West Melton School Older Than Thought

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 11

West Melton School Older Than Thought

West Melton School will celebrate its ninety-second anniversary this week-end with a bell. a banquet and a church service. It was planned as the ninetieth anniversary, but a search of the Canterbury Education Board records revealed that the school was two years older than the organisers believed. In fact, there has been a school at West Melton for 100 years—the first one being a private school. A one-room State school and a house for the head teacher were built by the Education Board at the district’s request in 1871. and one of the original settiers. Mr J. Hill, became the first school committee chairman. There are three of Mr Hill's pre ai-great-grandchildren in the school’s present roll of 40. Today’s roll is one fewer than the one kept for the school's first year, when there were 18 boys and 23 girls. A second room was added to the school in 1883, and the school dema ins the same to this day.

But this year the school is to be rebuilt —another reason for holding the anniversary celebrations. More than 300 former pupils are expected to attend, and among the guests will be the Minister of Transport (Mr McAlpine), the Canterbury Education Board's secretary-

manager (Mr W. P. Spencer) and the Chairman of the Paparua County Council (Mr J. H. Weaver).

There will be a ball in the West Melton hall on Friday evening, a roll-call at the school on Saturday, with a banque in a marquee in the evening, and a church service at the school on Sunday afternoon.