Ranfurly Veterans

The Ranfurly Hospital have a deep history and connection with war veterans, as reflected in their partnership with The Ranfurly Veterans' Trust and the restoration of Ranfurly House.

Ranfurly Hospital offers a range of care services as well as respite and rehabilitation services for both men and women of the Returned Services and also the general public. Veterans’ and their spouses may be eligble for funding for their respite care through the Ranfurly Hospital partnership with the Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust.

The historic Ranfurly House still serves as a gathering place and an entertainment space for veterans and veteran support organisations & ANZAC Day is always held in special honour.

The Ranfurly Veterans Home History

Prior to the establishment of the Veterans Home (as it was first known) in 1903, the land was owned by Alfred Buckland, a prominent Auckland businessman and land-owner (Buckland’s Beach was named after him). The 223 hectares operated as a farm and was known as “Three Kings Farm”.

The establishment of the Veterans Home came about at the suggestion of the Governor of New Zealand at the time, Lord Ranfurly, when peace was declared after the Boer War in South Africa in 1902.

By this time in New Zealand there was an aging veteran population. The first occupants of the Ranfurly Veterans Home when it opened in 1903 included veterans of the Crimean War (1854-1856) and New Zealand Wars (1845-1872).

Winkelmann, Henry 1860-1931, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

Over time Ranfurly House was added to, particularly after World War II. In recent years, as Veteran numbers dwindled, the property gradually fell into disrepair. The development now underway is a partnership between Ranfurly Trust, the owner of the land, and Generus Living Group, an experienced boutique retirement village developer and operator. Under the partnership, the village is being developed for all Auckland retirees to have access to and enjoy, and Ranfurly House is being renovated and restored to its original glory.

In 2013, Generus Living Group supported by the Ranfurly Trust and Auckland RSA, completed a restoration of Lord Ranfurly's derelict grave situated in Lansdowne Cemetery, Bath, England. A rededication ceremony was conducted onsite by the Archdeacon of Bath, and attendees included the New Zealand High Commissoner, the Chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Ranfurly House representatives and members of Lord Ranfurly's family, as a mark of respect for the contribution this great man made to our country.

Governor of New Zealand, Lord Ranfurly, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

War Memorial

Located in the foyer of Ranfurly House is the roll of honour, a national memorial to New Zealanders who died in the South African War 1899-1902. The roll of honour records the names of 272 New Zealanders who died while serving in the ten New Zealand Mounted Rifles contingents or in British army units.

Lest We Forget

Ranfurly Hospital poppy motif on the logo inspiration is derived from the Ranfurly Veterans' Trust.

The red or Flanders poppy was one of the first flowers to grow in the mud and soil of the First World War battlefields in Flanders. This was famously observed by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem 'In Flanders fields’. After his death in 1918, the poppy became a symbol of regeneration and growth.

New Zealand took up a French idea to wear poppies as such a symbol. In 1921, the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association (now known as the Returned Services' Association) placed an order for thousands of silk poppies made by the French Children's League. The first Poppy Day appeal was going to take place around Armistice Day in November 1921 (as other countries were doing), but the ship carrying the poppies from France arrived in New Zealand too late, so the RSA decided to wait until Anzac Day, 1922. This first Poppy Day was a huge success, with some of the profits being sent to the French Children's League to help relieve suffering in the war-ravaged areas of northern France. The RSA used the remainder to assist needy, unemployed returned soldiers and their families. This tradition continues today with the funds providing welfare services to war veterans and the returned service community.

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