Te Aute College

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 230, 11 September 1922, Page 3

Te Aute College

FOUNDATION OF NEW WING. STONE-LAYING CEREMONY. HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL. LOOKING FORWARD AND BACKWARD. The laying of the foundation stone of the new wing of the To Aute College to replace that destroyed by fire some time ago took place on Saturday. The ceremony was performed by His Grace Archbishop Julius, Primate of New Zealand, and the occasion was of remarkable interest marking as it does the threshold of a new epoch in the college’s history. Looking back over the years to the time when the school was first established, and viewing the many trials and difficulties which were overcome by the founder, the late Archdeacon Samuel Williams, and the first headmaster, the late Mr. John Thornton, those present at Saturday’s gathering could not but be profoundly impressed by the storj or indomitable will and true service to the Master which is revealed in the smiling pastures of the estate and the well-laid-out school grounds. Many old boys of the college as well as present pupils and girls of the Hukarere College were firesent and these formed half the arge crowd present. All members ot the Anglican Synod and their friends were present and were welcomed upon their arrival at the college by Mr. E. G. Loten. the headmaster, and the Rev. A. Neild, the chaplain. The proceedings commenced at 11 a.m., when an open air commemoration service was held near the chapel. The Bev A. Neild conducted the ser vice and was assisted by Canon A. F. Williams. The Rev. Pine Tamahori, an old boy of the college, delivered the sermon and took for his text “Oh, death, where is thy sting; oh, grave, thy victory?” The preacher eulogised the characters of the two great men of the old college, Archdeacon Samuel Williams and Mr John Thornton, the founder and first headmaster. The towo great aims of these beloved founders were not to make the Maori a European, but to preserve the Maori as a Maori, retaining all the customs of that great race, together with the best characteristics of the pakeha. It was to these ends that the college was nowprogressing and he was quite confident that the good work of the late Archdeacon Samuel Williams and the late Mr John Thornton had not been in vain. The Right Rev the Bishop of Waiapu closed the service. The many guests who were now steadily growing in numbers, passed away the time by exploring the school until lunch time.

LAYING THE STONE. The specified time for the laying of the stone w-as 2.30 p.m. and at that hour there were nearly 500 people assembled at the ceremonial place. The clergy and laity, preceded by the college boys, then filed in procession from the chapel, the processional hymn bein “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” His Grace Dr. Julius, Archbishop of New' Zealand, then laid the stone in place, the while reciting these words: “Brethren, we are gathered together here to lay the foundation stone of the new building* of this college to the glory of God and the education of His children.” The block is a handsome piece of granite with the following inscription engraved thereon: — “To the glory of God and to commemorate the jubilee of this college, founded by Samuel Williams, Missionary to the Maoris, and afterwards first Archdeacon of Hawke’s Bay, this stone was laid by Churchill, Archbishop of New Zealand, September 9, 1922.” The lessons and prayers w’ere delivered in Maori and English. ARCHBISHOP’S ADDRESS. His Grace, in opening his address, said that no thoughtful man coming to New Zealand could fail to take an interest in the Maori race. He waa sorry that he knew so little about them, because in the South Island there were only a few hundred of them, but he loved and reverenced them as others had done before him. When he was still a young curate he was inspired by such men as Canon Stack, Bishop Hadfield, Alex Shand and Archdeacon Williams to work for the Maori church and to bring them to God. It was said that the race was dying out. That was not quite true, but the Maori must be taught to help himself, and by so doing he would regenerate himself and come forth a new race physically and mentally, the equal of the pakeha, a position that they did not hold at present. The only way to wholly preserve the race was by education, not meaning by that literature and mathematics, but trades and morals. The result lay to-day in the Maoris’ behaviour after leaving school. So many returned to the pas and grew lazy or else ran round in motor cars and made a show of wealth. They must turn to work and earn a name for themselves there. He prayed and hoped that tho good work be not stopped, but that this ceremony be an incentive to higher levels and higher stepping stones of a new Maori race.

Mr T. E. Crosse, chairman of the Te Aute Trustees, referred to the liberality and foresight of the late founder, in whom the Maoris had no truer friend and benefactor. He referred to several old boys who were now prominent citizens of New- Zealand. HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE. The Ven. Archdeacon Williams, a descendant of the founder, read the following history of the college:—At the laying of the foundation stone of the new permanent buildings of the Te Aute College it will be of interest to everyone to learn how the Te Aute College Trust Estate came into existence and also to hear something of the beginning of the school there. In the year 1847 the late Archdeacon Samuel Williams (then Bev S. Williams) was asked by the Bishop of New Zealand (Bishop Selwyn) to take up work at Otaki, on the West Coast, where he had charge of eight Maori village schools and a central school at Otaki. In the latter there were from 120 to 130 scholars. In 1852 Sir George Grey, then Governor of New Zealand, visited that district and made Mr Williams’ house his headquarters. During the first evening he asked Mr Williams how he would like to go to Hawke’s Bay. The latter replied that he was exceedingly happy in his work at Otaki and he sincerely hoped that nothing would interfere with it. On the third evening he was thete Sir George /Grey again spoke about it and told Mr Williams that he was feeling very anxious about Hawke’s Bay; that he saw- that a large English population would be flockii/; into the district before the natives were prepared to come into contact With them, and he feared that unless there was somebody who would stand between them the two races would be certain to come into collision. “Now,” he said, “if you will go I will give you 4000 acres of land to assist you in your educational pursuits and I will endeavour to induce the Maoris to give you an equal amount.” He also promised to give

