Rachel Peek

Interviewer: Lesley Gray

Date: Monday 30 March 2010

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

Track 1

00.00 Interview identification.

00.35 RACHEL MARY PEEK born in 1933

01.16 Born in INVERCARGILL, fifth child, only daughter of PHILIP EDWARD and IDA WILSON PEEK. Father died when she was seven months old. Mother died just prior to seventh birthday. Two eldest brothers went to uncles and aunts. Three youngest children lived with grandparents at TISBURY.

01.54 Schooling – two years at WAIKIWI SCHOOL – nearly three years at TISBURY - three months at ST GEORGE – two years at TWEEDSMUIR – three years at SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE 1946-1948

02.18 Worked for IVAN WILSON, dentist, trained as a Dental Mechanic. Spent six years with him gained full certificate.

02.45 Enjoyed school. Small quiet school at TISBURY, headmaster Mr KINROSS who was very interested in basketball (now called netball) more than rugby. Not enough boys for rugby team, girls played in the team. Rachel told off by brothers for dropping the ball. Missed not being able to talk about their parents like other children. 03.41 Sheltered environment – war years. Grandmother had a bad war – sons overseas, two daughters dying also husband and brother – never complained. Grandmother died, aged 78 years, just prior to Rachel's 21st Birthday. Gift of glory box had already been bought, still in Rachel's possession.

04.42 Grandmother decided that Rachel should work at SARGOOD SON & EWEN when she left school. Head Teacher at Tech suggested going to Mr WILSON. Had to go to SARGOOD'S herself to advise she would not start. Had to face own responsibilities.

05.29 Commenced nursing training April 1955. Still in contact with those she trained with. Positions held – nurse, staff nurse [after registration in 1958], staff sister, sister, supervisor, Principle Nurse, Chief Nurse.

06.28 Student Nursing – Training School, tutored at same time as practical nursing. Block system, lectures [even on day off], similar to apprenticeship – Described. Hospice Care a concept of care not necessarily care of terminally ill. Practiced in the community for many years.

08.07 After general training did maternity training at BLENHEIM. Returned to KEW HOSPITAL. In 1960 went overseas – 6 weeks by boat to BRITAIN.

09.03 Played hockey, softball, basketball/netball for KEW HOSPITAL. Field at hospital. Matron CAROLINE MAY LUCAS proud of team gaining Conduct Shield. In drama clubs.

10.49 Nurses lived in hospital accommodation. Friendly and supportive in bad times. Rachel had a car and her aunt at GAP ROAD would wonder how many she might find in bed in the morning.

11.42 Duty hours – 6.0am to 2.0pm, 2.0pm to 10.0pm, 10.0pm to 6.0am. Lucky to get day off in seven day period. May not know duty for next day until 10.0am until WILFRED GREIG known as WOOLFIE told them when he delivered laundry to Nurses' Home – Described. 12.53 Well known for playing tricks on people. Dressing up to meet fellows from BLUFF – Described. MISS JARROD – Mentioned. One bedroom filled to roof with crumpled newspaper because person had annoyed them. Return from hockey tournament – apparition found at her door – use described.

15.00 End of Track 1.

00.02 Track 2

Apparition had duty shoes on – seen by matron.

00.22 Hospital Departments – Supplies/Pharmacy – Storeroom – A & E (Accident and Emergency) – Offices, Matron's and Assistant Matron's as well – Wards 1 to 6 – Annex for Tb (tuberculosis) known as Ward 7 – Building for Domestics (later used by house men) – First new wing on Nurses' Home/became Hospice originally – Matron's flat. 02.28 Nursing in the Annex – Described. Advent of anti-tuberculin drugs, disease became less common. Anticipates return of disease in vicious manner. Building demolished to make way for Hospice. Would have been used for E-Bola patient had there been any – staff would have had to stay in building and not go home.

