Dargaville Hospital celebrates half century

Kaipara residents, former staff and patients are all invited to join in Dargaville Hospital's fiftieth birthday celebrations on Monday, 21 May.

Although the facility in Awakino Road reached its half century in February last year, the occasion is being marked this month with a formal celebration and an open day for the community.
The day will start with a formal powhiri, with speakers including Lynette Stewart, Chair of Northland DHB, and Allan Mortensen, Chair of the Kaipara Care Health Trust.

After cutting the special celebratory cake supplied by staff member Linda Gould, the informal part of the day will begin - with a hospital bed race pitting nine teams from different area of the hospital and medical centre against each other.

There will also be a museum display throughout the day, with a chance to see a collection of historical photos, staff uniforms and medical equipment.

Dargaville Hospital's Operations Manager, Jen Thomas, said; "As well as being a celebration of our hospital's fiftieth anniversary, the event will give people a chance to see what services are available here and find out a bit more about what we do. It will also be an opportunity for former staff to come back, catch up with some old friends and share some memories. We hope it will be a really good, fun day for the whole community."

The open day runs from 9am to 4pm, with the informal part of the day commencing around 11am.

Dargaville Hospital's foundation brick was laid in 1953 by Mr Melvin Williams, Chairman of the Northland Hospital Board. It was designed by an Auckland-based architect, and was mainly built by locals - some of the older patients who now use the facility remember constructing the facility. The official opening was held on Saturday, 25 February 1956 and was attended by a large number of locals, all dressed in their Sunday best.

The maternity annex arrived at Dargavile in October 1971, replacing the facility at Te Koporu Hospital. This was followed in 1999 by the Total Care Health Centre, incorporating Kaipara's GPs in the Dargaville Medical Centre. This new facility was officially opened on 26 February 2000 by the then Health Minister, the Honourable Annette King.

The current facility provides a 12-bed general ward and a four-bed maternity annex, supported by a palliative care room and laboratory, radiology, physiotherapy and occupational health services.


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For further information, please contact:

Clare Blackburn, Communications Manager

Northland District Health Board 

Phone (09) 430 4101 ext 3315