College students contribute to National Medical History archive

13 October 2025

Twenty-eight College students have been recognised for their research contributions to Our Health Journeys, a nationwide initiative that preserves New Zealand’s medical heritage. Representatives from the Auckland Medical History Society, Margaret Horsburgh, Dr Pat Alley and Jocelyn Peach, visited the College to present certificates and lapel badges in acknowledgment of the students’ efforts.

The Our Health Journeys project invites our Saint Kentigern College students to investigate the people, innovations, and technologies that have shaped the history of medicine. Students select their own topic and choose how to present it. Forms varied from written essays to video documentaries and audio storytelling. Their final work is adjudicated and published on the project’s national website.

This year’s submissions covered a range of themes, including the humanitarian advancement of anaesthesia and the evolution of traditional Māori and early colonial medicine storage. Year 13 student Ruby Ma explored the development of the anaesthesia machine, discovering how Queen Victoria’s use of chloroform helped popularise its medical adoption. Year 10 student Ruolin Xiao, working alongside Jessica Zhu, examined historical methods of medicinal storage, tracing the use of porcelain jars, wooden chests, and glass vials. Their research led to identifying the original contents of 19th-century apothecary jars displayed at Auckland’s Ernest and Marion Davis Library.

Among this year’s outstanding entries, Ruolin Xiao and Jessica Jin were named winners of the Best Junior Research Project 2025, James Wang received the Best Senior Research Project 2025, and Hannah Anderson was awarded Best Overall Research Project 2025.

Teacher in Charge, Biliana Kostova, said the project continues to strengthen students’ appreciation of research and historical inquiry. “This partnership with the Our Health Journeys Trust has enabled our students to gain a greater appreciation for the people who have contributed to medical history in New Zealand. The students have also learnt how to research and summarise their findings as well as modify their projects based on the feedback of their supervisor.”

The collaboration between our College and the Our Health Journeys Trust continues to show how curiosity at any age can significantly contribute to New Zealand’s wider story of scientific progress.

Read the published works of our students below.

Chloe Yang - Christine Winterbourn

Jessica Jin and Ruolin Xiao - Traditional Māori and Early Colonial Medicine Storage

Georgia Wang and Stefanie Li - The Iron Lung in New Zealand

Marcus Liu - The School Milk Programme

Sophia Leong and Ava Crawshaw - Nurse Florence Mundie

Harriet Ludbrook - Sir Ray Avery

Tiffany Wang - Sir John Logan Campbell’s Medical Chest

Isabella Li and Lucy Lin - More Than a Medal.

Constance Wu and Chloe Huang - Brainstorming Surgery

Vesa Zajmi and Emma Liu – Whooping Cough, a preventable suffering

Audrey Lin and Courtney Wong - Dr Thomas Moore Philson’s Trunk