EARLY SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22584, 24 November 1936, Page 12

EARLY SCHOOLS

NORTH SHORE HISTORY MASTER TO BUSHRANGER JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS The first public school was opened at Devon port 67 years ago yesterday, although the Anglican Church established a school as long ago as 1834. Pupils of the Devonport schools will hold a reunion on Thursday night as part of the celebrations in connection with the golden jubilee of the borough. Many romantic characters have been connected with the schools. One of the most colourful was Mr. Pierce Phillips, the first master of the. public school, who had been a member of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War. It is related that ho once told a pupil who could not grasp some lesson that he had " killed better men than his father." A master at the old Church of England school was George Scott, later to become " Captain Moonlight,'" Australian bushranger. Another was the late Captain Cholmondloy Smith, who gavo exhibitions of sword play to impress his pupils. The Anglican school was on the site now occupied by the parish hall, but in 1869 the Government set aside the " swamp," now the Domain, as an endowment for a common school, and invited public co-operation. About £l2o was subscribed, the list being headed by Mr. W. H. Cobley, one of the four men to discover the Shotover claim at Thames. As this was not sufficient, a further £2OO was provided by Mr. Crombie, w ho had made a lucky " rise" in the Caladonia mine. The master was appointed on November 23, 1869, the fees for the first quarter beiiiAj 21s for reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography and history. Classics, modern languages and drawing each cost 10s extra. In 1878 the Government assumed full financial responsibility for all public schools, but in the meantime Devonport had enlarged the boys' school and provided a school for girls.

Stanley Bay was opened as a sideschool in 1909 and Vauxhall in 1920.