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Professional primary health care by medical practitioners to the Island Bay community has been provided by general practitioners--GPs. During the 20th century there was a series of doctors, earlier as solo practitioners then later in group practice. Many doctors practiced both as GPs and in postgraduate specialities, while now they are specialists in general practice. Early on, they saw patients at the doctor's private residence in Island Bay, in dedicated consulting rooms in Island Bay or in the city, and now in the Island Bay Medical Centre. There were more home visits than today. Our community has been fortunate having the Public Hospital in nearby Newtown, since 1881, the hospital at the Home of Compassion off Murray Street until 2002, and the Wellington Free Ambulance service available since 1927.
Dr George Edwin Deamer, who graduated in 1888 in Scotland, practiced in Island Bay from about 1910 to 1914 as a physician and surgeon. He was our first resident medical practitioner and lived with his wife Mabel, on The Parade, next to Herbert Clarke the chemist. Stones Directory of 1914 lists him at 141 The Parade together with Dr William James Cran, surgeon - who must have been briefly in Wellington, after being in Denniston and before returning to the Auckland region.
Eric Maffey, in his local history, says that Dr Deamer, Dr Lyons [sic], Dr Pidgeon [sic] and Dr Martin were early doctors in Island Bay, who often hired a horse and gig from Tonks and Andrew's livery stable on The Parade to visit patients. This may have been at 190 The Parade.
Dr George Lyon, who graduated in 1891 in Aberdeen, practiced as a surgeon in Timaru, then Wanganui, Ashburton and England. But I am yet to find any referenced link to Wellington or Island Bay for him, the only Lyon or Lyons registered as a medical practitioner in the first 40 years of the century. Presumably he practiced locally before the Great War.
Dr Hugh Walter Pigeon, who was born in England and graduated in 1898 in Canada, practiced in Wellington between 1908 and 1926, except for the war years. He resided with his wife Fanny in Willis Street from 1908, and died tragically while fishing at the Wainuiomata River in 1926. Dr Pigeon, visited patients in Island Bay, served with the Imperial Army as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Mr Richard Bowden Martin, who later practiced as a medical practitioner and lived in Island Bay, reached the rank of Sergeant in the New Zealand Medical Corps. He was with the NZMC army hospital on the troopship Marquette when it was torpedoed in October 1915, and he served in the Balkans and in France.
Dr Frederick Thompson Bowerbank, also saw active service abroad with the New Zealand Medical Corps, reached the rank of Major in 1918, and was awarded the OBE. Dr Bowerbank graduated in 1904 in Edinburgh, and practiced in Newtown from 1908 to 1924, except for the war years. From 1911 he was living with his wife Maud at 17 Revans Street (later 17 Riddiford Street) next to the main entrance to Wellington Hospital. After gaining post-graduate qualifications from Edinburgh, as a specialist physician in 1925, he lived and practiced in the city. Recently, I have been told that Dr Bowerbank visited patients in Island Bay, also coming by horse and gig.
Dr Alfred Norman Slater graduated in 1923 in Dunedin* where he was born, and practiced in Island Bay from 1928 to 1939 while living at 200 The Parade with his wife Kate. Initially seeing patients at his residence or in their homes, later his consulting rooms were advertised at Kelvin Chambers on The Terrace. While overseas as a Captain in the New Zealand Medical Corps from October 1939 to June 1944, he was part of the 1 General Hospital detachment that was captured in Greece in April 1941 and he became chief surgeon at a hospital for British prisoners of war in Germany. Although he gained a postgraduate surgical qualification from Edinburgh in 1933, after the war he became a specialist anaesthetist in both public and private hospitals in Wellington.
Dr Richard Bowden Martin, who was born in Wellington, graduated in 1924 in Dunedin, and was resident with his wife Jocelyn at 169 The Parade, which was built for them, from about 1932 and was at 18 Brighton Street by 1949. Their children attended Island Bay School. His father was living at what is now The Pines, Houghton Bay. After gaining his postgraduate surgical qualification in Edinburgh in 1927 he was a visiting surgeon at Wellington Hospital from 1927 to 1951. His consulting rooms from 1927 were at 202 Willis Street and from 1936 to 1951 at 161-165 Willis Street.
Dr Alfred Bruno Sternberg, who was born in Gnesen, Poland, graduated in 1934 in Scotland, became naturalised in New Zealand in June 1938, and practiced in Island Bay from 1940 to 1957. He lived with his wife Martha at 200 The Parade and their son briefly attended Island Bay School. Initially patients were seen at his residence but from 1942 his consulting rooms were at 212 The Parade.
During the years of the Second World War, 1939-1945, the medical workforce here at home was sorely stretched. Adults of younger age saw war service, namely Drs Slater, Stevenson-Wright, Suckling and Sundstrum, as also did Mr Malcolm Nicolson. Island Bay folk had the services of Dr Sternberg from 1940, and Dr Martin was residing at 169 The Parade. Other doctors were available at consulting rooms in the central city. Some remember during war-time restrictions, that Dr Sternberg was not allowed to drive his car to Happy Valley, but was allowed to walk to visit patients there.
169 The Parade, Island Bay. This was the residence of Dr Martin from 1932, of Dr Suckling from 1946 and of Dr Stevenson-Wright from 1962. The door for patients is on the extreme right. Photo taken in 2008, by the author.
