1885—1935

Southland Times, Issue 22486, 22 January 1935, Page 7

1885—1935

KENNINGTON SCHOOL JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS HISTORY IN REVIEW The stages of growth of a district closely situated to a town, as the Kennington district is to Invercargill, suffer by comparison with the stages of growth of the city. However, Kennington has an individuality of its own and has had those stages of development which have been the milestones in the conversion of acres of beautiful bush and swamp land into an area of highly developed farm lands and smiling homesteads. Interwoven with the history of the district has been the history of the school and during the next few days when celebrations are being held at Kennington to mark the jubilee of the school, those who will be privileged to take part will not dissociate the incidents of school and school life rrom the changes .in the district or from the personalities of the settlers of past times. . The age of the Kennington school is not the most noteworthy fact of the 'ubilee as other schools in the .surrounding districts had been established years before Kennington. For instance Longbush has been established twenty /ears previously as it is the oldest in Southland. The distinction of Kennington is that it rapidly outstripped its older neighbours and, while it has 1 had a roll exceeding one hundred and 1 twenty pupils, it now maintains an I verage nearing the century. | The main purpose of the Jubilee is i to give ex-pupils of the school an opportunity. to come together and review ■ hot only incidents of school days but review the vast changes that everyone and everything has undergone since. It will be a time of reflection. A special opportunity will be taken of honouring those who served in the Great War and especially those who by making the supreme sacrifice, handed to the school for all time a glorious heritage. .The concert, the banquet and the ball are al, expected to be brilliant functions while one of the most interesting items will be the roll call. The committee under Mr W. Moncur Jun. have been unsparing in their efforts to make the whole show a memorable one for all who come to take part. The Start. There were prior to 1885 schools already established at Longbush, Myross Bush and at Rimu, and then several children from the Kennington district attended schools in Invercargill. However, with the establishment of sawmills quite a settlement grew up and the need for a school grew apparent. Unfortunately the earliest minute book of the committee has been lost and an authorative record of committeemen before 1899 is impossible but Mr J. Matheson, who has resided or has had interests in Kennington as the owner of a well-known foundry and woolscouring works, is of the opinion that chief among the first settlers who took an active interest in the school were, J. H. Dawson, R. Copeland, James Crombie, Mr Mitchell, B. Edwards, John Irving and Peter Gilfedder. The First School According to the registrar of the school, there was a “One Tree Point school” established before Kennington but from what the earliest ex-pupils say, this was where Rimu school now is. “The first Land Office in Southland.”—Prior to 1885 there was established at Kennington - the ■ first land office in Southland and here a school was conducted. It is known that fees had to be pail but beyond this very little information is known of this school. As was general in country districts there was at Kennington a dispute over the site of the school. Mr J. H. Dawson who was then a power in the land as he was the owner of a large sawmill at Brunswick just north-east of the present township wanted the school on the field just on the opposite side of the road at the “Bridge Inn.” As a matter of fact this land was always known as the school glebe and the house thereon was the residence of the headmaster until the present residence was erected just a decade or so ago. Naturally the people on the south side of the township wanted the school over there and after much dispute they got their way and the school was built. It is considered most likely that the builder of this one-roomed structure was the late A. P. Schmidt, of Woodlands. The school was opened in February, 1885, but no one remembers that any official function was held. First roll of Kennington School, opened February 27, 1885. First day pupils (boys): Robert Craig, Henry Hibbs, Herbert Mason, Charles Austin, Thomas Hibbs, Walter Bonney, Daniel Craig, Arthur Austin, Samuel Warnock, Alfred Bonney, Fred Mason, Arthur Palmer, Charles Harris, James Craig, Herbert Edwards, Ernest Bonney, Richard Harris. Girls’ Roll: Emily Bertha Mitchell, Emma Austin, Maggie Copeland, Theodosia Craig, Jessie Crombie, Alice Bonney, Maggie Crombie, Ida Bonney, Lora Bonney, Florence Kinnersley, Alice Mason, Jane Warnock, Elizabeth Warnock, Sarah Craig, Elizabeth Austin, Clara Edwards, Edith Harris, Laura Stone. The Railway Station. Mitchell, one of the prominent early settlers had his residence where Empire Lodge” now stands and when he subdivided his property he agitated to have the railway station which was then where the crossing and White s store is now shifted to opposite his place and so do away with Mill Road and Kennington but both Mill Road and Kennington residents objected and after the establishment of Mathesons wool scouring plant the railway station was shifted to its present position. Kennington or “One Tree Point.” Mr Mitchell evidently invented the name Kennington and the name stuck but the railway authorities refused to recognize it. Mr Cadman, a Minister of Railways, in reply to a later deputation, stated that it was too similar to “Kensington” near Dunedin. So to this day Kennington still retains One Tree Point for the name of its railway station. That deputation consisted of Messrs Copeland, Mitchell, B. Edwards and J. Matheson. , , ... , , Mr Benjamin Edwards established the well known cutlery works. He sold later- to J. and J. Irving who have established, quite a wide reputation for their products of slashers, hedge knives etc. List of Ex-Teachers. The headmasters of Kennington School have been:— • “ George Gazzard (1885-1895). Joseph Gray (1895-1902) Arthur E. Featherstone (1902-1914). Robert N. Wilson (1914-1918). John Miller (1918-1923). Douglas F. Leckie (1923-1931). John Ewart (1931). George Gazzard.

