A Mother’s Day baby.

As Mother’s Day 2021 approaches and with the impending move from the current to the new Maitland Hospital, Miranda Lawry (left) recalls the different hospitals where herself and her children were born.

She writes:

Our first two children were born at Paddington Women’s Hospital in Sydney (now closed and redeveloped) in 1985 and 1988. I was born in Crown Street Women’s Hospital in Sydney (also closed and redeveloped) in 1957.

Our third daughter was born at Maitland Hospital (soon to be relocated and current site closed) in 1993. We had moved to live in the Wollombi Valley in 1990. She was born on Mother’s Day 1993 and we were featured with a picture and description in the Maitland Mercury on Monday the 10th May. I have the press clipping in her album. We had planned to call her Theadora but, several weeks later, changed her name to Arabella. We still laugh about her alias.

The press clipping kept in Arabella’s album.

My memory of the Maitland Hospital on that occasion was of a large friendly hospital with a relaxed country manner and personal kindness to patients. Like so many public hospitals, it lacked well designed wards and public space but the staff were all so generous and supportive.