Market Road, Remuera, Auckland

 

Terry is researching the history of the above military hospital that existed at Hobson Park on east side of Market Road, Remuera during WWII.

The land was owned by the Dilworth Estate, and is between the Remuera Bowling Club and the main trunk railway line. It was leased to the Remuera Tennis Club from 1908.

In 1942 the land was requisitioned for defence purposes by the Public Works Department. Both the U.S. Navy Mobile Hospital #4, and latterly the Royal N.Z. Air Force Training School, were based there. There was even a post-office on site – photo displays the office postmark.

In 1946, after the hospital had been decommissioned, it was re-opened as “Camp Oranje” to accommodate the Dutch evacuees from Batavia (Netherlands East Indies). 2 Shiploads of evacuees arrived in New Zealand on the “M.S. Tasman”, a former wartime hospital ship, and many were accommodated at this site.

 

Finally, part of the hospital was used as a Preliminary School for the Hospital Board General Nurses Programme. This existed until approximately 1962 when the school located to Greenlane Hospital. Some of the land was then taken for construction of the Southern Motorway, and all buildings were finally demolished.

Terry is very interested to hear from anyone who can assist with the following: –

• Written information on the Hospital, Training School, Camp Oranje or the Nurses School.
• Photos of interior/exterior of buildings/grounds/people
• Anecdotal stories
• Any leads that can be given for information
• Correspondence or diaries of any person involved with the site.
• Information / photos of the removal & disposal of the buildings

 

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