WELLINGTON HOSPITAL HISTORY
The decades spanning 1940 to 1960 were a period of immense challenge and change for Wellington Public Hospital. Facing critical overcrowding and the complexities of wartime, ambitious plans for expansion were repeatedly delayed and scaled back.
This page details the protracted journey of the Centenary Block, conceived to alleviate severe overcrowding. Explore the initial designs, delays, controversies, and its eventual construction as the crucial ‘210 Block’, providing much-needed relief to a struggling hospital.
Discover the Wellington Hospital Post Office, established in 1941 to provide vital postal and banking services to patients and staff, especially during wartime. This internal facility, which also ran an unofficial telephone exchange, served the hospital community for decades before its eventual closure in 1988, reflecting changes in communication technology.
Explore Wellington Hospital’s significant expansion and modernisation in the 1950s. This decade saw the opening of the Dominion Physical Laboratory, a new Laundry Block, and major developments for the School of Nursing, alongside the introduction of advanced medical equipment like the “heart-lung” machine, addressing growing healthcare demands.