Nurses' Memorial Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nurses' Memorial Chapel |
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The Nurses Memorial Chapel following the February 2011 earthquake
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| 43°32′03″S 172°37′27″E / 43.53419°S 172.62429°E | |
| Location | Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | interdenominational |
| History | |
| Status | closed due to damage sustained in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake |
The Nurses' Memorial Chapel is a very special building located at Christchurch Hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand. It's officially recognized as a Category I heritage building. This means it's super important to New Zealand's history.
This chapel is unique for several reasons. It was the first hospital chapel ever built in New Zealand. It's also the only memorial in the whole country dedicated just to women who served in World War I. Plus, it's the only hospital chapel in the world built to remember nurses who died during that war.
Contents
A Look Back: The Chapel's Story
The idea for a chapel at Christchurch Hospital first came from two former head nurses, Sibylla Maude and Mabel Thurston. Later, Rose Muir, who was the head nurse from 1919 to 1936, wrote to the hospital board in 1924. She explained how much a chapel was needed.
The hospital board agreed to the idea in 1925. They provided the land for the chapel. They also paid for the foundation and the basement. The basement was then used by the hospital. The government said the hospital board couldn't pay for the rest of the building. They suggested that the public should raise money for the chapel. So, a fundraising campaign started in November 1925.
The foundation stone was laid on March 15, 1927. It was laid by the Duke of York. The stone shows the name of the Duchess of York. But she was ill that day, so her husband laid the stone for her. The chapel was built during 1927. It was designed by John Goddard Collins. He offered his time to design it for free.
The first church service was held on Christmas Day in 1927. The chapel is dedicated to nurses who died during World War I. It also remembers nurses who died during the 1918 flu pandemic. Three nurses from Christchurch—Nona Hildyard, Margaret Rogers, and Lorna Rattray—died when their ship, the SS Marquette, was sunk in 1915 by a German submarine. Two other Christchurch nurses—Grace Beswick and Hilda Hooker—died during the flu pandemic.
Saving the Chapel: Threats and Repairs
In the mid-1970s, the hospital board wanted to knock down the chapel. They planned to build more operating rooms there. But many people strongly disagreed. So, the hospital board found another solution that kept the chapel safe.
Another threat to demolish the chapel happened in the 1980s. Again, there was strong opposition. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust issued a special protection notice in August 1989. After that, the hospital board leased the building to the Christchurch City Council. Now, a special trust manages it. A group called 'Friends of the Chapel' helps to care for it.
The chapel was closed after the September 4, 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The building was damaged. It got even more damage in later earthquakes. In October 2011, the Canterbury District Health Board announced that the chapel would be repaired. They had thought about knocking it down, but decided to fix it instead. Work to restore the chapel began in October 2017. It was finished on time in October 2018. The Governor General, Dame Patsy Reddy, officially re-opened it on October 27, 2018.
The Chapel's Design and Art
John Goddard Collins chose the Arts and Crafts style for the building. The walls are made of exposed brick, both inside and out. There is also beautiful timberwork inside. This timber includes Oregon wood panels. The floor is made of blackwood and oak in a special pattern called parquet.
There are carvings in the sanctuary, which is the most sacred part of the chapel. These carvings were made by Frederick Gurnsey and Jack Vivian. In the early 1990s, a porch was added to the chapel.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
The chapel is famous for its amazing stained glass windows. Each window tells a story or remembers a special person.
| Name of window | Designer | Dedicated to |
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| The Angel of Charity and a Waif | Veronica Whall | Mary Ewart, the first qualified nurse at Christchurch Hospital. She was Matron from 1898–1908. |
| Faith and a Sick Child | Veronica Whall | Sybilla Maude (Nurse Maude), who started the Nurse Maude Association. |
| Christ and Children | Veronica Whall | Annie Pattrick, a nurse during wartime and an early supporter of the Plunket Society. |
| The Angel of Hope | Veronica Whall | Pioneer nurses (the very first nurses). |
| The Conversion of St Paul | Francis Spear | Mabel Thurston, a wartime nurse and Matron of Christchurch Hospital from 1908–1916. |
| St Agatha | Francis Spear | Mary Christmas, a survivor of the Marquette sinking. She was also the first nursing tutor at the Christchurch Preliminary School of Nursing. |
| St. Faith | Francis Spear | Rose Muir, Matron of Christchurch Hospital from 1916 – 1936. |
| Lamb of God & The Dove of Peace | Gifted from the former St. Mary's Church, Merivale | |
| Poppy's Remembrance | Suzanne Johnson | Poppy Blaythwayt, a home sister at Christchurch Hospital Nurses' Home in the 1950s and 1960s. |
| Nurses' Memorial Window | Stephen Belanger-Taylor | Nurses from the First and Second World Wars. |
Why the Chapel is Important
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust officially recognized the Nurses' Memorial Chapel on July 20, 1989. It was given registration number 1851.
The chapel is very important because it was New Zealand's first hospital chapel. It's also the only memorial in the country dedicated only to women who served in World War I. And, it's the only hospital chapel in the world that remembers nurses who died in World War I.
