Historic fence on Whanganui’s Durie Hill will be restored by summer

The fence "is a reminder of the layers of social and historical significance" at the Durie Hill site. Photo / NZME

A historic stretch of fence on Whanganui’s Durie Hill is about to be restored and reinstated.

It was built in the 1890s to border the grounds of Thomas and Jeannie Duncan’s Puke Tiro homestead, which was eventually converted into a privately-.funded children’s hospital called the Duncan Hospital for Poliomyelitis.

The couple set aside their Otiwhiti Station property in Hunterville as a charitable trust to fund the hospital.

From 1953, the hospital treated polio using warm moisture techniques and movement therapy - pioneered by Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny - before closing in 1979.

At the time of the hospital’s opening, New Zealand was experiencing its sixth polio epidemic and most of the victims were children.

The homestead was later used as a nursing home before being sold and relocated to Wairarapa.

It is now located near Rathkeale College in Masterton.

The Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust and Whanganui’s two Rotary clubs are collaborating on the project.

Trustee Bruce Dickson said the objectives were to restore the fence and acknowledge the enormous generosity the Duncan family had bestowed on Whanganui - “seen not just in the Duncan Polio Hospital but in the many other major donations made to the city”.

“The fence is the last remaining vestige of the Duncan Hospital in Whanganui and a reminder of the layers of social and historical significance at the site,” he said.

Replacement fence parts have been cut to profile by local joiner Mark Thompson and Rotary is contributing voluntary labour to the project.

The fence sits on a section between the Durie Hill Elevator Tower and the War Memorial Tower, purchased by Whanganui District Council in 2020 for use as a public reserve.

The council provided funding through its Whanganui Heritage Grant Fund.

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said the trust assisted with arranging the new elevator entrance on Anzac Parade.

“I know they are very capable of co-ordinating this sensitive restoration project and I’d like to thank them for their passion in taking the lead on it,” he said.

“I’d also like to thank both Rotary clubs and the Sir Thomas and Lady Duncan Trust for the grants and time they have donated towards this project.

“The fence is in a high-profile location near the Durie Hill Elevator and many locals and visitors have commented on it. It will be great to have it restored alongside interpretative signage so it can be appreciated by a wider audience.”

Work will be completed by summer.