03.53 Wards 8 to 11 built in late 1950s. On return from ENGLAND in 1962, Tb Annex had closed – only patient placed in Ward 3. Ward 8 became Laboratory not used as a ward. Ward 9 for Surgery. Ward 10 Orthopaedics. Ward 11 Medical. X-Ray now gone.

04.50 HOWARD HUNTER BLOCK, now dismantled, included Theatre, X-Ray, Laboratory, Pharmacy, A & E, Outpatients. Building used as classroom. Training moved from hospital to Institute [Southland Institute of Technology formerly Southland Community College/Southland Polytechnic] New Laundry built. Destruction of Disposable items – Described. Chief Engineer Mr GAMBLE and assistant Mr FRYER – Mentioned.

07.22 Student nurses in dining room. Dietician very strict, not allowing anyone to eat before senior nurse came in to take meals – Described. Regimented, almost like army. 'Gestapo' waited outside dining to detain any who had done wrong, had dirty shoes etc. BESSIE TWEMLOW – Mentioned. First meal always in dress uniform changed from ordinary uniform before going in – because of risk of infection. 11.07 Rachel believes they had the best years of nursing. Still have comrades, got to know patients or those entrusted to their care due to length of stay. Today may admit someone seriously ill, nurse have two days off and return to find person has gone home. Don't really get to know patients. Elderly patients with fractured femurs – Described Rachel believes there will be a mixture that can be injected into joints eliminating need for joint replacements. However prostheses makers may not let it happen. Lumigan, used for cancer of bowel found a very minor dosage can assist people with macular disease of eye – price effects described.

14.12 Some criticism of present educational system for nursing staff. People have a right to live and a right to die, not euthanasia – reason described.

15.00 End of Track 2.

00.00 Track 3

00.01 Young surgeons may have been more anxious about not wanting patients to die.

00.18 Prior to disposable equipment – items, including glass syringes put in sterilisers. Use of Cheatles [forceps] to lift items from steriliser – Described.

01.47 Some had mania for turning out lights while sutures being removed.

01.59 Equipment was stainless steel. Some still used though more sophisticated. Stainless steel scissors, for instance, now autoclaved. Students bought own scissors and named them.

02.46 Training was right for the times. Admires the way those who trained under old system have adapted to new one.

03.05 Old equipment donated to Southland Museum for display.

03.31 Drums autoclaved in theatre on Sunday morning.

Dressings now brought in signed and sealed. Honey or kiwifruit on dressings – Mentioned

04.10 End of Track 3

Track 4 00.11 SOUTHLAND HOSPITAL BOARD – just the hospitals, good number of them. Changes and merging, problems – Described.

01.51 Her reaction to amalgamation with OTAGO – elected and appointed personnel did not go to public. Spoken of many years before when it would have involved south of WAITAKI. Wonders why not a board south of, and including, CHRISTCHURCH.

02.43 Hospital Board covered GORE, LAKES DISTRICT, TUATAPERE, LUMSDEN, TOKANUI, RIVERTON, LORNE, BLUFF MATERNITY, DEE STREET MATERNITY plus eight others making 17. Reason for QUEENSTOWN being included – Explained.

03.53 Budgeting and Finance – changes under new board – Explained. Each hospital had own budget, nursing had global budget about $11million when Rachel was Principle Nurse. Any excess of income over expenditure reclaimed by Department of Health.

05.06 More than 1800 Full Time Equivalent staff – mostly nurses and female. Male dominated Hospital Board thought they could over-rule nursing staff. Three things make up a hospital – 1. patient or person needing care, 2. medic, 3. nurse – everyone else ancilliary. 06.13 Lady Superintendent – Miss CAROLINE MAY LUCAS retired around 1962 to go back to DUNEDIN to do Plunket work, followed by... Matron – NANCY KINROSS – became a Southlander, went fishing, got driver's license. Resigned in 1967. Medical Superintendent – HOWARD HUNTER Chief Nurse/Principle Nurse – Miss ANNE KIRSE, employed by Board years before, been overseas, progressive lady in a different way to Miss KINROSS. Had red hair. Well respected. Positions separated with Principle Nurse based at Kew Hospital. Miss KIRSE left in 1979 then... Chief Nurse – Miss JOYCE SPIERS Principle Nurse – Miss PAT O'CONNOR left in 1977, Rachel became Principle Nurse. RACHEL PEEK became Chief Nurse in 1985 – her aunt didn't know whether to congratulate or commiserate.

