The former Australian’s grandfather, George Belstead, was rescued from Gallipoli on to the hospital ship, which returned wounded soldiers home.
Mrs Hayes Dickson believed he was cared for by Isabel Clark, a former Waitaki Girls’ High School nurse on board the SS Maheno.
"I wouldn’t be alive today if that hadn’t happened. It’s kind of serendipitous that I’ve ended up living here," Mrs Hayes Dickson said.
Now Mrs Hayes Dickson, alongside Yneke Edzes, has created a memorial for the SS Maheno and the North Otago town’s soldiers.
The memorial, at the Maheno Tavern, owned by Miss Edzes’ parents Olga and Tjarko, included photos of the ship, a ship flag, a remembrance torch made from a bee smoker, and a photo of Ms Clark will be added.
"Everything’s connected to the SS Maheno in one way or another," Mrs Hayes Dickson said.
The memorial will be unveiled at 6pm on Anzac Day, where the Ode of Remembrance will be read, along with a minute’s silence and a toast of port — a nod to the traditional evening toast of the navy.
Every Friday following the unveiling, a member of the community will read the Ode, followed by a toast of port. Mrs Hayes Dickson believed the tavern would be the only pub is the South Island to do so.
"It’s a part of how can we remember them, on a regular basis instead of just paying lip service to that phrase and doing something on Anzac Day.
The idea had "legs of its own", receiving good support from Oamaru RSA secretary Barry Gamble and Waitaki District RSA Welfare Trust member Warren Prescott. They hoped to add more memorabilia in the future.
Everyone in the Maheno area had a connection to the SS Maheno story, she said.
Maheno School had the bell from the ship on site, and former pupils visited the shipwreck on Fraser Island, Australia.
But people driving through the area could not see the memorial cenotaph or the school.
"It’s a lost opportunity for the people to stop and learn something about our district. [The tavern’s] perfect really," she said.
People who knew about the memorial had been "genuinely touched" and Mrs Hayes Dickson was proud of how it had come together.
Miss Edzes said she was excited for the unveiling and the future of the tavern.
"I think it definitely went better than I expected, it’s kept growing," Miss Edzes said.
