12 Facts About Plunket Society

Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust provides a range of free services aimed at improving the development, health and wellbeing of children under the age of five within New Zealand, where it is commonly known simply as Plunket.

Much of Plunket Society's work is organised by volunteer bases throughout New Zealand.

In 1905 Plunket Society had its beginnings in Seacliff, a small village on the Coast Road north of Dunedin.

Plunket Society devised a milk-based formula which led her to thrive.

Plunket Society formed the belief that by providing support services to parents, the society could ensure children were fed on a nutritious diet, reducing child mortality rates.

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Plunket Society believed that this would improve adult health as the children got older.

Plunket Society travelled around New Zealand even while herself five months pregnant to gather support and encourage the formation of branches.

Plunket Society's vision was to link these branches in one organisation based in Dunedin which would hold an annual conference.

In New Zealand the Plunket Society philosophy became 'parenting lore' and within three decades New Zealand had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world.

Special training schemes have been initiated for Maori Health Workers to give culturally appropriate guidance where necessary, and Plunket Society is seeing an increase in the number of Pacific Island families enrolling.

The Plunket society is continuing to grow, through the help of technology being able to promote the society.

In 2020, Plunket Society rebranded its logo to better acknowledge its founding Maori midwives Mere Harper and Ria Tikini, and to signal that it wants to better meet the needs of Maori.