History of St John's in Paeroa

Serving Paeroa for 75 years

 

No ambulance, no women and no station. That’s how things were in the early days of St John in Paeroa on the Coromandel.

 

Today St John is proud to have been providing continuous ambulance services to the Paeroa community for 75 years.

 

St John also provides a range of services, including:

• first aid cover at public events all around the district

• St John Youth division for 6-18 year olds

• St John Lifelink medical alarms service

• Caring Caller - a free daily friendship call from people who care.

 

This month St John members, past and present, celebrated the St John jubilee.

 

The first St John first aid course was held in 1897, with 60 people attending in Paeroa and 80 in Karangahake.

 

“I’d love to have that number of people attending first aid courses today,” says St John Paeroa Area Committee Chairman Les Cullerne.

 

No women, no ambulance, no station

However numbers and interest waxed and waned from then until 1935 when St John groups for adults and youth were formalised.

 

“We didn’t have any ladies …it was a totally male affair.”

 

The remedy came in 1941 when a nursing division was formed, but there was still no ambulance, with volunteers providing first aid at the sidelines of events. Les says this sharpened their skills, which they put to good use. “Paeroa has always done well in first aid competions, even winning a national title.”

 

The first ambulance was a 1952 Chevrolet. Austins, Leylands, Bedfords and Dodges followed. “Now we’ve got  Mercedes. We’ve climbed a long way as far as our vehicle transport is concerned and how we can help people.”

 

The tin shed

The first  meeting place was the local band hall, later supplemented by a tin shed to house the first ambulance.

“The tin shed was very basic, but we thought it was wonderful. Where the ambulance was parked created an oil spot on the floor. When we had dances in the tin shed, we would try and dance around the oil spot because it was slippery.”

 

In 1967 the Lions of Paeroa donated money toward a new building, which opened in 1969 and was extended in 1975.

 

The Lions continue their support today: A 2009 addition to St John in Paeroa is a modern Mercedes ambulance for providing medical cover at public events, complete with an interior fit out made possible through an $18,000 donation by the Lions Club of Paeroa.

 

And the need for building upgrading continues. A planned refurbishment and extension of the station to meet the demands of the future was unveiled at the jubilee, which kick-started fundraising for this $300,000 project aimed for completion in mid 2010.

 

Phone ties

 

Early communications were also rudimentary: a roster pinned to a wall near the telephone at Thames Hospital. “The catch was you couldn’t go anywhere when you were on duty because you had to be near the phone.”

 

Improvements came in 1971 with radio telephones and now, pagers. “We’ve even got to the stage where Northcomms can tell the ambulance crew if they have overshot the corner they’re supposed to turn on. They can help us to locate, and that’s really important.”

 

Training up

 

Les Cullerne recalls that a first aid certificate and access to an oxygen bottle was all that was required to volunteer with the ambulances.

 

“Now of course you can’t just do that. The public expect a lot more. St John training is getting better and better.”

 

Nowadays, training is a skills pathway that can take a volunteer all the way from a first aid certificate through to paramedic level.

 

Volunteer heart

While much about St John Paeroa has changed in 75 years, there is one constant, says Les. “The members or our organisation haven’t changed one bit. They’re caring people. That’s our strength.”

 

“Volunteering is a big ask of people. When we do get people and they volunteer their time, we treasure them. We treasure our volunteers.”

 

Future trends

 

Looking to the future of St John in Paeroa, Les believes looking after St John people is the key. That’s why he and the St John Paeroa Area Committee have embarked on a fundraising project to upgrade the station and its facilities, providing “all the modcons” that will provide for the life-saving volunteers of St John Paeroa in the future.

 

From no ambulance, to a tin shed to house the one ambulance, St John Paeroa now boasts three ambulances, garaging for all of them, a big hall – and big plans for the future.

 

ENDS

 

Timeline a glimpse into a past that makes St John Paeroa stand strong

 

April 1897: Calls made for support for a local ambulance corps or civil ambulance brigade as there was in Australia.

July 1897: A St John Ambulance Society appeared to have been formed, with a well attended meeting followed by first aid instruction held in the band hall.

August 1897: Society secretary points out it not really St John but a branch of the English Life Saving Society as instruction was for swimmers including rescue and resuscitation.

May 1905: Again, moves to form a St John branch in Paeroa.

May 1906: St John Ambulance Association and the Ohinemuri Rifles Association hold two-lecture course.

August 1906: St John Ambulance Association Paeroa forms, led by President W Nicholls.

March 1907: A large number of ladies attend a class held by a Dr Smith.

May 1907: A gentleman’s class forms.

August 1907: St John Paeroa holds its AGM with Mr E Porritt elected president. A stretcher is bought and stored at the library for use in case of accidents. First aid classes start in earnest.

1935 : St John adult and cadet divisions formed in Paeroa.

1941 A nursing division forms in Paeroa.

1945 St John meetings held bandhall.

1952: First ambulance – a Chevrolet – and a tin shed to house it.

1967: Lions of Paeroa donate money toward a new building for St John.

1969: St John Paeroa complex opens.

1979: St John Paeroa complex expanded.

October 2009: A third ambulance added to St John Paeroa fleet, with equipment fitout courtesy of Lions Club of Paeroa donation.

November 2009: St John celebrates 75 years of continuous service to St John in Paeroa – and launches fundraisign for refurbishment of the St John complex.