him money for the purchase of sheep and for buildings and for almost every thing necessary. In the beginning of 1853 Bishop Selwyn and Sir George Grey made an appointment with Mr Williams to meet them at Waipukurau by a given date in March. He came up the Manawatu river. The Bishop and the Governor came up the Wairarapa. In consequence of bad weather Nfr Williams got to Waipukurau a fortnight ahead of them. There were no roads in those days, only what they called pig tracks. On his arrival Mr Williams took a bird’s eye view of the country and fixed on Te Aute for the selection of the block. Sir George said, “You may pick the land whenever you like,” but he again told the Governor that his private feelings were exactly as lie had presented to him when he spoke to him at Otaki. “But,” he said, “if the Bishop of NewZealand and the Senior Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society consider it advisable that I should go 1 will go where lam wanted. Sir George Grey made it a condition of the grant of land that Mr. Williams was to bo there.” “In fact, he said: “My object is to get you to Hawke’s Bay, and unless you go I do not give an acre.” The natives on returning to their own country after the cessation of hostilities amongst themselves also expressed a wish that Mr. Williams should come to Hawke’s Bay, and they also promised to give him whatever land was necessary, and they pointed out a block of land which was supposed to represent 4000 acres, but which did not measure quite as much, though in point of value it was said to be equal to the land given by the Government. Mr. Williams directed that the deeds from natives should convey the land to the Crown in order that Crown grants should be issued to trustees for it. The paramount chief of those who gave the land, Te Hapuku, said to Mr. Williams. “What a peculiar fellow you are. We give you a block of land and you calmly dictate to us to give it to somebody else.” Ho explained to him that he could only receive it on this condition, and Hapuku said at last, “If you will be foolish 1 cannot help you,” and signed the deeds. The total area ot the original grants was 7779 acres. This was subsequently reduced somewhat by exchanges with the Government.

LIVED IN RAUPO WHARE. As the natives moved in the same direction as the Governor, stipulating that Mr. \\ illiams should come and reside in Hawke’s ay, he looked upon it as a call, and decided W go if required. The Central Committee of the Church Missionary Society and the Bishop both concurred in his taking the step, and he took charge of the district early in 1853. He could not leave Otaki with all his engagements at once, but moved between the two districts until the end of 1854, when he moved over to Te Aute with his wife and infant daughter, Miss Lydia Williams. There was no home or accommodation for him, and his first habitation was a “pataka” or Maori store 14 feet long by 8 feet wide, with wall about 3 leet 6 inches high. Neither the Governor nor the Bishop nor the committee of the Church Missionary Society had taken into consideration that a missionary would require a house to live in. He took steps to erect a two-roomed raupo whare, and in the second year added another room to it. He was hoping to get pecuniary assistance from some quarter or another, gut got none, and had to live in the raupo whare for about five years. BUSH AND SCRUB. Persons now viewing the country fully cleared and under the host of grasses and crops find it hard to realise what was tho state of it in those early days. There were about 300 acres of heavy bush at the back of the college site, and the rest of it was covered with fern scrub, and portions were swamp. During the years 1854 to 1859 the Rev. S. Williams received £2168 from the Government. Half of this sum was absorbed in maintaining the school and the remainder, together with £5OO which Bishop Selwyn found, and a considerable sum advanced by himself, was expended in clearing and fencing, and grassing a portion of the land, about 250 acres, and erecting houses, barn, woolshed, end yards, and procuring a dray, cart, working bullocks, plough, and other implements. The Government also found £5O for the purchase of sheep to stock the place with, the income from which assisted in maintaining the school. During this period 400 acres of the property was let to a tenant for £4 3/4 per annum ; 1/4 was the then Government rent for unimproved land. The tenant threw up the lease after holding it four years. OPENING OF THE SCHOOL. The Rev. S. Williams opened the school at Te Aute in October, 1854, with 12 pupils, who came over with him from Otaki, housed temporarily in raupo whares. In his report to the Education Department for the year 1855 he stated that for the year he had 10 pupils, and they had cultivated 6| acres of wheat and 2 acres of potatoes, which he hoped would relieve their expenditure for food. The report for 1856 stated that the scholars had increased to 15. During that year they had 23| acres under crop, comr prising 13 acres English grass and clover, 61 acres wheat, and 4 acres potatoes. More land would have been cultivated but for the time wasted in hunting the working- bullocks, which strayed through lack of fenced enclosure’s. Timber was prepared for building the barn and wool shed, and progress was made in erection of yards and milking shed. The 1857 report stated that the number of scholars was 13; that 100 acres of land had been enclosed, including 20 acres English grass and clover, 10J acres wheat, 3 acres potatoes, and some land surface sown, that £250 had been received from Bishop Selwyn towards the building fund., and four sawyers were employed cutting timber. The barn, woolshed, dwelling for farm man and family, milking shed with stockyard, and calf-pen were completed. Lack of funds hampered work of the school. A SEVERE LOSS. The report for the year ended December 31, 1858, stated that the success of the school was hampered by discomforts owing to the temporary raupo buildings becoming hardly habitable, and the want of an English schoolmaster able to devote his whole time to it. Mr Williams mentioned that he had engaged Mr Charles Baker for that purpose. The number of scholars this year fell to eight. A further £750 was urgently required for the erection modern school buildings, for which the timber was being sawn. This year they laid down 17$ acres with plough into permanent pasture, 15 acres of which was sown with a light crop of wheat and 2$ acres with potatoes. They stumped and broke up 4$ acres of old timber land. Throughout these four years Mr Williams repeatedly pointed out how urgently he required funds to suitably eauiu this establishment. Sir George Grey had gone to the Cape of Good Mope, and a new Minister came into office, who discontinued or greatly reduced their grants for education. During 1859 the school suffered a severe loss through the destruction by fire of the barn and its contents of grain, implements, etc., to the value of £4OO. As the income and produce from the property was yet insufficient to maintain the school without full Government grants, and Mr Williams could not continue it without

