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Dr McKinley bought Dr Millers’ practice in 1955 but did not use the house as a surgery.

It was lived in by non-medical people for several years.

Then Dr McHaffie set up a practice in the house for some years before leaving Levin.

Dr E. Petersen bought Dr Hunter’s practice and house, when he retired in the early 1950s.

Dr Petersen, with Dr Neale and Dr McKinley in 1955, formed a partnership practising from the house, on the south west corner of Queen Street and Winchester Street. One house off.

Dr Alan Caselberg was locum tenens for six months, for Dr Neale, then joining the partnership in 1957.

In the next year the clinic was named the Tararua Medical Centre.

Dr Edward (Ted) Gillies came to Levin in 1947. He first lived and practised from 44 Durham Street before moving to a new house and surgery at 126 Bath Street and practising from there until 1975 when he had a surgery built on the corner of Bath and Winchester Streets.

The original house, built for Mr Frank Parker in 1910 was moved to the rear of the section, now fronting Winchester Street.

Dr John Miller in 1975 and Dr Warwick Davenport in 1977, joined in with Dr Gillies in partnership.

Dr Gillies retired in 1979. Dr Davenport had left when Dr Timothy Crow joined the clinic in 1986, staying until 1989. Dr Depak Grover then joined the clinic and he along with Dr Miller is the present doctors.

At the Tararua Medical Centre Dr Russell Comber joined in 1960 until 1968, with Dr Bernie Casey joining in 1965 until 1969.

Dr Mairi Sewell came to the centre in 1966 and still there.

Dr Pope was locum’s tenens for Dr Caselberg for six months in 1967.

Dr Hugh Thompson joined the centre from 1967 until 1975, with Dr Arthur Singh joining in 1968 until 1971, with Dr Allan Hull joining in 1970 and Dr Douglas Bolitho joining the centre in 1971.

Dr Ted Walford was at the centre from 1972 to 1976 as was Dr Mole.

Dr Michael Ames joined the centre in 1975 as did Dr Lindsay Quennell; the latter staying until 1986.

The Tararua Medical Centre building had large extensions built on at the rear in 1978 providing modern surgery rooms and facilities.

The original building was, and is, used for visiting specialist, x-ray facilities and other medical uses.

Dr Samuel James Thompson died in 1973 suddenly, at lunch time, after delivering a baby earlier in the day.

Dr Bernard Rosa and Dr Dalwalumulli Ramya Siri practised for a year in 1975, in Dr Thompson’s surgery, moving in 1976 to surgeries in the previous building, where Kent and Little’s building is now on the Queen Street - Chamberlain Street corner.

Dr Ramya Siri moved his surgery to a house, 50 Queen Street in 1986 and is still practising, while Dr Rosa moved to 47 Bristol Street in 1986. He retired in 1989 with Dr Allen Gray buying the practice and practising from 47 Bristol Street.

The first x-rays were done by dentists for doctors in Levin in the 1950s. Dr Urquhart of Palmerston North established a private unit at the Tararua Medical Centre in 1959 where it existed until Horowhenua Hospital x-ray department began.

Dr Brian Gelling joined the centre about 1980.

Dr Gillian Brown was an assistant during 1986 - 86, being not a partner. Dr Andy Van de Vyver came to the centre as a locum’s tenens in 1986, becoming a partner in 1988 and Dr Meaburn Standiland came to the centre as a locum’s tenens in 1986, becoming a partner in 1988, with Dr Graeme Irving joining in 1987.

The above three doctors and Drs Ames, Bolitho, Gelling, Sewell and Hull are the present doctors practising at the clinic.

Dr Caselberg left the centre in 1988 to take up a new position in the Wellington Hospital, giving back-up to house surgeons in the accident and emergency department.

Handwritten addition:

Dr L G Hunter was born Sydney on 14/7/1981 [1891?] and qualified as a medical doctor and surgeon. He served as the medical corps. officer in the Australian Inf. Force in W.W.I. during 1915-1918. He was wounded in September 1917. He came to Levin … Dr … and Dr Eliz. Bryson’s practice and house in Durham Street in 1924. It was the first house on the south side where, until recent, was a corner store (?) down from Brian Moore Garage. Later he moved to the house on the s.w. corner of Weir and Queen Streets which later became H.?.M.B.

Photo shows Selwyn Simcox’s Cricket Eleven – December 1927 – January 1928. Dr Lancelot John (Lance) Hunter OBE MC, seated second from left in middle row.

THE NEWS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990

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March 14, 1990

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