“These Fifty Years”

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 65, 18 March 1936, Page 3

“These Fifty Years”

CHELTENHAM SCHOOL JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS IN TRAIN “Picture an area of 12,000 acres of level country covered with dense virgin forest, durable totara, tall kahikatea, drooping rimu, stately matai, crimson rata- —trees which were old when Cook circumnavigated Aotea Roa and which wero growing into good-sized trees when the power of Spain went down before the skill of English sailors and the winds and storms of God!” Replacing such a Vision are a hundred and more smiling settlements today and among them Cheltenham whose school is about to celebrate its fifteeth anniversary. Following tho celebration of the jubilee of tho parent town of this fertile district, Feilding, township has followed township in marking this milestone in history and the Cheltenham settlement is next on the list to commemorate its jubilee. For weeks past settlers of the district have been organising for this momentous event in the history of the settlement and few days remain before the celebrations will be in full swing. An indefatigable worker throughout the numerous activities promoted to quicken interest in the notable event, Mr. 11. W. Wood, who has been head teacher of the school for the past 11 years, has assisted towards bringing the organisation to perfection’s point and little remains to be done beyond waiting for Saturday, March 28, the day settled for the rallying together of old pupils and settlers for the jubilee roll-call. The programme for the day will commence in the late morning with children’s races and at 12.30 old pupils will gather at the Cheltenham hall for the luncheon to be provided by the district in honour of the event. At 2 p.m. there will be a procession from the hall to the school where the roll-call will take place aud then will follow appropriate addresses by Mr. A. B. Shannon, chairman of the school committee; Mr. E. F. Hemingway, chairman of the Wanganui Education Board; Hon. J. G. Cobbe, member for the district; Mr. A. F. McMurtrie, senior inspector, Wanganui Education Board; and Mr. J. S. Tingey, Feilding’s representative on the board. On the Sunday special church services will be hold and on Monday there will be a carnival gathering when the results of the queen contest will be announced. The whole district enthusiastically awaits the celebration and eagerly looks forward to the unique gathering which tho event will sponsor.

The district grew out of the settlement of what was known in those early days as the Manchester Block and some 12 years after its settlement when the landscape was still in its picturesque} native bush, the first Cheltenham school was opened in a house situated on Kimbolton road. The first route to the new settlement of Cheltenham which received its name through one of its earliest prominent settlers, Mr. Win. Mills, who migrated from Cheltenham, England, was via the Oroua river and this was used until the track leading out of Feilding, north, grew into Kimbolton road and a highway more convenient than the rough going along the river’s course.

It was on April 19, 18S6, that the first school was opened with Mr. E. C. Terapler as the first teacher. He also had charge of the Kiwitea School which he took in the mornings and Cheltenham in the afternoons. According to the valuable souvenir history by Mr. H. W. Wood and from which the first paragraph of this article was extracted, the original school register is still in the present school. The roll on that memorable opening day numbered 10 but by the end of the month had increased to 15. Bush fires along the roads were responsible for the small attendance during the opening week of the school. Within a year of opening a new building was erected on a site given by Mr. Wm. Mills and tne original room of this building is to-day used as the infant room of the school. By the end of 18S7 the roll had increased to 24 and early in iSBB, on two occasions, there was no school owing to bush fires —an echo of the perilous pioneering days when the great forest which encompassed the district was being cleared to make way for the pasture lands of to-day. School records make mention of difficulties over the chimneys, which smoked too much and often from the wrong end! Bad weather and bush fires adversely affected the attendance, while smoky chimneys contributed to the unpleasant lot of both pupils and teacher. Despite all, the work of educating the district's children persisted and in January, 1890, the school became a full-time-institution with Mr. Templer, relieved of his duties by Mr. E. G. Drench at • Kiwitea, as head teacher. In '93 the roll stood at 40 and that year witnessed the celebration- of Arbor Day by the planting of-an oak tree as -well as some wattles and some pines. The oak tree remains along with the wattles but the pines-La ie gone the way of all flesh. Mr. ,relinquished his duties in January, 1894. and Mr. H. J. Carter relieved until Mr. H. Coventry was appointed in the foiling April and he served until June, 1906.' Mr. G. Small did relieving duty until the'appointment of Mr. J. Harrc in July, who was head' teacher until 1911 when Mr. M. E. Macfcwen took charge. In 1920 Mrs. A. Horneman was appointed and this lady retired in January, 1925, when Mr. Wood obtained the position. The school roll gradually, grew and when the school resumed in January, 1896, the number of pupils attending' was 57. The room was built to accom-

modate 44 and a shed had to be utilised to take the overflow. At this time tho school-received its first cadet, Mr.l John

Cunningham, who remained for a few mouths, when Miss Winifred Ray was appointed pupil teacher and she remained till November, 1897, when the roll stood at 61. Other pupil teachers were appointed from time to time until 1902 when Miss Cunningham (Mrs. D. H. Mac Lean) was appointed assistant teacher —the first to occupy that position. Owing to tho crowded state of the room the board built another room to accommodate a further 20 pupils. At tho end of ’B9 the roll had risen to 73.

Not the least interesting part of the school’s history is the incident concerning the school flag. This flag was purchased 36 years ago through subscriptions gathered by tne boys, aud its official unfurliug by Mr. F. Y. Lethbridge, tho then member for the district, took place on NoveniDcr 1, 1000. At that time the head teacher, Mr. Coventry, caused the following oain to be copied in front of the class readers: “Here under the school flag, I will always remember that I am a British subject and I will try all the days of my life, with God’s help, to do my duty, to honour the Flag, and never to lend myself to a mean or cowardly action.” The old flag, though tattered and torn, is still in the school and much treasured for its associations.

Early in the twentloth century the roll continued to climb and with t.ke figure at 96 the board decided to erect another room and this was opened in 1903. During Mr. Ilarre’s term as head teacher dairy science instruction was commenced at the school and a school garden was cultivated with excellent results. In 1914 Mr. John Bruco presented additional ground for a school garden and at this period an ashphalt tennis court was laid down and officially opened by the late Hon. D. H. Guthrie. After the Great War a roll of honour was erected in the school aud later efforts were successfully directed towards acquiring more land. In this connection the souvenir booklet makes special reference to the excellent work whose efforts the school is better loff done by Mr. Harry Jaggard, through whose efforts the school is better off for grounds than many others.

The first chairman of the Cheltenham School Committee was Mr. Wm. Mills and those who followed were Messrs W. O. S. Nicliolls, \>’. Stretton, R. Barrow, J. C. Hare, R. Taylor, H. Jaggard, and A. B. Shannon, who was elected in 1929 and is still acting. The district’s history in sporting activities is one testifying to a practical interest in outdoor exercises. The District Sports Club was established 45 years ago and continues to function with a big meeting held each New Year’s Day. The football club commenced its career before ’96 and the Wanderers team still plays in the Oroua Sub-Union’s competitions. A cricket club was formed in ’96 and the team was successful in winning the Guthrie shield in 1909 and 1910 but when the Great War intervened and brought with it so many changes, the club was not resuscitated. The Rifle Club which still holds regular weekly shoots was formed in the early nineties under the presidency of Mri E. Spencer. The local tennis club which is of fairly recent birth came into being largely' through the enterprise of Mr. Bruce Short. The two churches of the district, the Anglican and Methodist, were opened round about 1904.