Her Majesty Queen EliZabeth II has made Miss (matron) Vera Jobson a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), for services rendered in this community, particularly to the Red Cross.
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Matron Jobson’s name was included in the Queen’s Birthday Hon-ours List announced at the weekend.
Matron Jobson served as matron of the Hastings District Hospital for a period of thirty three years from 1923 until she retired in November, 1956.
Her imposing list of community services include: fifty years of service and membership of the Red Cross; past president of the Far West Children’s Health Scheme; original member and senior vice-president of the Hastings District Historical Society; patron of the Girl Guides.
She was also first president of the Women’s Hospital Auxiliary, continuing for 20 years, and a foundation member of the CWA.
Matron Jobson was also the first woman made a justice of the peace in this district.
It was to the hospital – and to the sick – that Matron Jobson devoted so many years of her life.
Her nursing career began in 1918, and in all she gave 37 years to that noble profession.
She was sister and acting matron at Glen Innes when she applied for the position as matron at the Cottage Hospital here in 1923.
Matron Jobson knew nothing of the hospital, but well remembers her first introduction to it.
The then treasurer of the board told her the hospital would probably have to close at the end of the month, but despite this and other crises, including a determined effort back in 1946, to have the district hospital moved to Wauchope.
She saw a daily average of patients rise from four in the Cottage Hospital she started at, to a daily average of 50 in today’s three-floor brick hospital.
Matron Jobson saw the new nurses’ quarters opened in March, 1947, and the foundation stone for the new hospital laid on the same day. It opened in October, 1951.
All that is by the way, but it does reflect something of the turbulent times matron Jobson went through.
Nor was there any water supply to the hospital other than tanks, and a big step forward came with engineers from an Army Camp at Wauchope in World War II ran a line from Mison’s well (down near the old butter factory) to the hospital.
“We seemed to get over those early problems of the hospital closing down, and then came the depression.
“The hospital was closer to closing then, and there was a suggestion of nurses taking a wage cut but a doctor you and I know, averted that by working for nothing at the hospital.
“The people of the town and district did much to keep the hospital going with gifts of fruit and vegetables, eggs, and poultry, and it was in those times we started our annual linen tea which kept the hospital in linen for many, many years.”
Above all, matron Jobson is today reaping rich rewards in the number of friends she has here and the tremendous respect that has engendered, throughout the Hastings River District for a wonderful woman indeed.
