds
Underutilised northern aspect
No common room
Large areas of unused space
Inadequate storage and office space
Large areas of underused space
Too few toilets
Household services in 4 locations
In need of redecorating
Staff cafeteria in prime locality
Don't provide privacy for young adults
No reception/waiting areas
Staff cafeteria and change rooms
Badly deteriorated
Staff cafeteria and change rooms
No safe play area
Loss of original villa architecture through 'add-ons'
Safe play area
Not in keeping with original building
Poor access to grounds
Planting and painting to integrate with original architecture
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In 1999 a major re-write of the Wilson Home Trust Deed was undertaken to reorganise services so that children could stay at home with their families and attend local schools, rather than being institutionalised for long periods. Provision was made to increase day care and outpatient services. Respite care (out of home support) was extended for children 0 – 16 with high support needs. A portion of the Wilson Home site was leased to the Ministry of Education to build a school for children with disabilities.
Poor light in centre of building
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2001-2012: THE WILSON HOME TODAY FUTURE ASPIRATIONS
How do we properly honour the generosity of William and Lucinda Wilson and all those who have had an association with the Wilson Home over 75 years? This responsibility is accepted by The Wilson Home Trust – and is taken very seriously. When we think about our future, we are informed by the past and the values that are enshrined in the Wilsons’ vision and the Trust Deed. We are also cognisant of the very different needs of children and families now. However, despite the fact that needs change, and our response must also change, there are common threads that, when woven together, form strong strands of purpose and direction. These have guided our thinking about how the future might look and what our aspirations can be. Our identity derives from the Wilsons. The Wilson family had a vision of providing care for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community in a setting most resembling a family home. The Wilson Home, generously donated by the family in 1937, occupies over five hectares on Auckland’s North Shore and The Wilson Home Trust’s qualifying area is the top half of the North Island. The Trust has a responsibility to protect, strengthen and enhance the value of its assets. Everything we do must be considered as a positive act of community enrichment.
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Our community, spread over distance and time and the reputation associated with it, is our primary asset. This is intangible, valuable and powerful. The site is a secondary asset. It is tangible, inspirational and symbolic of the Wilson legacy. From the Deed and the Wilsons’ vision we derive our values. These provide the ‘test’ for any future aspiration. Our values include: • Leadership and the moral authority associated with reinforcing increasingly high standards of care and wellbeing for children with disabilities, and their families. • Community associated with family, home and an holistic view or model of care. • Relationships associated with the diversity of participants and a commitment to and respect for the whole person and the changing trends in disability. • Guardianship associated with being a generous, benevolent and responsible asset owner. • Spiritual and emotional values associated with a peaceful yet vibrant, safe haven with a home-like atmosphere for families. Our vision of the future will include: • The Trust or its associates/partners being seen as a reliable source of advocacy, information, support and activities for Trust beneficiaries • An extended community connected through history and geography • Communities across the qualifying area in areas reflecting particular need
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• The Trust’s associates providing support that serves an aging community • The Wilson Home site serving as the hub (and a focus) for the extended/enlarged Wilson community and as a guide for additional communities within our qualifying area. Our preferred way forward is: To make significant improvements to the site and invest in offsite initiatives that help children and families throughout the qualifying area. This option involves two distinct phases. 1. The first is concentrated on the Takapuna site and consists of a significant build project on the southern boundary and then removal of structures that are not fit for purpose or not in keeping with the Trust’s family, community, heritage and aesthetic values. 2. The second phase will involve creating like communities in other areas. The Trust will continue to test its thinking against its values, needs of beneficiaries and disability policies and conventions. Communication will continue to be open and collaborative, and feedback will be explicitly invited at all stages. As concepts turn into plans, multiple channels of communication will be extended to as many stakeholders as possible. Readers are invited to contact the Trust to discuss this or to seek further information. Russell Ness - Director The Wilson Home Trust (09) 485 3460 russell@wilsonhometrust.org.nz www.wilsonhometrust.org.nz
I came to this garden of peace, On a morning of dew flowered gold, And the gates of the Wilson home, Swung open to welcome untold. One bird called a clear bar of song, The silence but currents of sound, Filled all that green garden life, It is here that our treasures are found. Anon
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WILSON SCHOOL The Department of Education has funded schooling on the Wilson Home site since it opened in 1937. Classes were held outside in fine weather until the 1960s, because it was thought beneficial for the children to get fresh air. In the 1960s and 70s the Wilson School pioneered the integration of disabled children into local schools. In 1990 it was feared that the school would have to integrate with mainstream schools. However, in 1992 the Wilson School’s future was assured when it obtained the status of a ‘special school’. "Wilson School is a state school which welcomes students with a wide range of disabilities and special learning needs. Our Base School in Takapuna is an award-winning, purpose-built school located in the grounds of the Wilson Centre, where we operate several programmes to meet the specific needs of groups of students. We employ teachers, teacher aides, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language therapists and music therapists to support Wilson School students in their learning opportunities. When necessary we also engage the services of a psychologist. Approximately half of our students receive their education at Base School in the Wilson Centre. Our other students attend a number of satellite classes located in mainstream schools in our local area. Wilson School is an accredited ‘Team Teach’ school: staff use Team Teach strategies to support students with their behaviour needs. We welcome visits from anyone who is interested in finding out more about our school." Jan Kennington -Principal
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CONCLUSION: the past and the future
In the early days Ron Williams won a competition for a cover design. His winning entry was a crest with the motto ‘Endure to Conquer’. Many other ex-Wilson Home patients have ‘endured to conquer’ and have achieved rewarding careers in spite of handicaps.
