A FINE SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 11

A FINE SCHOOL.

WANGANUI COLLEGE NOW AND FORMERLY. PLANS FOR A NEW BUILDING. GLIMPSES AT THE PAST. " Sweat and be saved," " Don't squeal," " Strength of character is all-important," " Do what you ought to do at the timo when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not," "Do the hardest thing first," "Selfishness is the root of all evil," "Duty is tho one thing worth living for"—all these are well-known precepts of the Wanganui Collegiate School, which has been making men for more than half a century. They are the precepts of its honoured "head," Mr. Walter Empson, 8.A., Oxford, who has been, a master of tho school for more than a quarter of a century, and the prime moulder of its destinies, for over twenty yeajs. Now Mr. Empson and tho old school are both going; they will go together. On, Tuesday next his Excellency the Governor will lay the foundation stone of a new Wanganui Collegiate School— a structure larger, more imposing, and more modern than the cramped old wooden building filled with memories, and a new "head" has been appointed, the Rev. J. LI Dove, to carry on the precepts and.traditions of past rule. The foundations of the new building will be laid on Tuesday, but, those of the school's character were laid so "well and truly " in the past that time has not affected them, and they will not bo changed. The Proposed New Building. AD DEI GLORIAM TJT ROBTJR FIRMITATEM INCRE- ' MENTTJM ACCIPERET SCHOLA DE ECCLESIA ET REPUBLICA DITJ BENE MERITA HOC NOVAE' DOMUS FUNDAMENTOM JECIT . WTLLELMUS BARO PLUNKET NOVAE ZEALANDIAE PROCONSUL ID. APRIL. ANNO DOMINI MCMIX. So will the inscription' read oh the new foundation stone. For the benefit-of those who are not "Wanganui boys, it may be interpreted as follows :— To the Glory of God, ' And to give'strength, stability, and en- .. .larg'ement to a school that has long done good service to Church and, State, this foundation, of the new- building was laid . by William Baron Plunket, Governor of New Zealand, April 13, 1909. _,Th? v Anglican Bishop of "Wellington (Dr. Wallis), head of the trustees of the school, will take part in the foundation ceremony, and it is expected that a largo number of Wanganui "Old Boys" will attend. The new structure, to be built of brick, will be situated within.half a mile of the old school, on a portion of the college estate to the south of • the railway, on the Liverpool Street Extension. An area of 40 acres is here reserved, d which the new buildings will occupy about eight. acres. The site will be a somewhat elevated One, the rising ground having been formed into an extended terrace, on which the main building will stand. The present wooden structure has long been far too small- for the school's development, and.out of date in its arrangement, though it. is astonishing how much good work has been done within its walls. The new building will be up-to-date in every particular, and large enough to satisfy, the school's requirements for many years to oome. Two Headmasters. The development of character has been the chief aim and objeA of Mr. Empson as headmaster of tho scbjik. President Roosevelt one said: "What we .aim at is the character of the average man." Reading "boy" for'"man," that is exactly what is aimed at at Wanganii. The principles which Mr.

Empson has endeavoured to instil into the boys are summed up in the sayings which commence this article. Mis successor, Mr. J. Le Dove, v M.A., Camb., bids fair to follow in his steps. Speaking to a Dominion representative about his future policy, he said: "There is only one thing certain. L shall be anxious to keep up the excellent tone of the school as it is now, and the. spirit of the school, and to see that its education is as sound as it is possible to make it." Mr. Dove has had the very best experience of public schools, having been for 18 years an assist-

ant-master at Hailcybury, College, Hertfordslire, assistant-master for a snort time at Rugby, headmaster, of. Denstono College, Staifordshirc, and for the last three years second master of historic Durham School. He has flso tho great advantage of understanding tho colonial, having been for some years vicar i>f tho Huntervillo parochial district, and captain of tho Huntervillo Moratcd RiiUi-

The Day of Small Things. There was a school at Wanganui before there vero white settlers. It was attached to the Church Missioa Station, conducted by Mr. Matthews, Catechist, and its pupils wero the Maori children. When tho settlers came in 1841, it was thrown open to their sons_ and daughters. When the mission station and Native school were removed, somo years later, to Putiki, a European school was continued in the town by Mr. W. Ronaldsrxy who taught the Maori child-

ren at Putiki in the morning, and tho Europfans at Waaganui in the afternoon After. Mr. Eonaldson left the two schools wore separated, and Messrs. Craig, Triss, and P. Watts had charge of the European establishment in turn. The salary of the master was defrayed partly by school fees, and partly from tho Anglican Church income. When Bishop Solwyn came to Wangarji in 1851, foreseeing a larger future for

the school, he decided to apply to the Government for an endowment of from 200 to 500 acres of Crown land, which could be leased, and the renv applied to educational purposes. "The particular site afterwards granted was not thought of," says an historian of the school, "as it was all a deep raupo swamp, with a sand ridge running through it, and had been unsaleable for years as suburban land at £5 per acre."

