The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]
Charitable Institutions
Charitable Institutions.
In the number of charitable institutions, for the relief of the suffering, the care of the aged, the rescue of the fallen, and other philanthropic objects, the city of Auckland stands pre-eminently above the other centres of the colony. The late Mr. Edward Costley's name will ever be revered as a benefactor to the suffering and helpless. At his death he bequeathed to each of the following seven institutions the sum of £12,150 : The Auckland Hospital, the Costley Home, the Costley Training Institute, St. Stephen's Orphan Home, the Sailors' Home, the Public Library, and the Auckland Museum. In Auckland city and suburbs there are many institutions in addition to those which are here separately described; for instance, the Women's Home, Parnell; Children's Home, Parnell; Roman Catholic Orphanages at Ponsonby and Takapuna; Little Sisters of the Poor, Ponsonby; Helping Hand Mission; Door of Hope; Prisoners' Aid Society, and others.
The Auckland Hospital And Charitable Aid Board was constituted in November, 1885. Its duties comprise finding the funds for the maintenance of the Hospital, the administration of charitable aid, and the control of some of the various charitable organisations of Auckland. The Board is empowered to make demands on local bodies to meet its actual requirements, and the amounts thus raised are subsidised pound for pound by the Government, which in 1900 was liable for £6675 in this way. The Board consists of ten members, and the following gentlemen were elected on the 28th of November, 1900:—Messrs John Court, James Jamieson, James Stichbury, and Young Warren, representing the Auckland City Council; Mr. Alexander Bruce, the Devonport Borough Council and the Waitemata County Council; Messrs Thomas Allen and John Bollard, representing the road boards in the county of Eden; Mr. Arthur Pearson Friend, the borough councils of Grey Lynn, New-market, Parnell, and Birkenhead; Messrs George Joseph Garland and John Gordon, representing the Onehunga Borough Council and the boards of the road districts in the county of Manukau. Mr. Alexander Bruce is chairman, and Mr. H. N. Garland, secretary.
Mr. Henry Nelson Garland, Secretary and Treasurer of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, is the second son of the late Rev. J. N. Garland, formerly Incumbent of St. John's, Jamaica, and was born in London, in 1841. He was educated at St. Catherine's Hermitage, Bath, and at Taunton College school. Mr. Garland emigrated to New Zealand in 1857, by the ship “John Masterman,” and went to Nelson, where he joined his uncle, Mr. C. J. Thompson, one of the first surveyors sent out by the New Zealand Company in 1841, and who closed his long, eventful, and arduous life in December, 1900. Mr. Garland removed to Auckland in 1864, and went in 1867 to the Thames goldnelds, where for ten years he acted as legal manager for some of the principal mining companies. In 1883, he was appointed secretary of the Auckland Hospital Committee, and upon the passing of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885, he was appointed to his present position. Mr. Garland is a prominent member and office-bearer of St. Sepulchre's Anglican Church in Khyber Pass. In 1872 he was appointed treasurer of the New Church Building Fund, and held the office up to the time of the church's consecration. He was also an enthusiastic member of the Auckland Choral Society, and was at one time its secretary.
Hanna, photo.
Mr. H. N. Garland.
