News & events
Honouring the Legacy of Military Nurses:
Anzac Day at Hawke's Bay Hospital
25 April 2025
This year’s Anzac Day service at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital held deep significance as it commemorated 110 years of the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps (RNZNC). The ceremony paid tribute to the unwavering compassion and sacrifice of military nurses—past and present—whose connection to the hospital runs long and deep.
Held outside the hospital’s chapel, itself dedicated to the service of nurses, the event united staff, patients, and community members in solemn remembrance. Together, they honoured generations of nurses who have stood beside New Zealand’s servicemen and women through times of war and peace.
Chief Nurse Karyn Bousfield-Black reflected on the powerful bond between care and courage in her address.
“Long before nursing became the profession it is today, people were taking care of one another.
The nurses we honour here today stood up and said, ‘We will not let our boys face war alone.
We will go with them.’”
The speakers reminded all present that military nursing is more than a career—it is a calling. One that demands extraordinary resilience, adaptability, and compassion in the most challenging of environments, from battlefields and naval ships to remote field hospitals.
The legacy of the RNZNC remains strong in Hawke’s Bay. Military nurses continue to undertake clinical placements at the hospital and across New Zealand, a living testament to enduring partnerships and training rooted in service.
A highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of Matron Sylvia Frame – Major (Retired), who attended the service. Chief Nurse Bousfield-Black read aloud the hospital’s founding history on her behalf—a powerful reminder of the community’s enduring commitment to remembrance and care.
That story began in 1906 when the people of Hastings first advocated for a local hospital. After years of tireless fundraising—and intensified by the 1918 influenza epidemic—the hospital opened on Anzac Day in 1928. From its earliest days, it was built as a tribute to the district’s fallen and as a place of healing for all.
The hospital has stood through time, surviving the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake and continuing to grow. In the 1960s, its original memorial entrance was transformed into the chapel that today serves as the spiritual heart of the Anzac Day service.
This year’s commemoration also celebrated those who served with distinction. To mark the RNZNC's milestone, the Corps presented a memorial book and nominal board to Chief Nurse Bousfield-Black—offering a lasting tribute to the names and stories behind the uniforms.
While bricks and mortar form the foundation of the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, it is the enduring spirit of care, courage, and compassion—embodied by its nurses—that truly defines it. On this Anzac Day, that spirit was honoured and proudly on display.
