In the mid 1900’s homoeopathy in New Zealand was in decline. Most of the remaining older practitioners had died, and people who used homoeopathy were, for the most part, using remedies suggested by the two or three homoeopathic chemist shops.

Alfred George Grove was born on 21 January, 1898. He left school at age 12 to work as a carpenter. Having grown up with a homoeopathic kit in the family, he maintained an interest in homoeopathy through his early life. During the 1930s Grove met Dr Dundas McKenzie, a graduate of the University of Missouri, and his interest in homoeopathy was renewed. In the early 1940s McKenzie died and his books and medicines passed to Grove. Shortly after, Grove set up a homoeopathic practice in Auckland.

The New Zealand Homoeopathic Society was formed by Grove and a group of his patients and friends on 26 February 1951. Its objectives were to promote the use of homoeopathy in New Zealand and to ensure an adequate supply of practitioners in the country. Grove served as the Society’s first president, and presented monthly lectures about homoeopathy. He began to import homoeopathic books, starting the Society’s book selling operation.

In 1973 Grove, with others, successfully quashed draft legislation that would have been harmful to homoeopathy, and preserved the labelling practices for homoeopathic remedies, allowing remedies over a 6x or 3c to be sold without restriction.

Grove died in 1974. The society continued to flourish after his death, with activities such as holding seminars attended by close to 600 people.

The society acquired its “home” at 320 Mt. Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland, in 1985.

The building houses:

• The Grove Memorial Library - a reference collection of homoeopathic books, some of which were owned by Grove and other New Zealand homoeopaths
• The Bookroom - has many homoeopathic books for sale
• Lending libraries of both books and audio tapes of local and overseas talks and seminars

The society’s magazine, Homoeopathica began publication in 1978.