The Auckland Hospital. Of the various hospitals of the colony the Auckland Hospital stands pre-eminent; the healthy situation, beauty of the surroundings, and general appearance and utility of the institution entitle page 189 it to occupy that position. In 1875 the construction of the present main building in stone was begun, and funds were provided by a loan, of £25,000, raised on debentures secured on the hospital endowments. The hospital stands on an eminence near the Domain, and for the choice of the site, as well as for the fine reserve which surrounds the hospital and its auxiliary institutions, and also for the valuable city and suburban endowments originally set aside for hospital maintenance, the people of Auckland are indebted to the wisdom and foresight of the late Sir George Groy. In 1887 the wooden building known as the auxiliary wards for the accommodation of typhoid fever cases was erected at a cost of £1454, provided by the accumulation of revenue from the endowments. The late Mr. Edward Costley left the Hospital Trust a bequest of £12,150, and with this various important works have been carried out, including the Nurses' Home, which accommodates the matron and a staff of forty-five nurses. In 1895, the Government voted £1500 for a new kitchen and servants' quarters; the vote was supplemented by £1040 from the Costley bequest, and the whole of the cooking for the hospital and its auxiliary buildings is now done by steam supplied by a large boiler of sufficient power to drive a dynamo when the buildings are lighted by electricity. Other permanent improvements carried out with the aid of the Costley bequest include a new mortuary, an extensive drainage system, a destructor, and a children's hospital, with fifty-two cots, which cost about £5000. Including the children's cots, the hospital can supply 202 beds, and the patients under treatment average about 140. There are two resident medical officers, Drs. Bett and Inglis; Mrs Alma Wooten is the matron, and there are forty-five female and two male nurses. The honorary staff consists of three physicians, three surgeons, one ophthalmic surgeon, and one pathologist; one of the honorary visiting medical staff acts as medical adviser to the Board.
Dr. Tracy Russell Inglis, M.B., Ch.B. (Melbourne), Auckland, is House Physician and Senior Medical Officer of the Auckland Hospital. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1875, and educated at the Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne. Dr. Inglis studied at Melbourne University, qualified in 1899, and was appointed to his present position in January, 1900. He is a vice-president of the Auckland University College Football Club.
Dr. T. R. Inglis.
Dr. Douglas Home Blackader Bett, M.B., Ch.B. (New Zealand University), is Resident Surgeon at the Auckland Hospital. He was born in Otago in 1876, and educated at the Otago High School. Dr. Bett studied at Otago University, where he qualified in January, 1900, and was appointed to his present position in February, 1900. He is vice-president of the Auckland University College Football Club.
Mrs. K. A. Wooten.
Mr. S. C. Schofield, the House Steward of the Auckland Hospital, is fully referred to in the military section of this volume.
The Auckland Lunatic Asylum. Avondale, is one of the largest asylums in the Colony. It is imposing in appearance, is built of brick, and is about three miles distant from Auckland. The main building, where the apartments of the medical men and the administration offices are placed, faces the junction of the Great North Road and the road leading to Mount Albert. In the central portion are the dining halls, kitchen, and store-rooms, and the two adjoining wings are respectively the male and female wards. The male dining hall, which is too small for present requirements, is also used for the various theatrical and musical performances which are given from time to time to provide variety and pleasure for the inmates. Some distance off there are auxiliary buildings which were originally of wood, but were destroyed by fire in December, 1894. A new brick building, capable of accommodating 120 patients, was immediately begun, and was ready for the reception of patients in 1896. A never failing supply of water of exceptional purity is obtained from a spring in the estate, and is pumped to a large reservoir on a hill within a short distance of the buildings, and the supply thus obtained is quite ample for domestic and fire prevention purposes. But to provide for accidents, a large water main is laid from the Western Springs, and this can be used in case of emergency. Water for fire prevention is laid over all the various buildings, and an efficient fire brigade, composed of the various attendants, is constantly drilled, and every conceivable precaution against fire is taken by the management. Electric bells are laid all over the buildings, and the attention of the superintendent, or of the attendants, can be secured at a moment's notice. The ornamental grounds in front of the main building are extensive and are laid out and kept with the utmost regard to beauty and good taste. A farm, consisting of