Beautifying project: Fine fountain (14 Jul 1979). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 19/10/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7593
A friend, Liz Shae, sent me an interesting email today. It simply said, “This could be a good project for WuHoo.” Attached were a couple of newspaper clippings from Aoraki Heritage and some photos from the South Canterbury Museum. Liz had noticed something odd.
The beautiful fountain that once stood proudly at the entrance to Timaru Hospital has completely disappeared. There is no sign of it today. No plaque, no trace, no explanation. So where did it go?...
A Community Gift
Back in 1979, the Timaru Beautifying Society officially handed over a brand-new fountain to the South Canterbury Hospital Board.
It had been seven years in the making. The society first dreamed of creating a city fountain in the early 1970s. They considered Anzac Square, but eventually decided the hospital’s main entrance was the perfect location. The fountain was seen as a symbol of calm and care for people arriving at what could be one of the most anxious or hopeful moments of their lives.
The project was a true community effort. The Beautifying Society, led by Mrs E. S. Thodey and former president Mrs C. R. Hervey, worked alongside the South Canterbury Hospital Board. The Timaru Steel Company constructed the three-tiered tower, donating labour and materials. Mr J. J. van Gleis of Hadlow designed it, and Mr K. Wilkinson from the Hospital Board supervised the works. The total cost came to just over $5,000, which was raised through local fundraising and a contribution from the board.
Some of the labour was carried out by people employed under a temporary work scheme, their wages refunded by the Labour Department. It really was a project built by the community, for the community.
The Grand Opening
On 14 November 1979, the fountain was officially handed over in a small ceremony. The Timaru Herald described it as “an impressive fountain, with its large steel tower and tiered ponds.”
Mrs Hervey called the new fountain “a place of tranquillity and beauty” that would comfort people visiting the hospital. Mrs Thodey unveiled the plaque and thanked the many hands who made it possible.
She also offered some advice to anyone tempted to vandalise the new addition. Instead of destroying the work of others, she said, they should “try and create something for themselves, where they would find far greater satisfaction.” It feels like a message worth repeating today.
Timaru Hosptial 1985 - Retrolens https://files.interpret.co.nz/Retrolens/Imagery/SN8472/Crown_8472_G_10/High.jpg
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the fountain was a familiar sight. It appears in several South Canterbury Museum photographs, standing proudly outside the J. C. McKenzie Block.
In 1992, patient advocate Anne Carnie was photographed in front of it. In 1995, house surgeon Dr Mark Gardner sat on its brick edge in his white coat. A year later, in 1996, hospital leaders Allison Lomax and Joe Butterfield posed by it.
The fountain was clearly still in use then, a well-known part of the hospital’s landscape.
And Then… It Vanished
Sometime after 1996, the fountain disappeared.
There is no public record of when or why it was removed. No mention in the Timaru Herald, no photographs of it being dismantled, and no sign of what happened to its steel structure or tiled pool.
Was it taken out during building works or earthquake strengthening? Was it damaged or decommissioned? Or was it simply removed and forgotten?
Even long-time locals and heritage researchers can’t find the answer.
This is not just about a missing fountain. It is about remembering the spirit that built it. The project reflected a time when local people, service clubs, and volunteers worked together to add beauty to public spaces.
Mrs Thodey and her team wanted the hospital entrance to be more than functional. They wanted it to be welcoming. Their work turned a patch of concrete into a place that reflected care and community. Losing that story means losing part of Timaru’s shared heart.
Timaru-Hosptial-c2000-data-linz-govt-nz https://data.linz.govt.nz/mapviewer
Can You Help?
- Do you remember the hospital fountain?
- Did you work at the hospital when it was removed?
- Do you know what happened to it or where the pieces might have gone?
- If you have memories, photos, or even small clues, I would love to hear from you. Together, we can fill in the missing chapter of this story.
- Fact Box and Timeline
- Early 1970s – Timaru Beautifying Society begins planning a public fountain for the city.
- 1978 – Hospital Board and Beautifying Society agree to a joint project for the J. C. McKenzie Block forecourt.
- 1979 – Construction completed by Timaru Steel Company; the fountain was officially handed over on 14 November.
- 1992–1996 – Photographed several times as a working landmark.
- Post-1996 – Fountain disappears; reason and date unknown.
Sources
Timaru Herald, “Fountain to be Joint Effort,” c.1978
Timaru Herald, “Fine Fountain for Hospital Entrance,” 14 November 1979
South Canterbury Museum photographic archives, 1992–1996
Aoraki Heritage newspaper collection
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/772
https://tenderhub.app/Notice/South-Canterbury-DHB-Front-of-Hospital-Redevelopment-28714/
https://timdc.pastperfectonline.com/Vocabulary?keyword=Hospitals&letter=H&searchType=subject&showsearch=True&utm
Timaru house surgeon Doctor Mark Gardner pictured outside the hospital 13 September 1995 - South Canterbury Museum
Allison Lomax and Joe Butterfield posed at the fountain in the carpark area of Timaru Public Hospital dated 7 August 1996 - South Canterbury Museum
Patient advocate Anne Carnie posed outside the Timaru Public Hospital 16 April 1992 - South Canterbury Museum
New block named after former medical chief (15 May 1976). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 19/10/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7662
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The J. C. McKenzie Block was formally opened around 1973–1974 (the article is consistent with mid-1970s inflation references and a start date of September 1971).
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That block is the same one later mentioned in your 1979 “Fountain to be Joint Effort” article — meaning the fountain was built directly in front of this new building’s forecourt only a few years after it opened.
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The architectural firm listed here, G. W. MacDonald, and contractor C. Lund and Son, could have been referenced or consulted again for the fountain installation in 1978–79.
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The description of the block’s forecourt and functional layout helps confirm the exact site where the fountain once stood — the public-facing entrance built with service access and parking in mind.
Thodey Lois Bay hill tree Liz Shae
The Magnolia growing in the centre of the round-a-bout was presented by the Timaru Beautifying Society to commemorate the community work of Lois Thodey– President of the society 1977-1980.
Lois Thodey was President of the Timaru Beautifying Society (or at least held a leadership role) during 1977-1980.
She was honoured by the society for her community work afterwards (hence the memorial tree).
The society itself had the fountain project as one of its major efforts, and thus it is very likely that Lois Thodey was involved with or at least aware of the fountain initiative.