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Story: Hospitals

St Helens hospitals

St Helens hospitals

In 1904 the government set up the St Helens hospitals, which, for the first time in New Zealand's history, provided subsidised maternity care for low-income women. They were staffed by trained midwives. The superintendent of the Dunedin St Helens hospital (and first woman medical graduate in New Zealand) Dr Emily Siedeberg (centre, wearing black) is shown here with midwifery staff and new babies in 1907.

Using this item

Otago Daily Times

Reference: 19 June 1907, p. 43

Permission of the Otago Daily Times must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Linda Bryder, Hospitals – Maternity, women’s and children’s hospitals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/27554/st-helens-hospitals (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Linda Bryder, published 22 March 2011, updated 1 July 2022.

Comments

Susan Jayne Gray
29 November 2017
Can anyone help me with finding out the TIME of my birth. I was born at St Helen's Hospital on 27/07/1963. My mothers name was Shirley Gladys Gray.
Noeline Melrose
02 November 2012
I was born at Dunedins St Helens hospital on the 24th April 1947, and was resident until approx Dec 1948. I was named Noeline Linda Stuck, my mother was Grace Leila Stuck. As my mother and father have both passed now I would like to try and locate a women called Flora who was also a resident of St Helens when I was born and a close friend of my mothers. Flora gave birth to a son around the same time I was born and he was named Raymond. From what I know Flora married a gentlemen called Dave quite possibly while still in Dunedin as both my parents were at the wedding. I would like to get in touch with Flora, Dave or Raymond as I have some valuable family photos and postcards I would like to share with them. I would also appreciate information from any other resident or staff member who may have been at this hospital during my stay and may remember my mother or me. Please contact me on the e-mail address provided if you have any related information from this time period.