Dr Doris, and her husband Dr Bill, were both well known and respected in Stratford where they lived. Photo / Supplied
Dr Doris, and her husband Dr Bill, were both well known and respected in Stratford where they lived. Photo / Supplied
A lecture dedicated to the life of a Stratford doctor who died more than 60 years ago will take place in New Plymouth this month.
Dr Ronald Jones, a retired obstetrician and gynaecologist from Auckland, will be presenting the Doris Gordon Memorial Trust Lecture at an event organised by DorisGordon's granddaughter, Nicky Gordon, and Mary Perrott, a member of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ).
Mary says Dr Doris, as she was known to most, was herself a member of the NCWNZ during her time in Stratford. Ron Jones is the chairman of the trust.
Five years after her death in 1956, the NCWNZ and the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society established the Doris Gordon Memorial Trust to commemorate Gordon's work and to further the study and teaching and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology.
The trust became inactive in the 1990s, when maternity care moved from general practitioners to midwives, but the trust fund remained.
In 2014 a new trust was formed, by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the NCWNZ and the funds were then used for an annual Doris Gordon Memorial Lecture.
The inaugural oration was delivered by Ronald Jones in the October of 2015 at the RANZCOG NZ Annual Scientific Meeting in Wellington.
Mary says Dr Doris is well known for her work in health reform, obstetrics and rural health care.
"She and her husband, Dr Bill Gordon, were as well loved as they were known in Stratford. They were very good people, very good doctors, and they did so much for the community they lived in. The lecture is a way to honour this legacy.
Dr Doris Gordon, pictured on the steps of her Stratford home, with some of her children. Photo / Supplied
"People still remember Dr Doris and the work she did. I have been approached by people who were her patients back then, and they have strong memories of her."
Mary and Nicky are grateful to Casey and Richard Martin, of Eagars Funerals, for granting them the use of the Te Henui Chapel in New Plymouth for the lecture as well as facilitating a livestream on the evening.
Entry to the lecture is free. Donations are accepted which will go towards support for breastfeeding mothers.
Need to know: Doris Gordon Memorial Trust lecture presented by Dr Ronald Jones. Doris Gordon - Foundation of a legacy. Tuesday, March 23. 5.30pm-6.30pm followed by tea / coffee at Eagars' Te Henui Chapel, 174 Lemon St, New Plymouth, inside the Te Henui Cemetery gates. Off street parking available. Livestream available on the lecture page at eagars.co.nz/dorisgordon.
