EARLY KARORI

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1932, Page 9

EARLY KARORI

HISTORY OF SCHOOL

PHENOMENAL GROWTH

:.. Some interesting history of old Karori was given by Mr; E. A. Wright, M.P., when speaking ,at the opening of the new Karori West ■School,, near Karori Park; yesterday afternoon. Mr. Wright quoted from-the -^Provincial. Gazette," of 16tlt January, 1873, giving a board notice of 17th December, 1372, which, notified that under the provision of the Wellington Education Act, 1871, and its amendment of 1872, a school would open, at Karori, '' without • fee or payment to 'all' children not .under, the age of five years nor above the ago of fifteen." The teacher's, name was John Strudwicke. "Prior to the control of schools by the board,", said Mr. Wright, "there appeared to a school at Karori, but there is no record on the first board minutes. About 1875 the school was conducted in an asylum, on the present school site. "Of the residents connected with the school at its inception two daughters of the late Mr. S. Lancaster, namely, Mrs. F. Neweoinbe and- Mrs. C. jSt. Cathie, are still residents 'of Wellington; also Mrs.1 L. Cole, whose parents took up land from the Now Zealand Land Company at Parkvale road, in 1842. Among the first residents at South Karori were Messrs. J. Hooper, Hawkins, S. McKelvie, C. Smith, A. Lewer, and H. Bradnock." The school records at Karori went back only as far as 1875, said Mr. Wright, at which time the school was called a B7 school.jand had a roll of 51—26 boys and 25 girls. The relieving teacher was Mr. Badland. Mr. and Mrs. Martin followed, and the inspector at that time was Mr. Eobert Leo. On 4th May, 1885, a new school was opened at Karon South, the teacher being Miss Lockett. There were six pupils to start with, but four days later they had increased to 14, and within a month, to 16. Since the first school was opened in. 1872 with an ' attendance of 28 pupils, there had been a steady increaso in the average attendance till about 1927, when the numbers jumped in a phenomenal manner, indicating" clearly the popularity of Karori as a suburb. During 1927-31 building operations were more extensive in Karori than in any other centre. Mr. Wright quoted the following figures showng the average attendance:—lßßo, 65; 1900, 135; 1920, 281; 1925, 346; 1926, 369; 1027, 408; 1928, 449; 1929, 514; 1930, 569; 1931, 623. In 1880, the old Karori School had a'floor space of 640 square feet,• and had only two rooms. Since then, a new building had been provided, and additions had been made at regular intervals. At present, the Karori School, on Church Hill, had .13 rooms with a floor space of 6698 square feet, and a staff consisting of tho headmaster, 12 assistants, and 2 probationers.

Although tho school had reached that trcinoudbus size, the suburb continued to grow, arid it was decided that no further additions should be made to tlie old school, but that a. new school should bo built. It was anticipated that tho district would still grow, and the plans allowed for tho addition of three, rooms, an entrance hall, and teachers' rooms. The cost of the present three-room school, plus ground improvements, was over £2000.