Mata Hurae, who was the first baby born at Waiora House, stands in front of the old matron's cottage ahead of its demolition.
Mata Hurae, who was the first baby born at Waiora House, stands in front of the old matron's cottage ahead of its demolition.
It was a full-circle experience for Mata Knight this week when she visited the new Waiora House building, 80 years after becoming the first person to be born at the Taupō Maternity Hospital which once stood there.
The special guest was given a tour of the new social services hub, which is expected to be up and running by August.
As a purpose-built, modern facility, Waiora House will once again hold Taupō's social service organisations in one location.
There, they will enjoy access to flexible meeting spaces, private offices and a centralised reception for visitors.
The new Waiora House building is nearly complete and is expected to be up and running by August.
The light-filled building is a far cry from the original one, which was completed in 1943 and served as the local maternity hospital, before becoming the first Waiora House building in 1989.
It was demolished in 2019 due to the discovery of asbestos in the ceiling.
A fire in 2004 had disturbed the hazardous material, sparking fears asbestos could have been circulating in the air via the ceiling fans for 15 years.
Due to the high cost and impracticality of repair works, it was ultimately decided to replace the central building altogether, while retaining several smaller buildings that make up the rest of the complex.
However, one of the smallest original structures, the old matron’s cottage, now faces demolition due to damage in Cyclone Gabrielle and the presence of asbestos.
Knight described the “small, little rooms” that made up the maternity hospital’s main building- something she is able to remember because her mother worked in the laundry there before and after her birth.
The youngest of nine children, Knight was born before the unit’s official opening in early 1944.
The location of Knight’s birth also affected the name her mother chose for her.
“Apparently, I was named after one of the matrons that was here - she was German.”
The name has become a family one and has since been passed down to Knight’s niece.
While Knight obviously didn’t remember the milestone occasion of her birth, she had happy memories associated with the building.
“I’ve got a photo of the actual opening of the hospital - me in my little pram with my mother.”
“I have another photo taken down at Rickett’s Hall, in the main street.
“It was a farewell, I think, for the matron, and I was about 7 or 8.
“I loved it, because I got new shoes, some shoes to wear, because I used to go to school with bare feet.
“I got a new dress too.”
Knight has spent most of her life living in Taupō, save for a brief stint in Tūrangi.
This meant that as she went through life, the maternity hospital was an important part of her own family’s story, with two of her three children being born there.
Knight’s connection to the site was a special one, but she was also one of thousands with a story to tell about receiving help from the maternity hospital and Waiora House.
Among those touring the new Waiora House were Mayor David Trewavas (left), Mata Knight, Councillor Yvonne Westerman, and Chris Johnston and Catie Noble of the Waiora Community Trust.
Among those assembled for the tour of the building was Catie Noble of the Waiora House Trust, who worked with the organisations to develop a charter for the new Waiora House.
She explained that it was important to look both forwards and to the past when considering how the space and services would work.
“Together, we built a kaupapa for this whole place, that’s really going to allow those socially-focused organisations to work together and have a lot more impact for our community.
“We worked with members of the social organisations that have been connected to Waiora House, people that have been connected and people that want to be connected in the future.
“To build on the heritage that this site has - there’s generations of our whānau who have been born here or are connected to this space.
“We’re really excited about how it’s going to work and the impact that that’s going to have on the people that need it.”
Hurae said although it looked very different to her birthplace, she was impressed with the new facility.
