Tokanui Hospital history

Over the years snippets of history have been written, official documents published and stories told at reunions, but no formal history ever written.

A 50th Jubilee booklet was written summarising 1912 – 1962, and then in 1997 Rodger McLaren produced a more in depth publication covering the 86 years of Tokanui’s existence. More recently (2003/04) an oral history project was conducted in conjunction with the Te Awamutu Museum, the Department of History at the University of Waikato and the Mental Health and Addictions Service of the Waikato District Health Board, which provided a breadth of information.

All this work has not been in vain, as the Te Awamutu Museum mounted an exhibition “Tokanui – footprints on the land” in mid 2006 which closed on the 27 October of that year.

It is the intention of a small group of people to formally write the history of Mental Health Services in the Waikato (1910 – 2010) of which Tokanui Hospital played a significant part. The aim is to be published in July 2012 to coincide with the centenary of the opening of Tokanui Hospital. To this end we are calling for memorabilia, which could add value to this project i.e. photographs, especially for the early years, reports and articles.

Contact details

John Graham
Level 1 Hockin Building
P.O. Box 934
Hamilton 3204
New Zealand

Email: grahamjj@waikatodhb.govt.nz