Women who formed these groups were usually the wives of well-known businessmen who looked out for the welfare of other women.
Some men looked at the WCTU with some trepidation (in terms of alcohol prohibition aims) and amusement at their attempts to assert rights and protection for women.
These women met in each other's homes and held monthly lectures.
When Mrs H.J. Lovell-Smith, of the Hastings WCTU, thought a Girls' Friendly Society Lodge should be established in Hastings, it was Mrs W.C. Forrester who said they needed a Women's Rest before establishing a lodge (set up by Anglican churchwomen for the welfare and protection of young girls).
So the first Women's Rest was in Market Street (likely 1918-19) in a building belonging to the Public Trust Office, and the building was furnished for the use of mothers out shopping with their babies. Mrs W. Rossiter was the first matron. It was the first of its kind in New Zealand.
A move was made to a building opposite the Hastings Municipal Buildings in Heretaunga Street East during 1919.
It was about this time my great-grandmother, Rosana Church with her husband, John Church, settled in Hastings. They had both immigrated from England to Auckland, marrying there in 1913.
Little Gran (to distinguish from her daughter, Olive, my grandmother) was an ardent member of the WCTU. Her husband, John ‒ much to my great- grandmother's disgust, engaged in home brewing. She was known to tip out his carefully brewed beer and replace the jars with fine Hastings artesian water. (John Church would have at least been immensely proud of his great-grandson, Matt Smith, owner of Brave Brewing, in the renovated Tribune buildings in Hastings.)
Meetings of the WCTU lasted at least until the 1960s in Hastings, where Rosana would proudly wear her WCTU white ribbon and take two of her granddaughters to meetings, where they would sing the WCTU's song and listen to lectures.
Strong supporter of the WCTU were the wahines of the Pakipaki marae. The first Maori Women's Christian Temperance Union convention was held there in April 1911.
Mrs Rossiter began to fundraise during August 1919 from the Heretaunga St Women's Rest to "provide a rest for tired mothers with children" by holding Saturday markets to sell meat, produce and cakes.
Hastings mayor George Ebbett suggested that in addition to building a hospital, a Municipal Women's Rest should also be built. George Ebbett was ahead of his time in recognition of the contribution that women made to society, and was a strong advocate for them, as was war hero Sir Andrew Russell. (Fittingly, Station St, where the Women's Rest would be built, was changed to Russell St in 1924.)
The area that the Women's Rest now occupies is part of the Hastings Civic Square, but in 1919 part of it was owned by the widow of a former Hastings mayor, Mrs Garnett.
Her land was also needed to help create Russell St between Eastbourne St and Lyndon Rd. The purchase price for her land paid by the council was £8,00 (2021: $802,000), but Mrs Garnett donated £750 ($75,000) of this towards the Mother's Rest building.
J.S. McLeod, of de Pelichet McLeod, stock and station agents in Lyndon Rd, agreed to donate £1000 and another £200 if the rest of Mrs Garnett's land was laid out in an open space.
Others who contributed were the Knight Brothers who gave 54 feet (16.5m) of their land needed to complete the project. One brother, A.B. Knight also contributed £350 and W.P. Thompson and the New Zealand Granite Company both gave £100 each towards the £2000 building's cost.
The building – which was built in the Californian bungalow-style was designed by borough engineer S.B. Dodge and built by the caretaker of the Hastings Municipal Theatre (Hawke's Bay Opera House), Thomas Scott.
When it was opened on September 8, 1921, there was accommodation for a matron (Mrs Kate Hagenson) and rooms for the Plunket nurse.
A Hastings Borough Council-controlled committee oversaw the Women's Rest, which had representatives from the WCTU, Plunket Society and Women's National Reserve.
In addition to the services provided for mothers, it was advertised as a safe place for the girls working in Hastings, who could have tea and biscuits at lunchtime.
Where other Women's Rests have ceased to exist or changed focus, the Hastings Women's Rest is now known as the Heretaunga Women's Centre and continues strongly the ideals promoted by a bunch of hardy Hastings women (aided by some supportive men) over 100 years ago.
Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher and commercial business writer of Hawke's Bay history. Follow him on facebook.com/michaelfowlerhistory
