π’ Essex Hospital and Home
ⓘCollected from local cache
Raw data from Axiell backend
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[0] => The Female Refuge - known later as Essex Hospital - was opened in 1877 as a home for 'fallen women', those women who were single and pregnant. It secured both government and private funding, and developed into a charitable maternity hospital and provided mid-wifery and maternity nurse training. The hospital was closed in 1980.
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[history] => The Female Refuge was funded by the Canterbury Provincial Government and was ready for occupation in November 1876. The refuge was intended for single women who had become pregnant - colloqually known as 'fallen women'. Two years later, a second 'B' wing residency was opened for single women with ther second pregancy; considered an even greater moral 'fall', hence these women were kept strictly segregated from the others. In 1881 it was agreed that it also be used as a lying-in hospital for married women from the country.
A management committee was established to run the home initially, but In 1885, the United Charitable Aid Board took over control of the hospital, although day to day management was left with the existing committee. The Board taking only an active role in financial affairs. However, the Refuge operated a commercially-run laundry service staffed by able bodied patients, which meant that the institution became almost self-supporting. Within this administrative structure, the St Saviours Guild took over from the committee under contract in 1890 until 1910 when the newly amalgamated North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board took over fully.
The Refuge changed its named to Essex Home in 1918, and by the late 1930s, 'home' and been replaced with 'hospital' to reflect the growing professionalism and staff and care. It remained, however, a maternity hospital focussed primarily on single women - the ratio of unmarried to married mothers remaining 2:1 through much of its existence. Essex provided a training service for midwives until the 1930s, and from the late 1930s, provided similar training services for maternity nurses. During the War, the hospital underwent extensive renovations, and increased the number of beds available from 17 to 25. An antenatal department, isolation block and nursery were also completed at this time.
By the 1970s however, its role and function had become increasingly untenable, as social attitudes began to change and Christchurch Women's increased in capacity. The hospital finally closed its doors in 1980.
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Show History
The Female Refuge was funded by the Canterbury Provincial Government and was ready for occupation in November 1876. The refuge was intended for single women who had become pregnant - colloqually known as 'fallen women'. Two years later, a second 'B' wing residency was opened for single women with ther second pregancy; considered an even greater moral 'fall', hence these women were kept strictly segregated from the others. In 1881 it was agreed that it also be used as a lying-in hospital for married women from the country.
A management committee was established to run the home initially, but In 1885, the United Charitable Aid Board took over control of the hospital, although day to day management was left with the existing committee. The Board taking only an active role in financial affairs. However, the Refuge operated a commercially-run laundry service staffed by able bodied patients, which meant that the institution became almost self-supporting. Within this administrative structure, the St Saviours Guild took over from the committee under contract in 1890 until 1910 when the newly amalgamated North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board took over fully.
The Refuge changed its named to Essex Home in 1918, and by the late 1930s, 'home' and been replaced with 'hospital' to reflect the growing professionalism and staff and care. It remained, however, a maternity hospital focussed primarily on single women - the ratio of unmarried to married mothers remaining 2:1 through much of its existence. Essex provided a training service for midwives until the 1930s, and from the late 1930s, provided similar training services for maternity nurses. During the War, the hospital underwent extensive renovations, and increased the number of beds available from 17 to 25. An antenatal department, isolation block and nursery were also completed at this time.
By the 1970s however, its role and function had become increasingly untenable, as social attitudes began to change and Christchurch Women's increased in capacity. The hospital finally closed its doors in 1980.
- π’ Christchurch Women's Hospital (1980 ‑ )
- π Hospitals and Charitable Aid (1896 ‑ 1925)
- π Health (1923 ‑ )
- π’ Canterbury Provincial Government Office, Christchurch (1877)
- π’ Canterbury Hospital Board (1910 ‑ 1980)
- π’ United Ashburton and North Canterbury Charitable Aid Board (1885 ‑ 1909)
- π’ Hospital Board [Christchurch] (1878 ‑ 1885)