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| STORIES FROM OUR PEOPLE | 
| John Thorn | John
Thorn was born in 1917 making him 93 years of age. His family farmed in
Kawhia, where John spent his childhood. John’s mother died when
he was 6 years old so he and his sister went to live with an aunty in
Hunterville and this is where he went to school. When he was 13 he went
back to the farm to work. As a young man he met his wife Joyce who was
teaching in Kawhia. They have now been married for 65 years. John and
Joyce had two children and when it came time for them to start school
it was decided to sell the farm and shift so the children
wouldn’t need to go to boarding school.
In 1954 they
bought a farm in Hora Hora adjoining Maungatauriri Mountain and Lake
Karapiro and they built a house high on a hill. This new homestead had
wonderful views out to Mt Te Aroha, Edgecumbe and on a clear day they
could even see Mt Tarawera.
In 1973, John joined the Hamilton
East Rotary Club and has been a member ever since. During his time as a
Rotarian he has held every office including being the President in 1983
and this is when he set out to achieve the building of a therapeutic
pool. The idea was generated by another Rotarian, Ron Lane, who
traveled for a medical company and was interested in health systems and
people with disabilities. John and Ron did a lot of research into
hydrotherapy pools even going to view them in Rotorua and at the
Waikato Hospital to try and ascertain which type of pool would be best
for Hamilton. They met and got the support of the Hamilton City Council
who drew up some plans to join the Hydrotherapy Pool to the complex at
Waterworld. Dr Rose, an arthritis specialist at the Waikato Hospital
was very much in favour of a public Hydrotherapy Pool and used to
attend all the hydrotherapy planning meetings.
The Hamilton East
Rotary then started to fundraise the amount of $150,000 that it would
in those days cost to build the pool. The campaign was supposed to be a
combined effort with other Rotary clubs but in the end most others
weren’t interested in participating. John personally wrote to all
the Philanthropic Trusts and Local Authorities asking for grants
towards the pool and about $30,000 was raised this way.
In
1983/84 a telephone appeal was held and all the clubs in Hamilton were
going to assist with this but the commitment was poor. They were geared
up to use the phones in Solicitors’ offices throughout Hamilton.
At the last minute most the Rotary clubs backed out so they ran out of
people to man the phones, but at the last minute Lioness’ Clubs
and Nurses came on board to help out. Due to the shortness of helpers
they fell short of raising the projected $100,000 and the disappointing
result was only $70,000 all up.
The money sat in the bank at
Hamilton East where the Rotary secretary worked. At the time there were
three spa pools at the Waterworld Complex and these were privately
owned. The owner had got into financial difficulties and it was decided
by the Council that they would buy the spa pools from him and
potentially put in access ways so those with disabilities could get
into the water. When the Hamilton City Council decided this was what
they were going to do we presume the secretary gave them a bank draft
for the $70,000 that had been collected towards building the
hydrotherapy pool. But the work on the spa pools never happened and
no-one is sure where the money went.
John Thorn says,
“Over the years I have never changed my view. The city still
needs and will benefit enormously by having a public hydrotherapy pool.
The hospital pool just can not cope with the number of people who need
hydrotherapy and I am very pleased that at last one being built”.
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