09.36 Other identities – Sister PUGH, Miss GERARD, Miss LOWES (?), Miss BROOKING temporarily Assistant Matron (not a Southlander and never became one), Miss DOROTHY TRIM, Miss LILLICO of District Nursing, RUBY FERGUSON, EVELYN CHRISTIE, ISABEL McGREGOR. Many held with great affection. 11.04 Ward Sisters/Charge Nurses – bossed the surgeons around. Some nurses tremendous teachers. Ward Sister ANN HANLIN wrote patient plans from Day One to Discharge – her sister, MEG, was in charge of Theatre. CHRIS SHEDDAN, Miss BARTLETT in Ward 2, Miss BILBECK, CARMEN EXCELL, CARMEN McMILLAN, JESSIE McRAE.

12.59 Medical Staff... Medical Superintendent and Assistant Medical Superintendent – HOWARD HUNTER and JIMMY RAMSAY. Dr RAMSAY started exchange transfusions for Rh babies, very successful. Surgeons... GORDON DAVIDSON, LINDSAY STEWART, IAN BURNS WATSON and his dad. Dr ROY HOWELLS, cousin of HOWARD HUNTER, always wore bowler hat. Did not marry, fond of children, intelligent gentleman.

15.00 End of Track 4

00.00 Track 5

After doing 4.0pm rounds in Medical Wards Dr HOWELLS would go to Children's Ward. While there would change child's nappy in front of staff, to their embarrassment. Wore a monocle.

00.28 End of Track 5

00.00 Track 6

00.07 Dr HOWELLS recognised coeliac disease and wrote a paper on it. Sadness when he died.

00.26 Surgeon – BARNEY JENNINGS. Anaesthetists – DAVID POTTINGER, NEVILLE LAMB – no special training in anaesthesia, gave very good anaesthetics. CATHY BRASS – appendicitis while in Iron Lung – DAVID POTTINGER involved. 01.31 Special Memories... Lucky as nurses became 'family'. Originally cleaners not part of hospital staff though not treated differently. MARIE PARKINSON – Mentioned. Clerical and Domestic Staff all important. One lady known as 'VANILLA' – called manila folders 'vanilla folders'

03.11 Different today – people employed by others to do cleaning etc.

03.25 Watched some of demolition of hospital block of Ward 8-11 wing. Wards 1-6 a bit sad. Old brick building classed as earthquake risk but will probably still be standing when that (new) one falls down. Feels new building was necessary in order to move on. End of Track 6. 00.00 Track 7

00.16 Student Nurses' escapades. Used bath to make sake (it tasted awful) Successfully made ginger beer, probably sampled by staff doing room rounds. Good advice given Nurses' Home Supervisors – going out have enough money to get home in taxi, eat properly, monthly weigh-ins.

02.43 Ward 8 acted as Laboratory for a number of years. Not uncommon for frogs to escape – actions and reactions – Described.

03.39 Young house men returned after partying, put sheep in Ward 8 fire escape and released them into Ward 11 where there polished floors – Described. Took sheep to Ward 6, let them down fire escape and let them out at Ward 2. One was found in sluice room at Ward 6, another in Matron's office.

05.22 Rabbits in hutches at back of hospital.

05.41 Everyone lived-in – all sorts of escapades, mostly harmless.

07.17 In senior year hid COLIN GRAY (interviewer's husband) behind the sofa.

07.54 Students were nurtured. Some girls got homesick. Established relationships that still exist.

08.31 Nurses' School Centenary quite an event in 1992. Between 800 and 900 registrations. Video made of events.

09.28 End of Track 7