Eileen Davidson, centre, marked her 100th birthday alongside her brother Doug and sister Shirley.
Eileen Davidson, centre, marked her 100th birthday alongside her brother Doug and sister Shirley.
NZME’s On The Up is a national campaign showcasing Kiwi stories of inspiration, success, courage, possibilities and overcoming challenges. Former Northland nurse Eileen Davidson is being remembered for her pioneering work, as she celebrates her 100th birthday.
A former Northland nurse has received messages of thanks for her pioneering work, as part of her 100th birthday celebrations.
Among her gifts was one from Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora, and Davidson said it was wonderful to be remembered after all those years.
As memories of the women she trained and nursed with came flooding back, it was bittersweet as Davidson is the only one left in her class.
“I met one of my very best friends on night duty and we stayed friends all our lives. She passed away in 1994 aged 94 ... It was a lovely, very special friendship.”
After graduating at Whangārei Hospital, Davidson moved to Rawene Hospital to work under Dr George Marshall McCall Smith - a Scottish medical doctor who practised some unconventional cures.
“I tell everybody his remedy for everything was cod liver oil and vaseline. It was supposed to cure headaches, sore throats, even haemorrhoids.”
For 34 years, Smith ran Rawene Hospital, campaigned for state funding of health and is remembered for creating a health service for the remote Hokianga area.
Eileen Davidson was just a teenager when she started nurse training at Whangārei Hospital in 1943. She graduated as a registered nurse in April 1947.
One of Davidson’s first nursing challenges was the 1948 polio epidemic, caused by the highly infectious poliovirus, which can lead to paralysis and even death.
During this time, public health measures were used to control the spread of the virus, including closing schools and public places, and encouraging good hygiene practices.
“One of my cousins caught polio and she was, of course, disabled for life. Yeah, it was horrible, and now we have Covid,” Davidson said.
The development and widespread use of the polio vaccine in the 1950s and 1960s eventually led to a dramatic decrease in polio cases worldwide.
Davidson also received a personalised card from Hokianga Health to mark her 100th milestone.
“Here in the Hokianga, we are pleased to continue the great work that Dr Smith and nurses like you pioneered over 70 years ago,” it read.
Eileen Davidson, front left, says she is the only one left out of her Whangarei Hospital graduation class.
When asked if she had a message for today’s nurses, Davidson was quick to point out she thought they earned their money, whereas she had her books, uniforms and board paid for by the hospital board.
Davidson’s 100th birthday was marked with a lunch and dinner with family members, including her son and his daughter from England.
Family members also came from New Zealand, including her 98-year-old brother Doug and 85-year-old sister Shirley: the three remaining siblings left out of eight.
Daughter Dianne Notton, who lives with Davidson in Sydney, said it was lovely to see everyone reunited.
“Mum’s brother, Doug, and she are very close; they’re just like two naughty kids when they get together,” she laughed.
“Mum received a card and letter from the King, but I think receiving a card from Whangārei and Rawene Hospitals, plus the beautiful Northland gift, has been the icing on the cake.”
When asked how it feels to turn 100, Davidson noted it makes you very slow, and it takes twice as long to do anything.
“I said to Diane the other day: I don’t want to be 100 - I’d rather be 90 plus 10.”
