Betty Bourke (née Lucas, 23 July 1924 – 7 December 2015) was a New Zealand local-body politician and health administrator. She was first elected to the Patea Hospital Board in 1962, and later served as the board's chair for three years, unsuccessfully leading the fight against amalgamation with neighbouring hospital boards. In 1969, she became the representative for Patea on the Wanganui Hospital Board, becoming chair in 1980. She was prominent in the establishment of the Wanganui Regional Hospice Service in 1981. In the

1977 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1977 are appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1977. The awards were announced on 30 December 1976 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: Australia,Australia: Ne ...

, Bourke was awarded the

Queen's Service Medal The Queen's Service Medal is a medal awarded by the government of New Zealand to recognise and reward volunteer service to the community and also public service in elected or appointed public office. It was established in 1975 and is related to ...

for public services. She was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, for services to health administration and the community, in the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1977, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 she received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. Active in the Roman Catholic church, Bourke was appointed a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great in 1998. Her daughter, Margot Mains, served as the chief executive of MidCentral Health from 1992 to 1999 and Capital Coast Health from 1999 to 2007. Bourke died in

Whanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whang ...

on 7 December 2015.

References

1924 births 2015 deaths Members of district health boards in New Zealand Recipients of the Queen's Service Medal New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Dames of St. Gregory the Great New Zealand Roman Catholics New Zealand justices of the peace {{NewZealand-politician-stub