running further into debt, ho was compelled to close the school, which, from various causes, was reduced this year to four scholars. For several years Mr Williams continued to break in and develop the school estate in order to secure a revenue from it for maintaining the school, end in doing this he advanced considerable sums,of money himself. Mr J. H. Coleman was Mr Williams’ overseer for six>years, 1860 to 1865 inclusive, and shortly after he described the property thus: “At the time I went there Mr Williams’ house was just completed, there was a small woolshed, two whares for mon. an enclosed stockyard; not much of the land was improved; there were two or three paddocks fenced in, a portion of which was ploughed; the land was principally fem when I was tjiore. While T was there considerable improvements were effected, fencing and laying down in grass, the block containing about 5500 acres was fenced, and the woolshed enlarged, and the place about two-thirds stocked when I left.” ON A SOUND FOOTING. Air Williams continued working the property ,paying off its liabilities and conserving its income until 1871, and as he could not obtain further grants for building from the Government, arranged to borrow what he wanted from a private source, and began the erection of the old wooden school buildings, which with subsequent additions were burnt down in 1918. This school was opened in 1872 with Afr Reynolds as headmaster. After a number of years he was succeeded by the late Afr John Thornton. Mr Williams never received any salary from the Te Aute Trust Board though from the time he came to Te Ante until his death in 1907 ho managed and developed the property mid controlled the school and during the greater part of the period he was tenant. He was always ready to assist when money was required for additions to the old buildings of To Aute or Hukarere Schools or other requirements, and his contributions amounted to many thousands of pounds. From what has been said it is clear that Samuel Williams was the founder of the Te Aute Trust Estate, and his name will ever bo associated with tho To Auto College. Afrs Ellison, a granddaughter of Hapuku, the donor of the land addressed the assemblage in Afaori, exhorting the boys to become God fearing citizens, unashamed and trustworthy. OLD BOYS’ DONATION. The Hon. A. T. Ngata, an old boy of tho college, stated that very soon the Williams family would bo celebrating their 100th anniversary of their landing in New Zealand and since that date the Afaori had no truer friends. But for their generosity Hukarere College and Te Aute would never have seen the light of day. He said that the new buildings meant a new ora to the college, but there was one thing he would like to see and that was the Afaori customs brought more into the life of the present generation. Even at this gathering he did not see enough of the representatives of tho various tribes present. If the trustees allowed it, and he was voicing the opinion of the old boys and manv others, they would see that the trustees be relieved of the duty of decorating the inside of the new assembly hall. Be thought that it should bo appropriately carved and decorated as far as the style of architecture permit ed. On behalf of some of the old boys he wished to hand Mr Crosse £5O for that purpose. Three Afaori clergy then spoke tn the girl* and boys in Afaori and latei sang “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” in Afaori for the Archbishop. Altogether the ceremony was a most imposing one. Amongst the visitors were Miss Lydia AVilliams (daughter of the founder of the college), Afr J. B. Feilder (the only surviving original trustee), Dean Afayne, Afr H. J. Russell, Air A. E. Turner Williams, Afr R. D. D. AfcLean and Lady Carroll.