Four Māori nurses from the St John voluntary ambulance organisation attend the opening of Tawakeheimoa, the centennial memorial meeting house at Te Awahou marae in Rotorua, in April 1943. The earliest registered Māori nurse found so far, Mereana Tangata, registered in 1896. A number, including Akenehi Hei, were involved in a scheme to train Māori women in nursing around the turn of the 20th century. Māori nurses became an important part of the district nursing scheme in rural areas.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)
Reference: 1/4-000240-F
by John Dobrée Pascoe
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.