nearly 200 acres of poor clay and light volcanic soil, is attached to the Asylum, and on this extensive operations are carried on throughout the year. In this way healthful recreation is provided for a number of the patients, and a plentiful and constant supply of fresh, wholesome vegetables is secured for the use of the Asylum. About fifty milch cows of the finest breed are kept on the estate, and a capital byre on the most modern principles has been erected in connection with the farm buildings. A large number of well-bred pigs, principally Berkshires and Yorkshires, are reared and fattened on the farm, and this forms a considerable source of revenue to the institution. An unlimited supply of fresh eggs is obtained from a large stock of the various breeds of poultry. Part of the land has been turned into an experimental sewage farm, which has been a great success. A new wing on the male side is now (1900) in course of erection; the second storey has been designed to accommodate fifty patients, while the lower or ground floor is intended for a hospital. At the present time (December, 1900), there are in the Asylum about 494 patients—306 males and 188 females, and the staff numbers thirty-one males and twenty-one females. The average page 190 net cost per patient was, in 1898, £19 13s, and, in 1899, £20 8s. The average number of patients sent out cured in 1898 was fifty-one per cent., and in 1899, thirty-eight per cent.; average deaths, 1898, 7.5; in 1899, 8.8. The officials of the institution are:—Dr. Robert Martin Beattie, medical superintendent; Dr. William Webster, assistant medical officer; Mr. Frank Cooke Hall, clerk and store-keeper; Mr. Edward Newport, head attendant; Miss Sophia Campbell, matron; Mr. J. D. Muir, farm manager. Most of the male attendants have had considerable experience of gardening and farming, and are capable of directing the operations of the patients in that connection. Divine service is held on Sunday by ministers of the denominations of which patients are members. Parts of the Asylum grounds are very picturesque, and through hill and dale there runs a fine stream of water, which has a waterfall of considerable size. Everything about the Asylum is kept in the most perfect order, and thorough discipline is maintained under the keen yet kindly eye of Dr. Beattie.
Dr. R. M. Beattie.
Dr. William Webster, M.B., Ch.B., Glasgow University, Medical Assistant at the Auckland Lunatic Asylum, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1875. He was educated at the Glasgow University, and obtained his degrees in 1898. Previous to his arrival in New Zealand, Dr. Webster held various medical appointments in the Home Country, at the Glasgow Western Infirmary, at West Norfolk Hospital, and at Roxburgh Lunatic Asylum. In 1900 he came to Auckland, by the steamer “Whakatane,” under an engagement to fill his present position at the Auckland Lunatic Asylum.
Miss S. Campbell.
Mr. E. Newport.
Mr. F. C. Hall.
The Costley Home For The Aged Poor. A Home for the Aged Poor was founded many years ago by the ladies of Auckland, led on in the matter chiefly by Mrs Philson. They carried on this humane work for a number of years prior to 1883, when the Government handed over the charitable institutions to the care of the people of Auckland, and the Home then came under the control of a committee of management, which in turn was superseded by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in 1885. The first Home was an old wooden building in the Hospital enclosure, originally erected and used as the Lunatic Asylum. In 1890 the inmates were removed to the present building at Epsom, erected entirely out of funds provided by the late Mr. Edward Costley. The Home is beautifully situated on thirteen acres of volcanic soil, and is surrounded by undulating and charming scenery. There are twelve rooms, including the manager's office, private apartments, waiting-room, four dormitories, kitchen and scullery. The dormitories, including two used for maternity wards, provide accommodation for fifty female inmates. Detached from the main building there is a block containing six dormitories, with accommodation for 132 male inmates. There are also isolation and refractory wards. Well lighted, ventilated, and heated reading and sitting-rooms, and a small miscellaneous library are provided for the use of the inmates. There is also a place of worship capable of seating 100 worshippers. The average number of inmates is about 175, and their general comfort is admirably provided for by the Auckland Charitable Aid Board.
Mr. John Moss, Superintendent of the Home, was born in Birmingham, England, in 1854, and was educated at Aldridge Grammar School, near Walsall, Staffordshire. He arrived in Auckland by the s.s. “Arawa,” in 1886, and soon afterwards secured the appointment of manager of the Auckland Boys' Rest, an institution founded for the benefit of the waifs and strays of the city. Later on Mr. Moss was selected to take charge of the physical department of the Young Men's Christian Association, and in 1890 was appointed to his present position. Mrs Moss was at the same time appointed matron of the Home.
