On 22 February 2025, Hato Hone St John (HHStJ) staff and volunteers, donors and funders, iwi, and community members, came together to celebrate a significant local achievement, the new Te Puna O Hato Hone Pukekohe Ambulance Station – which has been operational since September 2024.
The new fit-for-purpose and future-focused building is the result of a legacy project supported by the local community’s generosity, including the HHStJ Pukekohe Retail Store and six major donors: ASB Bank, Franklin RSA, New Zealand Steel, Punchbowl Packo LTD, Lions Club of Pukekohe, and Mrs Frances Kirby. The major donors were honoured at the February event by the unveiling of a new plaque recognising their individual contributions.
Te Puna O Hato Hone’s construction replaced the prior station on Roulston Street that was built in January 1976. With large growth projected for the Pukekohe area, the refreshed station design will meet the needs of the rapidly growing population and the surrounding rural towns.
“The modern facility hosts a boardroom and an education room for First Aid, St John Youth and ambulance operations volunteers. Both rooms can be hired by community groups and shared with other emergency services. Pukekohe has long been a great training station, and the new building will allow this success to continue. There is also an automated external defibrillator (AED) due to be installed shortly for public use,” says Christine Petrie, HHStJ Pukekohe Area Committee Chairperson.
In 2024, Matua Ted Ngataki and Matua Robert Clark, representing Ngāti Tamaoho and Ngāti Tipa, led the local HHStJ team in a blessing of the property and explained the gifting of the building’s name: Te Puna O Hato Hone. The word ‘puna’ refers to a spring or well and means to 'well up' or 'flow'. This name reflects the ambulance station as the centre of where HHStJ’s efforts within the community flow from – the core. Te Puna O Hato Hone speaks to the caring of all people in Pukekohe. This is the first HHStJ station in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, to be gifted a name in Te Reo Māori.
“The name gifted by mana whenua, Te Puna O Hato Hone, is significant as I feel it gives us a link to the whenua (land) on which the building stands. It is also reflective of the incredible work that comes from this facility,” said Haydn Drake, HHStJ Auckland Area Operations Manager – Counties South.
Mana whenua representatives returned for the community celebration, joining Peter Bradley, HHStJ Chief Executive, John Whitehead, Chancellor of the Order of St John (OStJ), Stuart Cockburn, HHStJ General Manager of Ambulance Operations, Richard Blundell, Patron of the OStJ Northern Region, Kevin Shaw, representative of the Northern Region Trust Board, and Pukekohe Area Committee Members. Attendees were invited to give karakia, prayer, thanks, and acknowledgment to all of those involved in HHStJ’s Pukekohe journey.
Christine Petrie shared how proud she is of the local HHStJ team and community, “over the years there has been a great deal of respect shown from our local community, as our staff and volunteers are so approachable and always willing to help. For a community of our size – that is still growing, you know you have done some good when people continue to stop you in the streets, and at supermarkets and community events to say thank you! We now have this beautiful new building, and the Area Committee are immensely proud of everyone who has helped us get here – especially the wider Franklin community.”
Kevin Shaw, who is also the former Pukekohe Area Committee Chairperson, praised the role of the local HHStJ Pukekohe Retail Store, saying it has “far exceeded our expectations. It has not just contributed significantly to the station project, but it has also funded many other community initiatives. The retail team’s success and the funds raised for this project are largely due to the dedicated people of Franklin who volunteer, donate to, and buy from the store.”
The official event showcased the history of HHStJ in Franklin, including the many faces, resources and vehicles over the years, with a new Volkswagen Crafter ambulance, one of two based at the station, parked next to an original OStJ Dodge ambulance – still in sparkling condition.
Te Puna O Hato Hone is also now home to an Event Health Services (EHS) unit and Auckland’s third Major Incident Support Team (MIST) unit – which is actively looking to recruit more volunteers. Community members were invited to tour the station and vehicles, as well as meet the local team and learn more about the life-saving services they provide.
“Having this new facility will have a very positive impact on the delivery of all our services and ensure our rural communities are supported. It is a safe and comfortable space for our frontline crews to restock between incidents and have their rest breaks. Our community engagement team is also now under the same roof as our ambulance operations, allowing us to work together more effectively on their local initiatives. Additionally, the building has a generator that will ensure we can continue operating through any disruption to power supply, or natural disaster,” Haydn Drake said.
Te Puna O Hato Hone is vital infrastructure for Hato Hone St John in Franklin and is well equipped to support the community and its resilience in the years to come.
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Hato Hone St John media team