The Archives

• A history of the public hospital in Wellington+
  • The Children’s Hospital
  • Additions 1913 – 1939
  • Additions 1940 – 1960+
    • The Centenary Block
    • The Hospital Post Office
    • The Hospital in the 1950s
  • The Thorndon Hospitals
  • The first Newtown Hospital
  • Early expansion 1888 – 1910+
    • 1901 – 1906
    • 1907 – 1910
• The Early Staff of the Hospital
• Nursing Administration+
  • 1880-1920+
    • Mary Anne Baillie
    • Elizabeth Hermansen
    • Mrs Johanne M Thorpe
    • Mrs Bernard Moore
    • Ellen Dougherty
    • Augusta Godfrey
    • Mary E Kissling
    • Frances K Payne
    • Ellen Mary Pettit
    • Kate Marsden
    • Elizabeth Katherine Berry
    • Edith Crerar
    • Sarah Jane Hetherington ARRC
    • Elizabeth Williamina Inglis Stott
    • Jean Todd
    • Maggie Preston
  • 1921 – 1960+
    • Edith P Tennent
    • Gertrude S Lampp
    • Agnes Milne
    • Althea H Cookson
    • Florence E Hart
    • Blanche L Clark
    • Susan Milne
    • Noeline M Knight
    • Muriel E Tattersall
    • Kathleen G Hausmann
    • Doris Brown
    • Jessie I Martin
    • Irene Tolerton
  • 1961 – 1988+
    • Betty P Cook
    • Barbara J E Hough
    • Mavis H Paton
    • Gloria A Grattan
    • Elaine Whiteman
    • Barbara G Shadbolt
    • Maureen Corry
    • Assistant Principal Nurses
  • 1989 –+
    • Sheila Mahony
    • Anita Bamford-Wade
    • Cheyne Chalmers
    • Kerrie Hayes
    • Andrea McCance
    • Emma Hickson. 2019 – 2020
    • Associate Directors of Nursing

Muriel Emma Tattersall

Born Muriel Emma Childs, Palmerston North 14 Dec 1895 — Died Lower Hutt 21 Jun 1982

Educated at Wanganui Girls College from Sep 1908

She had two brothers who were doctors—one, C. Roy Childs, was honorary visiting surgeon at Wellington Hospital 1926–1937

Muriel married Henry James Tattersall on 6 Apr 1921, and they had a son, Harold Richard Tattersall, in 1922.

They soon separated (and at some point divorced), so she was effectively a single woman when she started nursing at Wellington Hospital on 30 May 1923. Graduated in Jun 1926.

Staff Nurse, Eye Ward until the end of 1926, then appointed Staff Nurse, ECG Department to assist Dr. Fred Bowerbank with ECGs & BMR recordings.

Promoted to Sister, Cardiology Department 1 Sep 1927

Appointed Tutor Sister at Wellington Hospital in 1940

In 1943 appointed Sub-Matron at Hawera Hospital

Appointed Matron, Wellington Hospital in 1947

Acting Matron-in-Chief, Wellington Hospital Board Jan 1953, and retired on 31 Oct 1953