MAKERS OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 12 August 1929, Page 6

MAKERS OF AUCKLAND.

PROGRESS IN EDUCATION.

SCHOOLS IN EARLY. DAYS.

DENOMINATIONAL EFFORTS.

THE PROVINCIAL SYSTEM.

BY J'.W.W.

No. XXVIII. Kducation lias always been n. strong ]mint with New Zealanders, and lias never V'ftin lacking in Auckland silica soon after i!ki colony became firmly established. Indrrcl, tlio present writer's own grandparents, after having settled in one, of Hi* Australian colonies, pulled up stakes ;iml camo to Auckland in tlio 40's chiefly lor tlio reason that lielter educational facilities for their children would bo found lino tlnn in tlio country uf their first ttmice.

In tlio early days of loose local organic i?ion, all tlm schools were a matter of / private, but mainly denominational, enterprise. It was not until tlio Constitution Act of 1352 camo into operation that they were undertaken by the. Government, and then, in the division of functions between the General and Provincial Governments, education became a responsibility • ot the provincial authorities. Auckland's Earliest Schools. ' In the, first ten years of tlio city's existence there was hi tie provision for primary education. The Southern Cross of Juno 10, 1848, bewailed the fact that "wo havo no schools, and our youth arc left to grow up in ignorance," and it belaboured the Government for its apathy in the matter. The first school in Auckland seems to havo been ono opened by the, L'oinan Catholic body in a private house in Short land Street, organised by leather Petitjean, and taught by Sir. and Sirs. I'. Ilennessy. Bishop Selwyn, when he opened St. Stephen's Collego in 1850, under the control of the lie v. G. A. and Sirs. .Kissling, intended it to be a boarding school "for both races and sexes," but it soon settled down as ono for Slaori hoys only. // The Anglicans established a parochial school at Parnell in 1842, directed by Sir. and Sirs. George Lilly.' Both St. Paul's and St. Slatthew's parishes had their own schools a few vears later. Tlio Wesleyan Church started a school at the beginning of 1846 in tho old Slcdianics' Institute — where a block of tall buildings now stands, on the north side of Courthouse Lane—its conductors being the Sir. and Sirs. Lilly already mentioned. These threo churches were the only denominational authorities to which financial aid was in the first instance granted, much to ' tho indignation of the Presbyterian, Congregational and Baptist bodies, which eventually found expression in a famous explosive memorial to tho Provincial Council. / The Provincial System.

On the establishment of the provinces there was legislation by tho Auckland Provincial Council in 1857 for the establishment of schools, at which fees were to lie charged to the scholars, the revenue to be subsidised by the province to the extent of half tho salaries paid. An Education Board appointed by the Superintendent, with member's also nominated by

the Chief Justice, was given general con- ' trol, and the fees to be levied were not to exceed a shilling a week per pupil. Trior to this, however, there were a number of private schools outside the denominational institutions. Such were a •*'private school for young ladies" carried en by Mrs. Thompson as early as 1844, and also the "classical and commercial college," of tho Rev. John Duffus, and other schools by Mrs. Wakefield, Mrs. Woolly and Mrs. Thomas, between 1847 and 1849. Another notable establishment was the Auckland Academy of Mr. John Gorrie, carried on for many years from 1848 in ■what is now Kitchener Street, which provided secondary as well as primary education. Yet another was that of Mr. T. Lysnar in Barrack Street. There were also many small schools opened between then and the clays of tho provincial general system, and overlapping upon that system. Coming back t(. the denominational efforts, an important event was the arrival in 1850 of the liev. Mother Cecilia Maheland seven Sisters of Mercy, with whom began the, real development of the Roman Catholic school system. Then, in 1852, a Wesleynn school "was opened at the corner of Victoria and High Streets by Mr. W. Singer. It was transferred later to Parnell. The Provincial Council's legislation remedied the disservice previously done to the Presbyterians. In 1856 they opened what, became known as Mr. John Stables' f.r!mol in Waterloo Quadrant, which was alt"i'wards removed to Symonds Street, and another in Ilobson Street, conducted l.v Mr. Alex:. Whvte. Mr. R. J. (('Sullivan, who was later to become inspector of schools under the public educati'Mi system, opened a Roman Catholic f"'boul in Ilobson Street, known as St. Peter's, in 1861. Parents and Bachelors Taxed. In tho late 60's the provincial authorities wero embarrassed by financial difficulties, and the education system was part of its functions that suffered. JS'ot until 1872, when the opening of tho Thames gold field had brought some relief from monetary troubles, was there an improvement. In that year the Provincial Council passed an Act providing / for freo education, with compulsory attendance. Finance was provided for by a, household tax of £1 upon every dwellinghcuise, and a capitation rate of 5s on children of school age up to a maximum of four for each household. Two years later an amendment was made imposing half the "poll-tax" upon bachelors //and increasing the capitation rate to 10s. Mr.' F. J. Moss, afterwards member of Parliament for Parnell, was secretary of the Education Board which administered this Act, and Mr. R. J. O'Sullivan was inspector. There the system stood until it, was superseded by tho Act of the General Assembly of 1877, providing for tho whole colony " free, secular, and compulsory " education. Under this Act the first Board of Education constituted for the, Auckland district consisted of Mr. 11. H. Lu sk (chairman), Dr. J. Logan Campbell, Colonel T. M. Haultain, Messrs. I>. M. Jmckie, J. May, W. P. Moat, G. M. O'Rorke, J. M. Dargavillo and F. L. Prime, all of whom had previously been j members of the board constituted under j tho provincial system. I "Domiflies "of Fifty Years Ago. |

At tho time of the institution of tho new colonial system, Mr. Henry Worthington was headmaster of the central school of the city at Wellesley Sheet East, Mr. John Brabazon conducted tho Nelson Street school, Mr. E. M. C. Harrison was in charge at Hepburn Street, Mr. Josiah Martin at ■the* Choral Hall, Symonds Street, Mr. I'. Leonard at Painell, Mr. James Martin at Grafton Road, Mr. Win. Johnson at Newton East, Mr. J. Edwards at Newton West, Mr. JJ. Bailey at Ponsonby, Mr. I'. Stevens at Mount Eden, and Mr. Alex. Giant at (Jnehunga. Thames was the principal outlying district of those flays, and thero Mr. G. Newell Phillips had the Kauaeranga Boys' School, with Mr. A. Geiring, now clerk o the local body of Ilowick, as first assistant; Miss Haselden, now in retirement near Auckland, had tho Kauaeranga Ohls , Mr R. J. Mooro pTesided over »hat was known as the Thames school, on he clay patch" off Cochrane and Queen Streets-this was h e foro tho erec■on of the present Waioknraka school to which Mr. Newell Phillips was reu?! 0 , ' n. n SUCCCf,derI ' r) . y Mr - and Mrs. i J'llhps ;it Kauaeranga Boys'; /^' r ; Y',v • 5' niy , (stm in Auckland) *as at Waiotahi, and Mr. T. Halliwnll At Tararu. .Df < he olhcr JwFSES in the province, Mr. .7. M. Murray waster at Hnrrulton, Mr. C . J. Ashwell •t Cambridge, Mr. J. S. Goodwin at Tauranga, and Mr. A. G. Graham at / JvJiangare;. 'To hp continued dail