Felicity Goodyear-Smith tackles tough topic in book

Few issues have polarised Aotearoa New Zealand society as much as abortion, and now Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith has launched a book on the topic.

Academics at the University’s medical school had key roles in the establishment of the country’s first abortion clinic, where Felicity subsequently worked as a certifying consultant. Her book, From Crime to Care: The History of Abortion in Aotearoa New Zealand, focuses on the story of that clinic, opened in 1974, with her teacher, mentor and friend Dr Rex Hunton having a pivotal role.

“Rex wanted a history of the AMAC (Auckland Medical Aid Centre) to be recorded, and of the turbulent and bitterly contested history of abortion in New Zealand,” Felicity says.

In the book’s preface, she recalls being a student in the 1970s and taught by Rex and Father Felix Donnelly in the Department of Community Health, now General Practice and Primary Care. Felicity has worked there for two decades, including as its former head.

“The dean, Professor Cecil Lewis, said to them, ‘Go out to GPs in the area and ask them what the most difficult problem is they are facing. They came back with issues around sexual orientation and women who were unhappily pregnant,” Felicity says.

They started offering counselling in a pink cottage on the grounds of Auckland’s med school.

“Rex generally counselled women with unwanted pregnancies and Felix those grappling with their sexual orientation. Rex saw many women who were desperate. They had no real choices. It was very difficult to get approved for an abortion and you needed money to go to Australia.”

At that time, Rex was a senior lecturer and general physician with an interest in counselling. With colleagues from the University, he helped set up the Auckland Medical Aid Trust and open the clinical centre in Remuera in 1974.

Psychiatrist Professor John Werry and physician Dr Robin Briant, who was researching at the medical school, were both trained as abortionists and worked part-time in the clinic. The registrar at the University was on the trust as information officer. Over the years, University staff have continued to be involved.

“Australian Dr Jim Woolnough joined the clinic as lead abortionist when it first opened. He was subsequently charged for conducting illegal abortions and went through two trials. One was a hung jury and a year later he was acquitted. He had put his head on the block.”

Police raided the clinic and seized medical files. They approached women, based on their notes, and questioned them, often in front of family or colleagues who didn’t know they’d had an abortion.

Meanwhile groups for and against rallied and the clinic was subjected to fire-bombs, intense protest action and arson, and its clinicians harassed.

In the 1980s, Felicity worked in women’s health in Freemans Bay, then an impoverished area. She was seeing women who were unhappily pregnant. Felicity became a certifying consultant and started working shifts in AMAC, a role she continued until lockdown 2020, when legislation passed that made her role redundant. Abortion has now moved from the Crimes Act 1961 into law governing healthcare, and abortion services brought into the fold with other women’s health services.

In her book, Felicity seeks to fairly represent all sides of the divisive debate. Bernard Moran, a long-time supporter of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, gave her plenty of time and material to work with.

“I said to him, ‘I really want to give everyone a voice, but clearly I am pro-abortion.’ He said, ‘yeah, of course, I know that.’ He was happy just to have his voice in the story.”

This is not Felicity’s first book on a flashpoint topic. First Do No Harm: The Sexual Abuse Industry talks about false allegations and recovered memories. Another book, Murder That Wasn’t: The Case of George Gwaze is about the impact of a false rape and murder accusation.

She is driven by a strong need to address injustices, which she saw arising in her work in women’s health, with devastating impacts on those falsely accused.

“I knew what I was saying needed to be said. I knew it wasn’t going to make me popular, but it helped the discourse I think.”

These days, this champion for women’s health is working with Pacific providers on research to support culturally appropriate models of care. She combines work fostering teaching practices with travelling in her motor home. Husband John Potter drives while she works on her laptop or visits practices. In the evenings, they park up near a beach, swim and relax. Retirement currently holds little appeal, though it may come along eventually.

Jodi Yeats