The Otaki Cottage Hospital was opened in August 1899. It later became the Otaki Maternity Hospital and then the Otaki Community Health Centre.
Cottage hospitals were small rural hospitals with up to 25 beds. Dr James Mason proposed a cottage hospital for Otaki and a planning committee was formed. The Wellington Hospital Board was granted a lease from the Mission Trust Board to build the hospital. This was part of a block originally given by Maori for educational purposes.
Local people helped raise funds to add to the government's contribution for the building and equipment. The opening was a gala day for the town.
After five years the hospital was enlarged. However by 1920 the Hospital Board was considering closing the local hospital as they felt services in Wellington or Palmerston North were adequate. In 1929 it was converted to a maternity home under the Palmerston North Hospital Board. In 1961 attempts to close this were made because of falling birth rates. It survived, though ongoing discussions were held about its viability with difficulty attracting staff. It closed in 1992, but a birthing centre still operated until the centre finally closed in 1995.
However the Hospital Board agreed to lease the building to a newly formed Otaki Community Health Trust, which provided a range of different health services.
The Otaki Sanatorium was opened in 1907, providing care for tuberculosis (TB) patients.
The buildings featured wide verandas and balconies and large opening windows front and back, enabling exposure to the open air. Until 1919 the Sanatorium accommodated both male and female TB patients, then only female patients until 1956.
Sited on a low hill north of the then residential part of Otaki, the Sanatorium had good views of the sea, Kapiti Island and the Tararua Ranges. Patients helped develop the gardens around the buildings.
The buildings were renovated in 1926-27 and in 1949-1951 an extension to the East Deck was added.
Patient numbers declined over the years as TB incidence decreased and different forms of treatment were adopted. The Sanatorium finally closed in 1964, and the last remaining patients transferred to Auckland.
Through this collection of photos you will learn more about the hospital and the sanatorium over the years.
