It is a little before time - Queen Mary Hospital, as it was then, did not open until November, 1937.
However, last night, about 100 planned to attend a ball at the Dunedin Club as one of several events marking the 75th year.
Queen Mary Maternity Centre charge midwife manager Caroline Folland said the ball's guest of honour was to be Dr Murray Wyatt, a retired GP obstetrician who delivered hundreds, if not thousands, of Dunedin babies.
Mrs Folland said although officially opened in November, patients were not admitted to Queen Mary until January, 1938, when the old Batchelor Hospital closed.
By the early 1940s, about 545 babies were born in Queen Mary a year.
In contrast, 1816 babies were born at the centre last year.
Mrs Folland said that in the 1940s there were other birthing centres in Dunedin and some babies were still born at home.
Queen Mary was intended for women needing medical care.
Today, women choose between a home birth or Queen Mary. Unlike bigger centres, Dunedin does not have a community-centred birthing unit.
Initially, the hospital in Castle St was to have 44 beds, but was reduced to 26 because of the Depression.
A second wing added in 1953 brought the facility to 44 beds.
In 1990, it was integrated with Dunedin Hospital.
A newspaper article published in the Evening Star shortly after the 1953 extension opened described Queen Mary as "one of the most modern and best equipped hospitals in New Zealand".
A "white iron lung just big enough to hold a tiny scrap of humanity" was probably the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
The article also described a nerve stimulator for helping babies breathe, which was developed at Dunedin Hospital, in a New Zealand first.
The newspaper outlined growing interest in "relaxation methods" to allow labour without anaesthetic.
However, a full range of anaesthetist and pain-relieving drugs was on hand.
The newspaper was shown the "fathers only" nursery. Grandparents were initially allowed as well until, the matron said, it was "discovered some babies had a remarkable number of grandmothers and grandfathers".
Mrs Folland said that in 1953, first-time mothers stayed in hospital for two weeks, other mothers for 12 days. Stays were longer if deemed necessary.
Now, the average stay was 2.7 days.
The length of stay was flexible, depending on a family's needs and whether they had far to travel home.
First-time parents Tim and Angie Lucas said yesterday they were delighted with the care received during and after the delivery of baby Jake, on Tuesday morning.
Mr Lucas said that as a new father, he had been encouraged to be part of his baby's care and early bonding.
