The Auckland Home Birth Association (HBA) was founded on 1 May 1978. It held its first minuted meeting in June 1978 and would meet, usually monthly, until the late 1990s. As domiciliary midwife Joan Donley recorded in her book Herstory of NZ Home Birth Association (Donley, 1992, p. 3):
Auckland Home Birth Association logo
Barbara Macfarlane and Deryn Cooper initiated the formation of the Auckland HBA. When asked what prompted them, they replied, ‘the personal is political’ and explained that their motivating force was anger – anger at the powerlessness of women being forced into the medical model…Both saw home birth as a focus of women-power. They also saw the midwife as ‘the source of ancient and authentic knowledge which was impossible to resist’. So, in collusion with their [domiciliary midwife], the politically oriented Auckland HBA was launched at a meeting of 20 people.
The Auckland Home Birth Association, 1977-1997 (WWAT 2007/3) archive is currently being digitised by Wise Woman Archives Trust and many documents – including minutes, correspondence, submissions, legislation and reports – will progressively become available online at this website via the hyperlinks below:
Minutes
Folder 1.1 Minutes, 1978-1981
Folder 1.2 Minutes, 1982-1985
Folder 1.3 Minutes, 1986-1991
Folder 1.4 Minutes, 1992-1995, 1997
Correspondence
Folder 2.1 Correspondence, 1977-1979
Folder 2.2 Correspondence, 1980
Folder 2.3 Correspondence, 1981
Folder 2.4 Correspondence, 1982
Folder 2.5 Correspondence, 1983
Folder 2.6 Correspondence, 1984
Folder 2.7 Correspondence, 1985
Folder 2.8.1 Correspondence, 1986
Folder 2.8.2 Correspondence, 1986
Folder 2.9.1 Correspondence, 1987
Folder 2.9.2 Correspondence, 1987
Folder 2.10 Correspondence, 1988
Folder 2.11 Correspondence, 1989
Folder 2.12.1 Correspondence, 1990
Folder 2.12.2 Correspondence, 1990
Folder 2.13.1 Correspondence, 1991
Folder 2.13.2 Correspondence, 1991
Folder 2.14.1 Correspondence, 1992
Folder 2.14.2 Correspondence, 1992
Folder 2.15 Correspondence, 1993
Folder 2.16 Correspondence, 1994
Folder 2.17 Correspondence, 1995
Folder 2.18 Correspondence, 1996
Folder 2.19 Correspondence, 1997
Folder 2.20 Correspondence, Transfer to NWH (Double booking), 1982-1991
Newsletters
Folder 3.1 Newsletters, 1978-1983; Folder 3.2 Newsletters, 1985-1997
Home birth questionnaire
Folder 7 Home birth questionnaire, 1981-1984
Submissions, reports and discussions
Folder 6 Conference reports, 1979, 1982-1991
Folder 9.1 Submissions, 1980-1992
Folder 9.2 Nurses Amendment Bill, September 1983
Folder 9.3 Reports, reviews, submissions & discussion documents, 1981-1992
Folder 10 Home birth safety issues, 1978-1988
Folder 11 Access Agreements, 1988-1994
Folder 12 Auckland Hospital Board Strategic Plan, 1984
Newspaper cuttings
Folder 14.1 Newspaper cuttings, 1977-1983
Folder 14.2 Newspaper cuttings, 1983
Folder 14.3 Newspaper cuttings, 1978-1981
Home birth statistics
Folders 4.1.1 – 4.12.3, Home birth statistics forms, 1973-1996
Folders 5.1 and 5.2 Statistical tables
Miscellaneous
Mother and baby at home: The early days
Domino and Direct Entry articles and submissions
East Auckland Home Birth Support Group
Ledger journal
Bank Statements to 31 March 93
Income statements to 31 March 92
Information files
Vitamin K
Location of holdings: Wise Woman Archives Trust (Inc.) at wwat.nz