The Auckland Ladies' Benevolent Society. This society was established about 1857, and after a period of suspended work revived in its present form in 1884. Its chief object is to relieve cases of genuine distress that do not come under the jurisdiction of other bodies; to assist the poor and needy; and to systematically visit the dwellings of the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and comfort the desolate and oppressed. The district of Auckland is organised and systematically attended to by benevolent ladies in the various wards, and they deal with cases not only in the city, but also in suburbs like Devonport, Avondale, and Panmure. The ladies do practically all the work, as they recognise that it is woman's peculiar mission to minister to the sick, the bereaved, and the destitute. The president of the society is Colonel Haultain; Rev. Canon Nelson, M.A., and the Rev. S. A. Goldstein, vice-presidents. There is a strong committee of gentlemen; Mr. W. Thorne is the honorary treasurer and Mr. F. G. Ewington is the honorary secretary. Mrs Nelson is president of the ladies' committee, and Mrs Edgecumbe is the honorary secretary.
The Dilworth Ulster Institute. This institute was endowed by the late Mr. James Dilworth, who bequeathed the bulk of his estate, amounting to over £100,000 to six trustees, to establish, in the words of the will. “An Institution to be called the Dilworth Ulster Institute, with the object of affording to boys of the classes hereafter mentioned, such maintenance, education, and training as will enable them to become good and useful members of society.” It was further provided in the Trust Deed that the “Trustees shall select so many boys of sound bodily and mental health, being orphans or sons of persons of good character and of any race, as in the opinion of the Trustees the income available will be sufficient to support and educate; the boys so selected must be either destitute orphans, or children of parents in straitened circumstances, resident in the Province of Auckland, or in the province of Ulster, in Ireland.” It was also directed that the children so selected should be brought up in the tenets of the Church of England, and that the Bishop of the diocese should be appointed visitor to the Institute. When the assured net income of the estate amounts to £5000 per annum the Trustees, as directed by the deed, are to accumulate a sum of £10,000 wherewith to erect the proposed institute buildings at Remuera. The Trustees appointed under the will were Mrs Isabella Dilworth, Mr. Robert Hall, the Rev. William Beatty, Mr. William Gardner, the Rev. George MacMurray, and Sir George Maurice O'Rorke. The estate held by the Trustees consists of very valuable land in the city of Auckland and borough of Parnell, and also a large area of very valuable land in the suburbs of Remuera and Penrose, besides country lands. In the near future the income from these will be very large.
The Late Mr. J. Dilworth.
The Sailors' Home, Auckland, is situated at the corner of Albert and Quay Streets. It was founded in 1883, through the munificent generosity of the late Mr. Edward Costley, who bequeathed a sum of £12,150 to endow a Home for Sailors. The building is of brick, is three stories in height, and matches in style the Harbour Board buildings, to which it is closely adjacent. It contains forty-seven bedrooms, a large dining hall 30 feet by 20 feet, and a reading and social room, 50 feet by 30 feet. Fourteen bedrooms and a private sitting-room are kept for the exclusive use of officers and captains who make the Home their temporary abode. The domestic apartments are situated on the ground floor, together with several bathrooms, which are supplied with hot and cold water, and showers. The bedrooms are models of cleanliness; they are situated on the second and third stories, and are furnished in a most comfortable manner. On the second storey are the manager's apartments, and a private sitting-room for the use of captains and officers. A first-class cook is kept, and the fare is equal to that of a good commercial hotel. Breakfast is served at eight in the morning, dinner at noon, tea at five in the evening, and the institution is closed at eleven at night. The charge per week is only fifteen shillings for those who are in a position to pay; but to deserving men without funds the hospitality of the institution is free until employment is obtained, and those who are thus helped very seldom forget to forward to the superintendent the amount of their indebtedness to the institution. Sailors and others who have lived in the Home declare it to be the finest in the Australasian Colonies, and it is a noble monument to the philanthropy of Mr. Costley. A handsome hall, which is part of the institution, adjoins the main building, and is capable of seating 300 people. It is provided with a fine stage, and there three religious services are held on Sundays, socials on Monday evenings, concerts on Tuesdays, gospel meetings on Wednesdays, a Bible class on Thursdays, socials on Fridays, and concerts on Saturdays. These nightly entertainments are generally of a high-class character; as a rule they attract crowded attendances, and many of the leading vocalists of Auckland take part at the concerts. The present (1900) Committee of Management consists of: Bishop Cowie (president), Captain H. F. Anderson (vice-president), Colonel Haultain (secretary), Captain Clayton, Messrs Button, Ransom, H. B. Morton, Entrican, Peak, Brakenrigg, and the Rev. Mr. Budd, members of the Council The annual subscription is £1 1s.
