News Archive 2003

I will always be able to say that I began my teaching career in a centre where Suzanne Aubert lay close by. In fact she is buried next to the garden where the infants and toddlers play. Whilst I water the plants at the top of the garden with the children, I often look over at her headstone and am reminded of the history of the Aubert Childcare Centre. What a privilege it is for me to have one of this country's greatest pioneers of early childhood education literally buried in 'my' back yard.

Suzanne Aubert began her work with young children back in the late 1800s. She worked as a missionary in Jerusalem - a small settlement up the Whanganui River. It was here that her work with young babies began. In 1892 she founded "The Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion" a congregation of women who chose to work alongside her caring for and providing a service to those in need. In the 1890s the Sisters received many infants and young children into their care. There was no Social Welfare system and these were years of great depression. Children were abandoned by unwed mothers and by families who simply could not afford to keep them. These children were often in poor health and under-nourished by the time they were 'taken in' by the Sisters.

In 1895 there were 45 children in care, 30 under four years of age. In 1898 several children died due to a bad epidemic of influenza and measles. Jerusalem was isolated, medical facilities were not easily accessed; as a result Aubert and her Sisters moved their work and the children to Wellington where medical help was more readily obtainable.

Aubert purchased land at Island Bay, Wellington, where the land was considered undesirable due to climatic conditions (personally I find the Bay a fantastic place to be in a blustery southerly)! In 1906 the foundation stone was laid for Our Lady's Home of Compassion. In April 1907 the children's branch of the Home was formally opened. This home was originally planned as a children's hospital admitting children with all types of acute and chronic illnesses, hence the name "Home for Incurables". It was not possible to continue as a children's hospital due to the fact that the Sisters were unable to be trained as nurses at the Public Hospital. Aubert was however, continually asked to care for infants and young children. By 1909 there were 27 bottle fed babies and more than 60 young children in residence.

The work at Island Bay expanded rapidly. Surrounding land was acquired; it is on this land that the present day childcare centre stands. The land was once rugged and hilly; the present flat area of about 4 acres was leveled with just the use of pick and shovel. It was not until 1941 that a building was erected. This was to house the babies and toddlers up to two years of age, as the Nursery in the Home had become too overcrowded to accommodate the many little unwanted babies, who as a result of the war (1939-45) needed a home.

The Sisters did not receive State funding for the majority of children in their care. Few children were made Wards of the State, as many mothers believed that their child's stay with the Sisters would be temporary. The reasons were many and varied; some mothers were in prison, others had to work full time, others had psychiatric illness and there were those that simply could not cope with having children with multiple disabilities.

These children did however receive compassionate care. Often when I am out walking around the complex with the children, I stop and have a chat with the Sisters who are living on site today. These Sisters take a great interest in the children and will often chat about their experiences of working with children "in the old days". There is one story that touched me and I believe encaptures the degree of love and compassion that these Sisters had for the children in their care. Sr Flora Walsh worked with the children during the 1940s and '50s. She came to speak to the staff during an in-service week in 2001. Aged 84 at the time, she was able to give me a real sense of what it was like working with these babies and young children.

Sunday at the Home of Compassion was visiting day. The children were dressed in their 'Sunday best' and family members would come and visit. Sr Flora told the story of a little girl aged nine years old who had lived in the home since birth. One Sunday the little girl turned to Sr Flora and said, "Nobody has ever come to visit me Sister". With that Sister Flora got up and left. She went and changed her clothes, called into the kitchen for what she described as a "piece of old cake - (It was all I could find)" wrapped it up in some paper and went to the front door and rang the doorbell. She formally announced that she was there to visit 'Mary' and that she was 'Mary's' Aunty. When Sr Flora had finished her story the under two teaching team were sitting there with tears rolling down our cheeks. It is this story for me that is the epitome of the spirit that is Aubert.

The Sisters formed very close bonds with the children and many maintain contact up until the present. For many of the children this was the only family they knew and while the sisters had to work very hard in an institutional setting their commitment to children was unquestioning.

In 1981 after the General Chapter of the Sisters of Compassion, it was decided to rebuild the Island Bay Home of Compassion. The first project was the building of the Children's Section, so the old Nursery was demolished and the present building was formally blessed and opened in March 1982. This Residential Section was built to accommodate 32 children, the irony being that by the time it was opened, there were only ten children in residence. There were social changes at this time that not only removed the stigma of being an unmarried mother but also made it possible for such women to raise their children. The split between education and welfare had occurred and it was no longer considered optimum to raise children in institutions.

