By John O'Hare

WAIMATE NORTH: People wanting cosmetic surgery were probably few and far between in the Bay of Islands in the 1830s.

One of those people, however, was missionary James Hamlin, whose second son George was born with a cleft lip. James was keen to get his son under the surgeon’s knife so that the problem could be sorted out – though as he recorded in his diary, the operation – and recovery – had its own set of challenges. 

James Hamlin was living at Te Waimate Mission with his family, and was one of the pioneer missionaries who helped establish the Church Missionary Society’s inland mission in 1830. Today, Te Waimate Mission is a Tohu Whenua cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and is open to visitors.  

According to James’ diary, in January 1831 an unnamed naval ship arrived in Paihia prompting James and George to leave Te Waimate Mission to see whether the ship’s surgeon could perform an operation on George’s lip.

“I and the child arrived there. Mr Williams [missionary Henry Williams] wrote a note on board to acquaint the Doctor with it and he sent back word that as his assistant was out on a pleasure visit, and the Captain being very ill he could not leave today, but would call in the course of tomorrow,” Hamlin wrote in his diary.

Given that the operation predated anaesthetics and antiseptic – two important breakthroughs in surgery – young George could be forgiven for feeling a little under the weather. 

Pain killers were also fairly rudimentary, so the recovery time was probably almost as uncomfortable as the surgery itself. Even the ship’s surgeon was probably a bit rough in his approach – and was possibly more used to carrying out amputations on battle-injured sailors than delicate cosmetic surgery on children.

Nevertheless, on the Friday the plasters were taken off, and more put on. George’s response was not recorded, though it appears he kept a stiff upper lip throughout – helped, no doubt, by the two pins and silk thread. 

Eventually the plaster and one of the pins was removed a few days after the operation.  

That was the last time Hamlin mentioned the surgery in his diary, except for a brief reference to getting George’s lip dressed, so presumably the operation was a success. It was no doubt a character building experience for George though.