Records held at The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters, Wellington.
Known as the Bethany Centre in the final decades, the Bethany Maternity Hospital and Home was for women, teenage girls and babies.
The Salvation Army was a maternity provider for many years, and offered services to pregnant women (including adoption) in Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
These private Hospitals for married and unmarried mothers were called Bethany Hospitals and operated for many decades:
Controlling organisation: The Salvation Army as a third-party provider to State, faith-based.
The building at 35 Dryden St, Grey Lynn was demolished in 2012.
Former resident account from Vivienne Hill in article on The Salvation Army website on Family Tracing Service [20 October 2015]: https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/i-was-bethany-baby
Article on history of Auckland Bethany Home: Cussen, I. (5 August 2021). Help where help was needed – Single Mothers and the Salvation Army Bethany Home in 1960s-70s Auckland.
Article on University of Auckland Auckland History Initiative website: https://ahi.auckland.ac.nz/2021/08/05/help-where-help-was-needed-single-mothers-and-the-salvation-army-bethany-home-in-1960s-70s-auckland/
Facebook page 'Reuniting Bethany Young Mums': https://www.facebook.com/Reunitingbethanyyoungmums/
Find out how to request Archives New Zealand records.
Health Department Auckland files:
Cussen, I. (5 August 2021). Help where help was needed – Single Mothers and the Salvation Army Bethany Home in 1960s-70s Auckland.
Information provided by The Salvation Army to the Crown Response Unit on 1 July 2024
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