Glenelg Health Camp and School
Officially opened in April 1945, and situated on Murray Aynsley Hill, this institution provided health care and education to children identified as ‘not thriving’ in their home environment. Routine medical examinations of children were conducted prior to their entering school, and again during their school years, and referrals to health camps were made by Public Health Nurses and the Medical Officer of Health; typically once admitted, a child would stay at a health camp for several weeks. The Glenelg Health Camp was run by the Ministry of Health, and the attached School by the Department of Education.
Over the course of its life, the institution’s primary focus moved away from the provision of physical health care to children, towards assisting children with social difficulties. The Camp and School closed in 2012 following the Christchurch Earthquakes, but was later rebuilt by a private charity, Stand Children’s Services, and reopened under their administration in April 2014.