The Home has always been a home in the true sense of the word for children, whether they were there for a few weeks, a childhood or the rest of their lifetime. Children’s laughter and singing hangs in the sea air. There have been parties, entertainments, games, and visits from royalty and the famous. Hundreds of people have strived over the years to make sure the Home never had an institutional atmosphere. Not only patients and staff members take a pride in the Wilson Home: it is also supported by the wider community. The only one of its kind in New Zealand, work here is unceasing for the comfort and happiness of the children. It has become the object of much affection: over the years bequests have been made and helping out at the Home has become a way of life for many. Much importance is placed on the child’s parents so that they have the support they need to care for their child. The ideal of a ‘garden hospital’ inspired Mr and Mrs Wilson to bequeath their family home, ‘where children would have beauty to look out on, green lawns to play on - where many a broken-down child could be transformed into a happy and valuable member of society.’ The Wilsons’ generosity of spirit in providing their magnificent home and gardens has inspired hundreds of people over the last 75 years to help disabled children live life to their greatest potential.
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GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Acknowledging all those who have contributed to, or been associated with, the Wilson Home is daunting. The number of individuals and organisations who have helped build the Wilson Home community is a large and honourable one. Some of you were leaders, advocates, dedicated workers and volunteers, while others spent part of their lives living in the Home. Inevitably there are those who have not sought the limelight and yet done so much. There are also many humble souls who would not consider for a moment that they should be thanked. So, rather than attempting to single you out, we say thank you on behalf of our diverse and extensive community. Russell Ness
In 1937 William and Lucinda Wilson donated their family home on the cliff above St Leonards Beach, Takapuna. It was intended to become a ‘garden hospital’ for children with disabilities, so they could, in the words of the visiting doctor who inspired the Wilsons, ‘have beauty to look out on, green lawns to play on,’ and be transformed into happy and valuable members of society. This book chronicles the changes in methods of treatment of disabilities over the years as knowledge has increased and attitudes have altered, and the way the Wilsons’ magnificent gift has benefited so many. Two children from the Wilson Home have been involved in the production of this book. Russell Vickery, whose idea it was, was at the Home a number of times during the 1960s, recovering from various surgeries, and was last there in 1972. While there he was introduced to sport and went on to represent Auckland at the National Disabled Games from 1977-1990. He was then part of the New Zealand paraplegic boat team that handcranked a catamaran 1000 km up the Nile River, and in 1998 hand-cranked the craft around Western Samoa. He is now the CCS Disability Action member on the Wilson Home Committee of Management, and helps to plan the strategic direction of the Wilson Home Trust. Patricia Jones contracted polio in Scotland. Rehabilitation at the Wilson Home gave her opportunities that made life seem an adventure. She was assisted to overcome her disability in a magical setting where she could explore the gardens, learn to swim in the hydrotherapy pool and take part in special parties. Patricia has worked as a nurse in Auckland, Australia, England and Saudi Arabia. An interest in the medico-legal aspects of healthcare inspired her to study law at Auckland University. She was admitted to the Bar in 2009. Writing a book for the 75th Jubilee has been an opportunity to express the gratitude she has for her association with the Wilson Home.