TEACHERS’ ROLL CALL

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 11 July 1935, Page 5

TEACHERS’ ROLL CALL

HEADMASTERS SINCE 1875 Three Serve Long Terms AGGREGATE OF 49 YEARS. Since the school was built and opened in 1875 there have been only 11 headmasters and of these three have held control for no less than 49 years—Mr C. A. Struck, 29 years, Mr Alex. Mair, 14 years, and the present headmaster (Mr ,T. W. Thomas), six years. Mr Thotoas has been In. charge since 1929, and during that time he has shown that he is keeping the school weir up to the standard of his noteworthy .predecessors. The complete list of headmasters and the date of assuming control is as follow:

May, 1875'.—F. J. Dunne (first head of the new school). 1876, —Miss Chamberlain and Thompson (for a few months only). May, IS7G.—.To;hn Harre. October, 187 S Mair. July, IS92.—Alex. Mathieson (acting).

July, 1892. —E. C. M. Harrison. November, 1895.—C. Harrison, (acting). January, 1896.—C. A. Straek. March, 1924.—J. R. Nairn (acting). April, 1924.—F. A. Bates. March, 1929.—J. R. Nairn (acting). May, 1929. —J. W. Thomas (present headmaster). Mr Thomas entered his profession as a pupil teacher at the Stratford school under Mr F. A. Tyrer, and finished his course under Mr T. V. Winfield, Frankley Road school, New Plymouth. He was then relieving teacher for a few months and returned to the Stratford school as junior assistant, a position he held for some four years until his appointment as headmaster at. Omata in 1905. Mr Thomas four years later returned to the Stratford school as first assistant, for a period of 10 years, and from Stratford he went to Inglewood as headmaster for three

years. Desirous of gaining experience further afield under other boards Mr Thomas transferred to Pukekohe, and a vacancy occurring at West End (New Plymouth) he returned to the Taranaki school as 'headmaster for six years. When West End fell from grade 7 to grade 6 Mr Thomas transferred to Hawera in succession to Mr Bates in 1929.

v A tax which must have created considerable feeling amongst residents of Hawera some sixty years ago is recalled by reference to old “Hawera Star" flies. Savouring of medieval times, it was called the chimney tax. Under the old provincial councils, every occupier of a house or wharc, or owner was compelled to pay £1 a year for each chimney. Bachelors and spinsters came under the incidence of the tax.