Dr Lester Wycherley Suckling, graduated about 1939 in Dunedin, and after the war was in general practice in Island Bay with his family residence and consulting rooms at 169 The Parade, the house with the high gables, from 1946. Their children had some schooling at Island Bay School. When the local post office crossed the road, he moved his consulting rooms into the vacated premises at 155 The Parade, where he was from 1953 to about 1974. In April 1968 he and his wife Esther moved to 46A Derwent Street. Until 1994, he says, he was available for consultation by appointment, usually with an Island Bay phone number, for general practice and diseases of the heart.
Dr Frederick Alexander Sundstrum, who graduated in 1937 in Dunedin, did not live in our suburb but practiced in Island Bay from 1957 at 155 The Parade with Dr Suckling, and from 1964 to 1970 at 121A The Parade. During this time he also had consulting rooms in Courtenay Place, often being in Island Bay in the mornings and in Courtenay Place in the afternoons.
Dr Earl Stevenson-Wright, who graduated in 1937 in Dunedin, was in general practice with consulting rooms in Newtown. Briefly about 1941, and for a longer period after the war, his rooms were at his residence at 42 Rintoul Street, then from 1958 at 33 Rintoul Street, until about 1982. For twenty years, from about 1962, his residence was at 169 The Parade, Island Bay.
Dr Wilmot John Trezise, who graduated in 1944, and gained his Australasian postgraduate surgical qualification in 1950, was at 169 The Parade in about 1951 and 1952. He may have been a locum for Dr Martin.
Dr Malcolm John Nicolson CBE, who was born in Wellington, graduated in medicine and surgery in 1954 in Dunedin, and was in general practice in Island Bay for over 30 years, from 1957 to 1990. Initially he lived at 302 The Parade, with his wife Valerie, where he saw patients in his surgery at his residence. From 1959 his rooms were at 212 The Parade, using two shops, one as the waiting room and the other as the surgery. During this period on his own, he shared time on after-hour-call with Dr Ashton Fitchett in Brooklyn. He lived at 236 The Parade, from April 1960, with his family and the children attended Island Bay School. In 1963 he started what would become the Island Bay Medical Centre at 159 The Parade, then with a five digit phone number 84 687. Postgraduate qualifications in obstetrics and gynaecology were gained in 1965, after two years at National Women's Hospital, Auckland, and he practiced here in this speciality for many years. Royal College qualification in General Practice was gained in 1974. For many years from 1968, Dr Nicolson was a member of the Wellington Hospital Board, and Chairman for 12 years from 1971, for which he was honoured in June 1984 with the CBE for services to the Wellington Hospital Board and the community. The Irwell Resthome at 11 Irwell Street, on the Happy Valley hill-side, was founded by his wife and sons in 1998, and continues to be owned and managed by his son and daughter-in-law.
Dr Malcolm Nicolson, CBE, 1987 Courtesy Mrs Valerie Nicolson.
Dr Thomas Farrar, who was born in Vienna, Austria, graduated in 1955 in Dunedin, and was in general practice for 35 years, from 1963 to 1998, at the Island Bay Medical Centre. He lived at 175 Melbourne Road with his wife Kay and their children who attended Island Bay School, where Dr Farrar was on the School Committee from 1971 and Chairman for two years from 1973. He gained his membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners, London, in 1969. For twenty years he was a police surgeon in the Wellington Police District, being Senior Police Surgeon for his last five years. For many years he was the visiting medical officer to the Home of Compassion Hospital. Many executive positions were held in local and national medical bodies as well as being a clinical lecturer in general practice at the Wellington School of Medicine.
Dr Edwin Fong Sang, who was born in Suva, Fiji, graduated in 1957 in Dunedin, and was in general practice here as a locum in 1962-63, then at the Island Bay Medical Centre from 1968 to 2000. He lived at 7 Beach Street with his wife Nessie and their children who attended St Madeleine Sophie's School and Erskine College. He gained his membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners, London, in 1969, and was an early Registered Medical Acupuncturist. The Student Health Service at Wellington Polytechnic was started by Dr Sang who was a part-time medical officer there for many years from 1972. Several executive and examiner positions were held in national medical bodies as well as being a clinical lecturer in general practice at the Wellington School of Medicine.
There is a story told, from the early 1970s, of two friends chatting, one had just visited her GP, and the other asked: "Did you see the old one, the young one or the Chinese one?" Meaning Drs Nicolson or Farrar or Sang!
159 The Parade, showing the Island Bay Medical Centre building in 2008. Taken by the author.
More recently practitioners at the Island Bay Medical Centre have included: from 1973 to 1981 there was Dr Teresa (Tessa) Turnbull, who graduated in 1969 from Otago; and continuing on after 1990 have been Dr Helen Rodenburg since 1984, Dr Julie Kimber since 1989 and also Dr David Werry since 1989. From 1990 GPs at the After Hours Medical Centre at 17 Adelaide Road, Newtown, have been available for after hours primary medical care.
Sources:Electoral Rolls, WellingtonMaffey, Eric W, Island Bay a brief historyMedical Register in New Zealand GazettesNational Archives, WW1 service records and naturalisation recordsNew Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 1998NZ Society of Genealogists CD Index to pre-1948 admissions to Island Bay SchoolPersonal communication with Drs Farrar, Sang, Suckling and Mrs NicolsonTaylor, Alister, Honoured by the Queen, New Zealand 1953-1993Telephone Directories, WellingtonWellington Hospital Senior Staff Biographies with portrait photos re Drs R B Martin, M J Nicolson and A N Slater at http://www.ccdhb.org.nz/hhist/staff/ (accessed 1 August 2008) Wises and Stones Post Office DirectoriesWW2 medical history at http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2MMed.html (accessed 1 August 2008)*Medical graduates in Dunedin, until 1961 graduated from the University of New Zealand, and from 1962 graduated from Otago University.
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