Dr Frederic Truby King helped form the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children at a meeting in the Dunedin Town Hall in 1909. The society, soon known as the Plunket Society after Lady Victoria Plunket, spread rapidly. Later that year, Plunket opened the first Karitane Home for Babies in Dunedin. A further six Karitane Hospitals were established to supplement home and clinic visits. These operated both as training bases for nurses and as care units for babies. Whanau Awhina Plunket is such a relevant part of nurturing the next generation, and although parenting styles may have changed, in this century Plunket remains a vital service supporting families in Aotearoa.