DEATH OF MR L.E. POWLEY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 18

DEATH OF MR L.E. POWLEY

42 YEARS’ WORK FOR • EDUCATION

SERVICES TO CANTERBURY BOARD

Generations of school teachers, running into thousands, have served under Mr Lionel E. Rowley, former secretary of the Canterbury Education Board, whose death occurred yesterday in Christchurch. He had had 42 years’ association with the board. As an office junior, Mr Rowley joined the staff of the North Canterbury Education Board in 1907 when it controlled 180 schools with about

500 teachers and nearly 20,000 pupils He rose through the clerical staff, after experience in all departments, and when he returned from overseas m the First World War, he found that the North Canterbury, South Canterbury, and West Coast Education Boards had been amalgamated. Soon afterwards, Mr Rowley became assistantsecretary for 11 years and then had 14 years as secretary until his retirement in 1949. By then the board controlled 300 schools with about 1200 teachers and 36,500 pupils. After being closely associated with the earlier steady development in the primary school system, Mr Rowley was responsible for the start of long-term planning to meet the present rapid increase in school rolls and the consequently heavier demand for teachers. He had administered the consolidation of many country schools, seen Canterbury’s introduction of the open-air school and the later general use of the Canterbury veranda style of building, and then had to make the preliminary estimates of what would be required 10 years ahead. Mr Rowley was educated at the Cathedral Grammar School and Christ’s College. His work occupied most of his time, but he was a keen member of the Canterbury Masonic Lodge, and played golf at Hagley and Russley. His chief recreation was gardening, with a specialist’s interest in chrysanthemums. He had a magnificent garden at his former home on Murray Aynsley Hill and retained this interest when he moved to Governor’s Bay a few years ago. Mr Rowley is survived by his wife, a son. and a daughter.