The endowment asked for was readily given by the Governor, Sir George Grey, and es the fusion of the Taces was an end in view the school is. described in the Crown grant as one "for the children of British subjects of all races, and of other poor and destitute persons inhabiting the islands of the Pacific Ucean. Early Tribulations. The land was then drained for letting, a school site selected, and a school-houso and mas houS6 erected . at a cost of £500 or £600, defrayed by Bishop Selwyn. The itev. U H. b. Nicholls was appointed to the cure of souls in AVanganui, and of minds in. the small school, his salary being drawn from the parishioners to whom he ministered, and the school wherein he taught In January, 1854, the new school was opened under Mr. Nicholls's charge, and received the pupils of the old Church school, wh'ich was-now closed, and a sprinkling of restless Maori scholars from the neighbouring pas The Maori children, whoso fees were paid from the endowment, very soon ran back to the pastor the sake of a-wider .freedom, but tho European scholars, who paid, increased in' numbers for three or four years, when tho Government sent commissioners to report on the position. By confining their roport to tho Native children, who alone came. under the endowment, the commissioners made, it appear that tho school was doing, very little good, and the land given by bir George Grey, which had.now greatlv increased m value, thanks to the draining and improvements of the Church authorities, was calmly resumed by tho State The school was then closed te Europeans, but still faded to attract many Maoris, and tho old Lliurch school was re-opened, and car ned on for a time in the interests of the settlers children. Afterwards a State school was opened, which made it no longer neces sary, following which a school of a hicher class was conducted by tho Rev C II Nicholls, till the present collegiate school was revived under Mr. Godwin. He carried on the school for several years, ■ and w-i* succeeded ,n 1877, by Dr. Saunders. The latter after live years, was succeeded by Ur - ttarvoy, who n ' as succeeded, at the end of five more years, by the headmaster who is now retiring, Mr. Walter Empson. The School in the '60's. One of our illustrations shows the humble building in which tho work of the school was carried on in 1868. An old bov, Mr • i L-ffl Xh >. has placed on rc «>r<i some lnterestmjpjiarticulars of this period "Tim number of pupils attending the school " he says, "varied from about 40 to 60, . and usually there was second master: The school cour'so ii, those days comprised, in addition to English subjects,-Latin, G^p l *- *nd, mathematics,'and

various boys, about the time or shortly after I left passed the Civil Service examinations, junior and senior. Mr. Godwin wa3 very skilful in tho art_ of imparting knowledge, and possessed attainments both classical and mathematical of a very high order. Of athletic training there was practically none in my time. Cricket and football wero certainly played, but having no proper pitch the cricket was of the poorest description; whilst the football played was of a hybrid nature, something between Rugby and association, porhaps more nearly resembling the latter. Hockey was, I think, moro popular, and I romomber somo groat contests at this game. Sports were occasionally hold, though 1 only remember ono really good meeting; but as most boys in those primitive days led semicountry lives, they wero always fairly in form, and somo good running was done. As might bo expected with such a magnificent river, swimming hold a good placo, the ambition of all was to bo able to swim across tho river, and a fair number wero ablo to do this. ' But thero being no regular athletic instruction tho genuino outdoor games, cricket, football, etc., degenerated, and not long before I left wo mostly took to pogtops and marbles. Horses were plentiful; most boys could ride well, and taken altogether the outdoor life was a free and healthy one. I think I may safely say that tho majority of thoso who attended the school at that time look back upon their school days with pleasurable feelings." Landmarks and Achievements. In 1878, while Dr. Saunders was headmaster, was inaugurated the first annual athletic sports meeting. hi 1880 Mrs. Saunders presented the school with its colour—light blue and black. In July, 1886, Dr. Harvey organised a largo bazaar in the town to provide funds for tho erection of a chapel. The chapel was consecrated by the Bishop of Wellington on April 24, 1887, and immediately becamo on© of tho main centres in the life of tho school. In 1891 the cricket pavilion was erected by tho boys, and funds raised for adding two new classrooms and a library to the gymnasium. In 1895, an organ was erected in the chapel in memory of A. J. B. Taliacarne, who left a sum of money to the headmaster for tho purpose. Tho school crew was first formed in 1887, the first football match against Wellington College was played in 1883, and tho first against Christ's College in 1890. The matches with Dunedin began in 1894. The cadet corps, which was originally officorod by masters, dates from 1884. The Parlianientry Union, or Debating Society, began about this time.

The chief distinction gained by a member pt the school was the success of W .S. Marris iao- , d 'i m , avil Servico oxammation in IHJo, whon ho beat all other competitors, in--lOUO0 U 00 m marks ge raUgler ' by Since 1895,176 boys have passed tho matriUniversit eXammatK>ll ° f th ° Nw Zealand i JteT - th % n ?t '1 P? d B °y s " wlnnteewd W &*♦? Afnca ' ™ e of tha * number dying thero from wounds or disease. ino science room, the laboratory, the classic room, workshop, dark room, aid one hLc +1, S , roomS m Wcro all erected by the boys themselves. Tho swimming bath was excavated entirely by tho boys. wT' rC T uts i t ? test tho Pulque of the boys have been taken regularly twice a year for eighteen years. An average boy of ,17 years wiU weigh 1281b., measure sft. 7*in.in height, his chest will be 37} in. full, 32} in. empty, and his biceps will bo 11' in. iho school now numbers 144 boarders and it day boys. *lh fo & w JB » the present staff of tho school ,Mr Walter Empson, 8.A., Oxford; chaplain, the Rev. C. lW M.A., Oxford; assistant masters, Mr.,H. B Watson MA., Now Zealand; Mr. J E Bannister , M.A. New Zealand; Mr. C N* Stephens; Mr Jf A. Neamo 8.A., London \ PPn/tt ?4v Cambridge; Mr K 0. Hardwjcke, M.A., Cambridge; Mr. P MV P R\V £V' Al ' 6n uß.A., Cambridge,: n M i, Bu t*orw«a. Oxford; and Mr. B D. Ashcroft, New Zealand.