HALSWELL SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25768, 1 April 1949, Page 10

HALSWELL SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK-END

The Halswell School, one of the earliest in Canterbury, will mark its 85th anniversary this week-end. The Minister of Education (Mr T. H. McCombs) will attend to-morrow afternoon and there will be a reunion banquet in the evening. There will be special church services on Sunday, sports on Monday, and a ball in the evening.

Already there are signs that the celebrations have attracted wide interest. Yesterday morning four members of the Sutton family visited the school on arrival from Auckland. 'They were pupils nearly 60 years ago. Actual official records* of the school have been lost; but its history has been compiled by Mr Arthur' Ell, an early pupil who is now a member of the committee. The official opening of the original two-teacher school was on June 4, 1864, he says. A twostorey house, built on the grounds about that time, remained until 1926.

The first headmasters were a Mr Tonks, Mr J J. Elwin, a Mr Banks, and Mr W. E. Foster. After the turn of the century, Mr S. P. Guiney became head, remaining until after the end of World War I. Two acres were added to the grounds in 1918. The main school building was altered about 1920 when Mr G. Whitelaw was head and an open-air infant room was added in 1931 during the direction of Mr R. M. Clague. The present headmaster is Mr George Ash ton.