School To Replace Stable

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31760, 17 August 1968, Page 40

School To Replace Stable

Another historic stable block in Christchurch will be demolished this month. The board of governors of Rangi-Ruru Presbyterian School for Girls has let a contract to M. L. Paynter, Ltd, to build a two - storey block, predominantly classrooms, which will be the third stage of a big rebuilding programme undertaken over the last five years. It will cost more than $75,000.

Demolition of the stable block, as it is still known at the school, will begin during the term holidays now beginning. The stable block is part of the originai estate of A. E. G. Rhodes, who at first leased the property and then sold it to the Misses Gibson for their Rangi-Ruru School, which they sold to a Presbyterian board of governors in 1946.

The new school block, which will be finished early next year, will total 10,500 sq. ft. It will contain eight classrooms (including a large one for geography), an extension to the library, a new library stack room, a staff study, careers adviser’s room, and cloak and locker space up-

stairs, and a first assistant’s office, prefects room, and more cloak and locker space downstairs. The architects are Messrs Holliss and Leonard, who designed most of the school’s recent extensions.

The Fergusson wing (the main teaching block), of about 12,000 sq. ft, was officially opened by the former Governor-General in 1963. Four years ago an appeal for $150,000 was oversubscribed and of this $111,200 has been received with a little more than a year of the fiveyear promise period to go. From this and other gifts Wilson Hall (assembly and chapel), the Gibson Memorial Library, and a two-storey block of classrooms, cookery, and music rooms was built and occupied at the beginning of last year. The total cost was about $125,000.

The present third stage of this programme will be undertaken with the balance of appeal funds and some borrowing. The letting of the new contract means that the greater part of teaching accommodation at Rangi-Ruru will have been built within the last six years.

The photograph shows the stable block to be demolished. The building to be erected will link with the Fergusson wing to the left and the Gibson library to the right z