Wrong priorities

Currently the Government is spending over $27 million on reviewing to New Zealand flag.

I am appalled at the amount of money this involves when our rural health services are taking huge staffing and monetary cuts.

The Government seems hell bent on changing the flag. Why can’t the referendum be done in a more cost-saving way and be presented with the general election voting system? The money saved could be used far more effectively for New Zealanders. We are a group who are planning an event to remember nurses during World War I. The Christchurch Nurses Memorial Chapel at Christchurch Hospital was built to commemorate the New Zealand nurses lost in the sinking of the HMT Marquette on October 23, 1915 off the coast of Greece. One of these nurses was Marion Sinclair Brown who trained at Riverton Hospital.

We are trying to get in touch with the family of Marion Sinclair Brown so we can invite the family to the commemorative event associated with the centenary of the sinking of the Marquette. The event will be held in October.

We believe that the family was associated with the Southland area. Marion was the daughter of John Steele Brown and Margaret (nee Scott). She had several brothers and sisters. These may have been some of her siblings:

John Steele Brown of Waimatuku. (One of his children married into the Craig family of Glenham).

Grace Scott Brown who married William Gray of Wallacetown area.

If readers are able to help us to locate members of Marion Sinclair Brown’s family, we would appreciate it very much.