In an event organised by former mayoress Lorraine Cooper, mothers and their children were invited to gather outside the former Queenstown maternity home for one last photo before the building is demolished.
The building, on the corner of Melbourne and Sydney Sts, served as the resort’s maternity home from 1947 until 1989, after which maternity services moved to Lakes District Hospital at Frankton.
The building has more recently been home to Bungy Backpackers and is to be demolished to make way for a Holiday Inn Express hotel.
While asbestos meant those gathered could not access the site, families gathered on the footpath outside, swapping stories about the home.
Included in the photograph were the last staff working at the home, Mary Butler, Sandra Kingsbury-Smith, Lindsay Jackson, Toni Okkerse, Karen Milliken and Heather McDonald.
The women said it was "really sad" to see the building go.
"It was a home, not a hospital," Mrs Butler said.
"The women used to have breakfast around the table - the kitchen was the heart of the home."
At that time new mothers could stay for five to seven days.
Cooks were on site to ensure the new mothers were well-fed and baking was always on hand for afternoon tea.
"Those were the halcyon days of maternity care."
Mrs Cooper earlier told Mountain Scene she had all five of her children at the home between 1960 and 1970, describing it as similar to a holiday.
"We were allowed to stay two weeks and most of us did, because we were just so looked after.
Mrs Cooper told the Otago Daily Times she was "amazed" at the number of people who turned out yesterday.
"It was lovely.
"I didn’t know if there were going to be 10 or 20... but it just shows you the memories [that building] brings back to so many people, really."
