My Account
It is not the first time that Whangaparāoa has seen isolation measures in place for health reasons.
Councillor and keen historian John Watson says he found out about the local connection with the 1925 Polio Epidemic when he interviewed Joan Zinzan, a long time resident who was then in her late 90s.
She talked about the Polio Epidemic, which saw schools closed.
Children from Auckland with holiday homes on the Coast were effectively quarantined on Whangaparāoa Peninsula, along with the handful of local kids who went to the original Whangaparāoa Hall for their schooling.
Here is what John recorded about those days from his interview with Joan:
“Whangaparāoa’s isolation wasn’t always a bad thing. In 1925 there was an infantile paralysis (polio) epidemic across the country. This meant that no children were allowed to attend schools, or indeed any other places such as swimming pools or cinemas where children might otherwise congregate. For Joan and her sisters this meant an extended holiday on Whangaparaoa Peninsula. In 1925 Joan and her sister, and all the other kids, would get their schoolwork from the NZ Herald, which provided written instruction for the children of the nation. A number of the kids down at Manly would congregate on the front veranda of the Maxwell’s house and do their work together.
This quarantining could go both ways, however. One year, Joan’s sister Marcia contracted diphtheria while they were on holiday at Manly. Dr Cooper from Stanmore Bay placed her in quarantine and the family had to go back home to Auckland with the strict instruction not mix with any other people.
There were polio epidemics every five years from 1916 right through to 1961. An average of 800 cases would occur on each occasion. The unfortunate children affected would often have a badly withered leg as a result and would have to wear a leg brace for life. It was only in 1961 that a mass vaccination campaign immunised 97 percent of children in NZ and put an end to the epidemics.”
