WAITAKI HIGH SCHOOL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 127, 14 March 1950, Page 4

WAITAKI HIGH SCHOOL

APPOINTMENT OF RECTOR MR M. LEADBETTER SELECTED OAMARU, March 13. Although the board of governors of Waitaki Boys’ High School unanimously appointed Mr Malcolm Leadbeter, M.A., of Invercargill, as rector a fortnight ago, advice of Mr Leadbetter’s decision to accept the posi tion was received only this morning after a trip to Invercargill by two members of the board. Mr Leadbetter, who is at present the rector of Southland Boys’ High School, succeeds Mr J. T. Burrows, who resigned his position at the end of last year. It is understood that Mr Leadbetter’s delay in reaching a decision of whether or not to accept the appointment was due to the present inadequacy of the rector’s quarters at Waitaki—he is a married man with a family of three—and to the strong representations made to him to remain in Invercargill. Mr Leadbetter, according to the secretary of the board of governors of Waitaki Boys’ High School (Mr D. V. G. Smith), will take up his new appointment at the beginning of the second term in May. There were 22 applications for the position, including two from Australia and one from England. Mr Leadbetter, who is 47 years of age, has been rector of Southland Boys' High School since 194,6, and before that he was for 10 years headmaster of Waimate High School. Mr Leadbetter began his teaching career on the staff of the Wellington College,' and was subsequently transferred on promotion to St. Andrew’s College, where he eventually rose to the position of first assistant. Born in England, Mr Leadbetter received his early education at Preston School, and on coming to New Zealand, at Petone and Wellington 1 Colleges. Later at Victoria University College he graduated M.A. with honours in mathematics in 1926. He was nominated for a Ne\\( Zealand Rhodes Scholarship. Mr Leadbetter has an outstanding athletic record as a Rugby footballer at secondary school and at university, and on the athletic track where he excelled as a sprinter. Until 1947 he was a co-holder of the New Zolaand 100 yards recor<|, and still holds the best performance of a New Zealander of 9 4-ssec for the 100 yards. He was nominated for the Olympic Games in 1928, and would have represented New Zealand had a team been sent from the Dominion during the war. Mr Leadbetter served with the New Zealand forces and for a time was seconded to the Australian Army. He took part in the final stages of the campaign over the Owen Stanley Range in New Guinea. When discharged lie held the rank of Lieu-tenant-Colonel.