Selina Murray McDonald Sutherland (26 December 1839 – 8 October 1909) was a notable New Zealand nurse and social worker. She was born in Culgower,

Sutherland Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire ( ...

shire,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

in 1839. She came to New Zealand in 1865 and went to visit her sister Margaret Grant in

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-con ...

in the

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...

. Trained in medicine she helped many people during their illness. The central Wairarapa had neither doctor nor hospital. Sutherland was the driving force behind the establishment of the hospital in

Masterton Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...

in 1879. She raised the funds to build a 20-bed facility and collected most of the money herself. In the same year she became matron at

Wellington Hospital Wellington Hospital might refer to: * Wellington Hospital, New Zealand, a hospital in Wellington, New Zealand * Wellington Hospital, London The Wellington Hospital in St John's Wood, London is the largest private hospital in the United Kingdom, an ...

but left in the following year after disputes with management. She lived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

, Australia, after 1881 and devoted herself to the care of destitute children and the arrangement of foster homes. Sutherland initiated the Neglected Children's Aid Society later obtaining the support of the Presbyterian Church. Ultimately the Victorian Neglected Children's Aid Society was formed. The Sutherland Home in Parkville was named after her. She died in Melbourne in 1909 from

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity ( pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other s ...

and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

. She is commemorated in Wairarapa Hospital by a memorial tablet. Sutherland was inducted onto the

Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the celebrations of Victoria's Centenary of Federation. Public nom ...

in 2010.

Selina Sutherland Hospital

Established in 1996 Selina Sutherland Hospital is a private hospital run by a not-for-profit charitable trust. It was provided with its own building within the new Masterton Public Hospital’s complex completed in 2006. Inpatient services include orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmology and gynaecology.Selina Sutherland Hospital website
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References

External links

* 1839 births 1909 deaths New Zealand nurses New Zealand social workers Scottish emigrants to New Zealand People from Sutherland 19th-century New Zealand people New Zealand women nurses Deaths from pneumonia in Victoria (Australia) {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub