SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 22

SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY

BROAD BAY SCHOOL JUBILEE BANQUET NINE FOUNDATION PUPILS PRESENT Early pupils of the Broad Bay School from various parts of the Dominion have gathered to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the opening of the school. The inaugural ceremony, which was held last night, was a banquet, at which Mr W. Anderson presided over a large attendance. The function was of an informal nature, and many of the speakers related incidents connected with the early days of the school. During the' evening a large jubilee cake was cut by seven early pupils of the school. EARLY DAYS RECALLED, Extending a cordial : to all present, the Chairman said it was gratifying to see such a large attendance. Many ex-pupils had come from the North Island and other parts of New Zealand, possibly at great expense, but he was sure that when the celebrations were concluded they would be satisfied with any sacrifice they had made. At least nine foundation pupils of the school were present that night, a record of which they could be proud, considering the long period that had elapsed since the school was opened. It was round about the year 1864, Mr Anderson continued, that the first colonists under the land settlement scheme for the province of Otago, inaugurated in Scotland, began to arrive in the district. Needless to say, Broad Bay at that period was in its most primitive state, and not as it _ was to-day, a pretty and popular seaside resort served with all the amenities associated with modern life. There were no roads and no stores; the bush extended to the water’s edge all the way along the foreshore, and the means of transport were few.

The first settlers had to live in. calico tents and wattle and daub huts that in the present day would hardly be passed by the inspectors when conducting their housing survey. That state of affairs did not. however, last long, as pit sawing had become one of the principal industries of the district, and timber for building then became available. Money in those days was scarce, but those who could not afford to buy timber bartered their labour for it.

Time went on, and by 1870 Broad Bay was a thriving little settlement. Children were steadily increasing in numbers, and it then became evident that the question of having a school in the district could no longer be deferred. Schools had already been opened in the neighbouring districts, North-east Harbour and Portobello. As an initial step it was decided that a deputation should wait upon the superintendent of the province, and in due course Messrs George Green, James Gwyn, John Bacon, and Thomas Anderson interviewed Mr James Macandrew, but as Mr Macandrew resided in Macandrew Bay it was hardly to be expected that he would view the proposal with any particular favour, more especially as a school at Broad Bay Would mean the loss of a certain number of pupils to the North-east Harbour School. Eventually, however, the persistence of the Broad Bay residents was rewarded, but not before they had agreed to find a portion of the expense, the Education Board contributing £203 towards the. cost of the erection of the school, £75 towards the teacher’s residence, and £6O for fencing—a total of £338. The great day arrived on September 3. 1877, the chairman continued, when the door of Broad Bay’s first school was opened.' The school register showed that 35 pupils were enrolled at the opening—27 girls and eight boys—and the average attendance for the first year was 19 girls and 10, boys. The first-teacher was Mr William Drysdale, whose place was taken in 1878 by Miss Rosalie M'George for a short term, and she was in turn succeeded by Mr John Henry Wilson. After Mr Wilson came Mr Robert Huie, a stern disciplinarian, but a fine teacher. Mr Huie’s term' was from 1885 to 1893. Mr John Botting, who, owing to indisposition, was unfortunately unable to be present, was then appointed to the Broad Bay School, and he remained here until 1898. Then followed Miss Evans, 1899-1902; Miss Barham, 1903; Miss Farquharson, 1907-08; Miss Fegans, 1909; Miss Anderson, 1910-12; Mr Walker Mrs Landreth, Miss Pope, and now Miss Tyndall. Of the original 35 pupils it was pleasing to record that 17 girls and six boys were still living. Mr Anderson then read a number of letters and telegrams from old teachers and ex-pupils who were unable to be present. FOUNDATIONS OF CITIZENSHIP. Proposing the toast of “ The ExPupils of the Broad Bay School,” Mr M. H. Nyhon said that his was an exceedingly pleasant duty. It was a long call back to their childhood days. When they left school they went to another—the school of life, which had experience as its teacher, and all they learned at the old school had stood them in good stead in later years as they faced the problems and tasks of life. He wished all those who had come to Broad Bay for the celebrations a very happy stay, and trusted they would retain happy memories of the occasion. Replying to the toast, Mrs Hopkins, one of the first pupils, related several stories, grave and gay, connected with the early days of the school, and Mr 6. Gwyn paid a tribute to the first four teachers. Sixty years was a long time, he said, and there had been many changes during that period, but he hoped that would be overlooked during the jubilee, and that they would be a large happy family of children for a few days. Mr Gwyn concluded by stating that the foundations of good citizenship were laid at school, and he believed that at the Broad Bay School those foundations had been truly laid. Mr Anderson, who also replied to the toast ,spoke in reminiscent vein of the early days of the school. TEACHERS REMEMBERED, The toast of “ Past and Present Teachers ’’ was proposed by Mr E. Davis, who said that the destiny of the children could be made or marred by those in charge of a school. The pupils of schools in Otago, however, were fortunate in that respect, even if it was not until they reached the age of discretion, perhaps, that they realised the value of the time and patience of their teachers in the execution of their duty.

The toast was replied to by Misses Tyndall and Sutherland, who paid tributes to the work of the earlier teachers, who had done so much to raise the prestige of tbe school. The toast of , “ Past and Present Committeemen ” was proposed by Mr J. B. Thomson and replied to by Messrs John Scott and R. Morrison. Mr Morrison urged the younger ex-pupils to take an interest in the affairs of the school by attending meetings of householders and taking an active part in the affairs of the committees. WORK OF THE BOARD. Mr A. M'Taggart, who proposed the toast of the “ Otago Education Board,” said that Mr James Wallace, the chairman of the board, had always given the school every assistance he could. The board did not have a bottomless purse, and many people criticised its actions, but he would like to congratulate the controlling body, which had always given the school very fair treatment. Mr D. C. Cameron, in reply, apologised for the absence of Mr Wallace, who, he said, had done more for education in Otago than any other man. The board controlled 240 schools, 18,000 pupils, and 700 teachers, and its duties were onerous and varied, dealing as it did with many aspects of education. There was a tendency to-day to consolidate many of the small schools and bring the pupils to larger centres, but •that was not likely to happen to the Broad Bay School, Mr Cameron paid a tribute to the Minister of Education and his department, which had recently given greatly increased capitation grants to schools and special grants for new buildings. Mr Fraser, he believed, was honestly doing his best for the education system in the Dominion. Other toasts honoured were: “ The Peninsula County Council,” proposed by Mr Joseph Gwyn and replied to by Or H. Macandrew; “ The Ladies,” proposed by Mr Anderson; and “ The Chairman and Secretary.” Replying to the last-named toast, Mr Anderson paid a sincere tribute to the work of the secretary (Mr Gwyn) for his painstaking work in connection with the celebrations.