17 December, 2024

Local maternity hospital fondly remembered 50 years on

Claim to fame… Sarah Dearlove, the last baby born at Pentlands maternity hospital, with her mother June James and June with husband Tony

The last baby born at Pentlands maternity hospital in Buchanan St has just turned 50.
 Sarah James (now Dearlove), who was born on 26 November 1974, is in Fiji celebrating her 50th birthday.
The Flagstaff caught up with her parents, Tony and June James, who still have strong memories of the hospital where many generations of Devonport residents were born.
The hospital opened in 1925. Tony was born there in 1944.
June and Tony’s first child, Michael, was also born there in October 1973.
The family were living at 8 Lake Rd at the time of Sarah’s birth and travelling the comparatively short distance to Pentlands was almost akin to having the baby at home, June said.
Fifty years ago, it was common for deliveries to be done by GPs. Sarah was bought into the world by Dr Myles Williamson, a long-time Devonport doctor.

Baby central… The former Pentlands, now a private residence

June recalled Sarah being born on a Tuesday and Pentlands closing the following weekend, with all the birthing equipment transferred to National Women’s Hospital. 
Pentlands’ standard of care under matron Anna Kidd was outstanding, June says.
“We were treated like royalty and waited on hand and foot.” 
Mothers were able to stay in hospital longer back then, in comparison to the fast turnaround in maternity wings today. 
Sarah’s ‘last baby at Pentlands’ status was not lost on the wider world.
This Day, a nightly current affairs television show, came to do a story, with June interviewed by reporter Raf Irving. 
The James went on to have a third child, Nicola, born at North Shore Hospital. All three children went to Vauxhall School, Belmont Intermediate School, and Takapuna Grammar School. 
June herself became closely associated with Devonport’s babies, children and families.
She worked for 20 years at Devonport Family Medicine with local GPs Grant Smith and Erica Lauder – with Lauder delivering her grandchildren.