HISTORY OF THE COTTAGE
- The Cottage is the former Opunake Maternity Hospital and in 1990 the local community set up a Charitable Trust and converted the facility into a Rest Home for the purposes of:
- (a) “Establishing a rest home which will provide both residential and day care accommodation and nursing and supporting care and attention (including the provision of meals with or without payment for the same) for elderly or disabled persons in Coastal Taranaki Area irrespective of age race creed.”
- (b) “Providing for the social welfare, care and comfort of elderly and disabled persons in any manner whatsoever.”
EARLIER HISTORY
Left: Cottage Hospital 1921-22: Feaver Photo. Puke Ariki
Opened in 1922 by M Fraser, Chair of the Taranaki Hospital Board. The building was designed by the Hospital Board's architect, H. V. S. (Victor) Griffiths of the New Plymouth firm, Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor.
The hospital closed in the 1980's and was then converted to the Cottage Rest Home.
It was originally planned to have a 3-bed maternity ward and 2 single emergency beds but the Health Department would not allow the combined facility so it became a maternity hospital only.
A number of additions to the building have been made over the years.(See ARC2004.1313, Duffill Collection, Puke Ariki)
Further Reading: Mickelson, Kate: The Clearing; A History of Opunake, 1989, pgs 53-56
The hospital closed in the 1980's and was then converted to the Cottage Rest Home.
It was originally planned to have a 3-bed maternity ward and 2 single emergency beds but the Health Department would not allow the combined facility so it became a maternity hospital only.
A number of additions to the building have been made over the years.(See ARC2004.1313, Duffill Collection, Puke Ariki)
Further Reading: Mickelson, Kate: The Clearing; A History of Opunake, 1989, pgs 53-56
Contact details
1 Layard StreetOpunake 4616Taranaki
The Cottage is open 24 hours to visitors.
Our Office hours are:
Monday8:00am – 5:00pmTuesday8:00am – 5:00pmWednesday8:00am – 5:00pmThursday8:00am – 5:00pmFriday8:00am – 5:00pm
