Eileen Davidson was born on 19 April 1925 and trained at Whangārei Hospital in 1943, graduating as a Registered Nurse on 14 April 1947.

Now residing in Sydney, Australia, with her daughter Dianne Notton, she recently celebrated her 100th birthday over Easter weekend.

When asked how she felt when she opened her card and present from Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, Eileen said it was so wonderful to be remembered.

"After all those years, when I graduated, the last memories of the girls I nursed with kept flooding back. Because I think I'm the only one left in our class, so sad memories, but very nice," Eileen reflected.

"I met one of my very best friends on night duty, and we've stayed friends all our lives.

“She passed away in 1994 aged 94. We kept in touch. It was a lovely, very special friendship."

Eileen's favourite ward to work in at Whangārei Hospital was Ward 5, the men's ward. "They didn't complain like the women,” she joked. After graduating, Eileen moved to Rawene to work at the hospital under Dr George Marshall McCall Smith. He was a Scottish medical doctor, medical superintendent, and community leader in New Zealand who practised some unconventional cures at the time.

"I tell everybody his remedy for everything was cod liver oil and vaseline. It was supposed to cure headaches, sore throats, even haemorrhoids."

For 34 years, Dr. Smith ran Rawene Hospital, campaigned for state funding of health, and is remembered for creating a health service for the remote Hokianga area.

"He was tall, he had white hair. He looked just like Jesus Christ, well, the pictures I've seen of Jesus," Eileen laughed.

In 1948, there was a polio epidemic that caused widespread illness and fear. Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus, which can lead to paralysis and even death.

During this time, public health measures were implemented to control the spread of the virus, including closing schools and public places and encouraging good hygiene practices.

"I can remember taking the two children into town to get an injection to prevent polio.

"One of my cousins caught polio, and she was, of course, disabled for life. Yeah, it was horrible, and now we have COVID."

The development and widespread use of the polio vaccine in the 1950s and 1960s eventually led to a dramatic decrease in polio cases worldwide.

Eileen also received a personalised card from Hokianga Health that read, "Happy birthday from past and present staff of Hauora Hokianga: Hokianga Health."

"Here in the Hokianga, we are pleased to continue the great work that Dr. Smith and nurses like you pioneered over 70 years ago," it read.

When asked if she had a message for today's nurses, Eileen was quick to point out that she thought they earned their money.

“When I was nursing, we used to get one pound, three, and five pence a fortnight, and the hospital board provided our books, uniforms, and board, so it was only pocket money.”

A family lunch and dinner were organised for sprightly Eileen, including family members arriving from New Zealand and her son and his daughter from England. Eileen's brother Doug and her sister Shirley reunited again, three siblings left out of eight.

"To be under the same roof at the same time was lovely to see. Mum's brother, Doug, and she are very close; they're just like two naughty kids when they get together," laughed Dianne.

"Mum received a card and letter from the King, but I think receiving a card from Whangārei and Rawene Hospitals, plus the beautiful Northland gift, has been the icing on the cake," she added.

When asked how it feels to turn 100, Eileen noted that "it makes you very slow, and it takes twice as long to do anything."

"I said to Diane the other day. I don't want to be a hundred; I'd rather be 90 plus 10.”