As an experiment, children were admitted for day care and by 1986 the focus of the centre had changed. Gradually the residential care ceased. In 1989 a full-time Day Care License was granted and the Sisters of Compassion handed management of the centre over to the families. Over the years the service has adjusted to meet community needs, and now offers a standard high quality childcare service run on a non-religious basis. The Centre was re-named the Aubert Childcare Centre in 1995.

Teaching at the Aubert Childcare Centre is a unique and wonderful experience. For me, the land itself has a special 'feel' to it. Driving up the driveway every morning being enveloped by old pohutakawa trees gives an immediate sense of peacefulness. There has been many a morning when I have slowed almost to a stop to let the quails waddle by.

Being part of a community much larger than the childcare centre is something quite special. Walking with the infants and toddlers around the complex is a valuable part of our programme. We always meet someone to have a chat with. There are horses, chooks, tui, fantails, a 'jungle' walk, a myriad of beautiful flowers, apple trees to sit under (and eat apples!), established native trees, and the ever present Sr Loyola working in the garden.

The childcare centre of today is licensed for 40 children - 25 over twos and 15 under twos. In the infant toddler section of the Centre we have what I have come to realise is our most valuable resource - space. We have natural light pouring in through skylights, a wall of windows looking out to our garden, and in the background the ever-present pohutakawa trees. A pair of tui regularly comes to visit and sit on top of the Norfolk pine. I get so much delight when the children jump up on to one of the outdoor boxes and call out to me with such excitement in their voices " Look Keryn! Tui! Kia ora tui" They wave and stare at the tui as the tui stare back. To be able to teach "inner city" children the call of the tui is something that I think is pretty awesome.

Because of the building's history we have four separate sleep rooms with our wonderful 100-year-old beds. When I tuck the children into bed for their afternoon nap, I often pause to wonder how many others have come before me, and soothed a child to sleep in this bed.

We are fortunate to enjoy loads of natural light in summer and winter. Having under floor heating in the winter makes it simply delicious to crawl around the floor with the babies.

The children are able to enjoy working in an 'uncramped' area. The children have loads of space to 'toddle' without bumping into each other. Note all the background space in the photo above. Conflict is reduced and toddlers have the freedom to climb indoors and push strollers around. I have observed in my teaching some wonderful interactions between children. Brownlee (2002) writes of 'A Magic Place', and how a space has a certain 'feel' and how you get that feeling the minute you enter it. On our 'baby side' at Aubert, I believe we have, along with all those that have come before us, created that magic place.

The indoor climbing structure creates a wonderful circuit. It provides quite a challenge for the infants whilst the toddlers go round and round and round!

Sr Loyola (cited in O'Brien, 1992, p.73) writes: "Many Sisters shared in the nursery and childcare work over the years and the fact that the Childcare Centre at the Bay continues to provide care for young children and help for parents reflects our belief that our Mother Foundress continues to watch over her children."

I too have a sense that Suzanne Aubert continues to watch over 'her' children. Time has passed and there have been many changes in the Bay. The childcare centre of today generally caters for the local Island Bay community. There has been much debate and dilemma regarding what to do with this amazing facility, with its foundations built on service to the poor and needy. Aubert's philosophy of teaching is one of respect and compassion. I think we have a wonderful opportunity to continue the work of Aubert.

Aubert (1922 p.273) taught us that "The care given to infancy has an incalculable bearing. The whole of life is influenced by the first direction given to children. You must always treat the children with gentleness and charity." I often wonder what her thoughts would be regarding the care and education that the children of today receive in her name. I know that by teaching at the Aubert Childcare Centre, I am reminded daily to bring to my profession a continuation of the spirit of those that have come before me. I am proud to be associated with and privileged to work on the land that is the spiritual homeland of the Sisters of Compassion.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Sr Josephine Gorman for finding photos and spending time with me in the Home of Compassion Archives. To Srs Loyola, Flora, Jo Brown, Basil, Cecilia, Sue and Victor for all their 'chats', and also to my wonderful team of teachers on Baby side at Aubert. Thanks also to Jean for asking me to write this article and for "sitting on my shoulder".

Special thanks to the wonderful "Aubert Kids" I work with every day.

References:
Aubert, S, (1922). Directory of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion of Wellington, N.Z. Wellington: L.T.Watkins Ltd.

Brownlee, P. (2002). A Magic Place: Taking time to consider the crucial role of aesthetic environments on our children's development and well-being. The First Years: New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education 4(2), 18-21

Munro, J. (1996). The Story of Suzanne Aubert Auckland: University Press

O'Brien, G. (Ed). (1992) Audacity of Faith: Sisters of Compassion Centennial 1892-1992 Wellington: Home of Compassion