BOPDHB History Tauranga Hospital Centennial Book | Page 7

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Tauranga Hospital was officially opened on 6 March 1914
by the Inspector-General of Hospitals Dr T.H.A Valintine.
The first two patients were admitted on that day. They were
Herbert Wood, aged 20, and his brother, Reginald, aged
16. Both were diagnosed as having ‘enteric’ fever, that is,
typhoid fever. The duration of their stay in hospital was 77
days for Herbert and 34 days for Reginald.
Forty years later, in 1950, Tauranga Hospital was
considered a Cottage Hospital and was located a distance
from town. Greerton was a Town Board and there was little
housing beyond what is now 23rd Avenue.

Introduction
Reflecting on the last 100 years has presented a timely
opportunity for us to reconnect with the past, and discover
stories about people who have worked at the hospital
during that time. This is a compilation of some of those
stories and I want to thank all of you who have made a
contribution to the hospital in the past and will do in the
future.

Phil Cammish
Chief Executive
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
March 2014

Today we have a modern hospital that can no longer be
considered a Cottage Hospital. We also have a wonderfully
dedicated staff practising innovative and sometimes worldleading medicine for the people of the Bay of Plenty.
I am often told by people how proud they are of Tauranga
Hospital, and especially so when they drive past and
compare today’s modern buildings to the 1950’s Cottage
Hospital.

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