Mr. and Mrs. R. Little.
Mrs Little, Matron of the Home, is a native of Ireland, and was married in 1863, previous to her departure for New Zealand. She is as popular in the institution as her husband. Mr. and Mrs Little have three sons and two daughters, who are all married.
The St. Stephen's Orphan Home, Parnell, stands on a site set apart for the purpose, out of the Stephen's estate, by Bishop George Augustus Selwyn. It is one of the best institutions of its kind in the colony, and was originally founded by the late venerable John Frederick Lloyd, in 1862. Since then it has at various times been endowed with valuable bequests. In 1873 the late Mr. William Morrin left an income of page 193 five per cent. of the net value of his estate to the Home; in 1876 the late Mrs Elizabeth Godley, of Parnell, bequeathed £50; in 1879 the late Mr. Henry Keesing, of Auckland, bequeathed £20; in 1879, the late Mr. Thomas Weston, Auckland, bequeathed £100; in 1883, the late Mr. John Sawerbier, of Adelaide, bequeathed £500; in 1883, the late Mr. Edward Costley bequeathed £12,150; and in 1900, the late Mr. Arrowsmith, of Waiuku, bequeathed about £7000 to the Home. Owing to these munificent gifts, the Home's sphere of benevolence has been largely extended. The Home is connected with the Church of England, but its doors are open to the orphans and destitute children of all denominations without regard to their religious persuasion. There is a Board of Management, of which the Rev. Canon Nelson is chairman, and Mr. T. W. Doonin, vice-chairman. Ten of the members are ex-officio, and six are elective; and there is also a ladies' committee of nine members. Mr. W. G. H. Jackman is secretary, Mr. C. J. Tunks the honorary treasurer, and Dr. W. G. Guinness the honorary medical officer. Children are received from over two to nine years of age, and are educated and trained—the boys to farming, and the girls to domestic work; and when they are fourteen years old, they are sent out to labour in their respective spheres. Wages earned by the boys and girls are banked by the Home in their own names, until they are sixteen, but after that age the children are allowed to make their own arrangements with their employers. A governess attends the school, which is a fine building adjoining the Home, and a sound elementary education is imparted. The average number of inmates is between fifty and sixty, but at various times as many as one hundred children have been in residence. The Home is a large two-storey building, surrounded by fifteen acres of grounds, fronting the sea. Dormitories for the boys are at one end, those for the girls at the other, and they are separated by a long corridor. There is also a hospital to accommodate fifteen patients, but owing to the good health of the children it has not been used for over nine years. The clothing of the children is made on the premises, and a resident seamstress is constantly employed for the purpose. There is a gardener to look after the grounds, and to grow all the vegetables required for the Home; and four cows are kept for the supply of milk. The Home is most beautifully kept, and the children are pictures of health and happiness.
Mr. W. G. H. Jackman, the Secretary of the St. Stephen's Orphan Home, Parnell, is an Englishman by birth. He is an ideal secretary, and his devotion to the responsible duties of his office is recognised by the whole Board of Management.
Mrs Helen Barrance, Matron of St. Stephen's Home, is a native of Yorkshire, England, and had much experience in connection with charitable institutions previous to her arrival in New Zealand. She was appointed to her present position in 1887, and her management of the Home has been distinguished by complete success.
Mrs. H. Barrance.
Hanna, photo.
Mr. W. Hendre.
