Cashmere High School Visit By Lord Cobham

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28434, 14 November 1957, Page 10

Cashmere High School Visit By Lord Cobham

When the Governor-General (Lord Cobham) and Lady Cobham visited the Cashmere High School yesterday morning, they were in a district steeped in family history. His Excellency’s grandfather (Lord Lyttelton) was the first registered owner of the big tract of land which the school partly occupies. It was this association which won Cashmere one of the first school visits of the new Vice-Regal party in New Zealand. Viscount Cobham elaborated on the association throughout his adi dress to the school. Since coming I to Christchurch he had learned that the headmaster (Mr T. H. | McCombs), his mother, and his

father had long represented the Lyttelton constituency in Parliament, he said. Then, apart from the obvious connexions of Lyttelton and Cobham streets, perusal of a map had shown many others —Frankleigh, after which the manor near his home in England where buildings were burnt down centuries ago because they held a secret store of ammunition; Stourbridge, after the market town near his home, which had grown into a centre of the glass industry; and Wychbury, after the wood, seen from his home, through which the Romans built their walls and from which English archers obtained the yew for bows which laid low French knights at Crecy and Agincourt. Value of History Although he had not come to talk about history, he did not agree with an American motorcar salesman that “history is bunk." Viscount Cobham said. By knowing the past it was possible to avoid mistakes in the present and in the future. New Zealand had a short history but its people had won fame for achievements ranging from agriculture to mountaineering. It was a family unit of the Commonwealth. India and Pakistan were old civilisations in their own right. Other units were new and were being shown the best of all that the others knew. Foolish and ignorant people made accusations of “giving away the Empire”; but these were not true. The bond&-were ever growing stronger through common allegiance to the Queen, whose representative and servant, Viscount Cobham said, he was proud to be. He said "servant” advisedly. ‘•Never be afraid of being a servant.” the Governor-General said. "Nobody can aspire to leadership unless he has first learned to serve.” Two Years Old Mr Duncan Mackay, chairman of the board of governors, welcomed their Excellencies. It was a signal honour to have the visit at this stage in the development of the school, he said. Although it was only two years old, its resources had been mobilised as a real community centre. Lord Cobham would be able to report to the Queen that the spirit at Cashmere was typical of New Zealand schools. Miriam Tweed presented a bouquet to Lady Cobham and D. Jackson led the school in cheers for their Excellencies. To mark the occasion, Lord Cobham requested a holiday which will be observed today. After members and wives of the board of governors and of the staff had been presented, Lord Cobham and Lady Cobham spent half an hour inspecting the school with pupils at work in their classrooms. The Cashmere High School has beautiful grounds, already widely planted. Now there is another tree and another link with the Lyttelton family. Lord Cobham planted a kauri.