The Auckland Jubilee Institute For The Blind was founded in the year 1890, with the object of providing the blind with instruction in elementary knowledge, affording technical training in such handicrafts as would enable them to earn their own living as far as possible, and rendering assistance to them in any way that should be deemed advisable. An organisation which then existed under the name of “The Association of the Friends of the Blind,” and which had commenced work the previous year, was merged into the Institute, the funds of which were augmented by generous contributions, and the balance of an amount subscribed by the public to celebrate the Jubilee of the Colony; hence the title, “The Jubilee Institute.” Mr. John Abbott, sometime chairman and treasurer, was the founder, and worked most indefatigably in the cause, and the liberal support accorded was, in a great measure, due to his untiring advocacy. A house and land were purchased in Parnell, and buildings (schoolroom, dormitories, workshops, etc.) were erected, and the school and workshops fully equipped with the most modern apparatus to enable instruction to be imparted by methods suited to the necessities of the blind. Since the foundation of the Institute, over fifty people have been received, maintained, and educated, and have gone out to work for themselves. Some are engaged in trades of various kinds, such as mat, basket, and halter-making, etc., and others are established in business. There are at present thirty-three resident pupils. There are also many blind persons who are non-resident, and the work among them is extending each year. Tuition is provided, books are supplied, and in many ways assistance is afforded where it is required. The carrying on of the work of the Institute necessitates a heavy annual expenditure, and the sources of income are: (1) Maintenance fees (to cover cost of food, clothing, etc.), paid by the Government in the cases of indigent children of school age, in other cases provided wholly or in part by parents, friends, or charitable aid boards; (2) voluntary contributions, with Government subsidy thereon; and (3) interest derived from the investment of funds raised at the commencement of the work to form a capital fund. The buildings are pleasantly and healthily situated in Manukau Road adjoining the Domain, and a visit to the Institute cannot fail to awaken interest in its purpose and sympathy with its inmates. The work has the cordial support of the Government, and visitors from all parts of the world have testified to its efficiency. Visitors are cordially welcomed at the Institute, which is open every week day.
Mr. R. Leslie Hunt, the Secretary of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, 322 Victoria Arcade, Auckland, is at all times pleased to forward reports and other information, and to receive contributions in aid of the funds.
The New Zealand Society For The Protection Of Women And Children, And Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals, 14 Palmerston Buildings, Auckland; his Excellency the Governor, Earl of Ranfurly, president; the Countess of Ranfurly, president of the Ladies' Committee; Miss Porter, secretary. The Society for the Protection of Women and Children was established in Auckland in 1893; in 1899 the branch for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated, and the society was registered accordingly. The objects of the society are to prosecute in cases of cruelty, wrong, outrage, or excessive violence to women; to give advice and aid to women who have been cruelly treated; to make provision for children when it is found that parents or guardians are unfit persons to have charge of them; to act as trustees and guardians of illegitimate children, and to receive and disburse money provided for the care and maintenance of such children, and to make provision for them; to agitate for the improvement of the statute page 195 laws, with a view to the more effectual protection of women and children; to prevent cruelty to animals by enforcing the existing laws, by procuring any further legislation that may be found expedient, and by exciting and sustaining an intelligent public opinion regarding man's duty to the lower animals. This society was the first formed in the colony for the protection of women and children, and similar societies have since been constituted in Wellington and Dunedin. A strong committee of the leading citizens of Auckland controls the affairs of the society, and the secretary is always pleased to impart information concerning its work.
The Ruth Lodge, in Grey Street, was established by the Salvation Army, and there some of the Army's noble rescue work is carried on. This Home is for women only. The officers attend the Police Courts and visit the gaol on the discharge of the prisoners, and unostentatiously devote their best energies on behalf of erring women and girls. They also hold religious services in the gaol every Saturday afternoon. Ensign Randall is the officer in charge of the Ruth Lodge.
The Prison Gate Home, at Epsom, is another institution founded by the Salvation Army. In this Home rescue work is carried on for men as it is for women, at Ruth Lodge. Adjutant Williams, the officer in charge of the Prison Gate Home, personally conducts religious services in the gaol once a month.