The first headmaster, Mr George Gazzard, hailed from Victoria, Australia. He vzas a good scholar but kept in ill health. A Mr Sangster taught for periods when Mr Gazzard was urnwell. When Mr Gazzard returned to Victoria after a period of one decade in Kennington, Mr Joseph Gray was appointed from a similar position in the

Winton district. He was several years at the school and left later for the North Island. The next head teacher was Mr A. E. Featherstone whose name is familiar to ex-pupils of various schools all over Southland. He was for a period of twelve years at the school and made a lasting impression. Messrs R. Wilson, the late Mr John Miller and Mr D. Leckie are recent headmasters who need little introduction to the present generation at Kennington. Other teachers were: (S.M.) denotes sewing mistress, (Asst.) Assistant teacher; (P.T.) pupil teacher or probationer. Mrs E. Dawson (S.M.) 18861890; John Craig (P.T.) 1886-1887; Minnie Scrandrett (P.T.) 1887-1890; Miss McLeod (Asst.) dates indefinite; Maud Wilson (P.T.) 1899-1905; Helen Carswell (Asst.)' 1905-1908; Mary Baird (Asst) 1908-1910; Mary J. Gedney (P.T.) 19C9-1910; Eloma J. Mullay (Asst.) 1910-1912; Gladys Dunlop (P.T.) 1911; Elizabeth Rae (Asst.) 19121915; Elizabeth Winder (Asst.) 19151921; Annie Watson (Asst.) 1914-1915; Adeline Vickery (P.T.) 1915-1917;. Jessie Hardie (Asst.) 1915-1919; Katie Curtin (P.T.) 1917-1919; Mabel Jones (P.T.) 1919; Maude McDonald (P.T.) 1920- Isabella Cameron (Asst.) 1921- B. Hutton-Potts (Relieving) 1921; Jessie Logan (P.T.) 1922-1924; Dorothy Hopkirk (Relg.) 1923; Glawden Parry (Asst.) 1923-1925; William O. Neas (P.T.) 1924; William C. Cleine (P.T.) 1924-1925; Pearl Hunter (Relg) ; 1925; Margaret Brown (Asst.) 19251927; Florence Munro (Asst.) 1927; Maude McDonald (Asst.) 1928 ; Murial McQueen (P.T.) 1927-1928; Mavis Stevenson (P.T.) 1928-1929; Phyllis Butson (P.T.) 1929-1930; Marion L. McQueen (P.T.) 1930-1931, (Asst.) 1933 . Present staff: John Ewart (headmaster), Misses M. McDonald and May McQueen (assistants). The School Committee.

In the earlier days school committee office was considered a dignified office and the election night could usually be depended on to produce good entertainment. According to two old settlers, the school room was frequently packed for the election. Two residents who have identified themselves for long periods with school committee work are Mr J. Matheson and Mr “Dick” Clark. The former was secretary for 21 years and chairman for one year, while Mr Clark has been chairman now for 17 years and was for nine other years a committeeman. Henry Fowler was chairman for ten years. The chairmen since 1900 have been:— 1900, J. Melvin; 1901-2, G. Challis; 1903, J. Crombie; 1904. J. McLennan; 1905, J. Matheson; 1906-16, Henry Fowler; 1917 till present day, Richard Clark. The Committeemen. Prominent committeemen have been Wm. Bonney, John Irving, R. A. Edwards, Wm. Sutherland, H. H. Dawson, D. McKillop, J. . Matheson, J. Shand, A. Hamilton, R. Wood, Thomas Alexander, John Crombie, H. Hunt, S. Bums, R. J. Clarke, H. King, J. Cosgrove, J. .Lyall, A. Hain, R. Shields, W. Grieve, J. Peters, G. Henderson, E. Westbury, G. Warren, D. McQueen, W. Collins, E. Phillips, J. S. Munro, W. Dawson, A. McLean, A. Bulling, A. Snodgrassj L. Burgess. The Hotels. There were two hotels at Kennington. “The Bridge Inn Hotel” is still standing and is yet a landmark. Built of white pine from the sawpits at Myross Bush and lined with baltic pine, this venerable old structure has stood the ravages of time remarkably well. In the very early days the coaches and the drays, the waggons and all who travelled, halted here to quench their thirst Around its environments many a notable event has been staged. In the paddock to the rear, the first Southland A. and P. Show was held. Further over was the old race- course where were contested the equine struggles of those early days. Further along the road was the scene of the first ploughing match. The other hotel, which was later destroyed by fire, was owned by the Jackson family. It was situated , at the crossing—just opposite White’s store. An Early Family. Seventy-seven years ago “Alex.,” or better known as “Old Sandy McLennan,” settled in the district. His son, John, was later a chairman of the School Committee and for several terms a committeeman. When he arrived with his family, he was considered a man of means, for he owned a dray. He had been sent south to form the roads by Captain Cargill. In an interview with a reporter, Mr William Bonney, who is perhaps one of the oldest identities who were associated with early days at Kennington, stated that he cut and assisted to erect the first flagpole at the school. The pole was donated by the late Mr Melvin, and had the distinction of being the highest in the schools around. It was erected during the Boer War and Mr Longuet, who was then Mayor of Invercargill, was the principal speaker at the function when the flag was unfurled for the first time. C. H. Dawson had a mill where the present railway station now stands, while J. H. Dawson had his at Brunswick (further toward Longbush). In later years the Melvin brothers opened mills on the second workings, further back towards the Seaward Bush area. Tapper and Lee had a mill at Rimu. John Melvin had a large timber yard in Kennington township. The first to build in the township was Harry Hunt and the next was Christopher Bonney. Others were Cloughley Douglas and C. Fairweather over toward Myross, where also lived William Dawson, one of the chief engineers to the County Council at that time.

Early settlers on the south side of Kennington included:—Mrs W. Lawerence and family, “Maple Grove”; Thomas Middleton, “Fernlea Farm”; Alfred Bivan, “Fernlea”; Daniel Sinclair and family, “Broomlands”; David Warnock and family, “Broomlands”; William Adamson and family; James and Robert Crombie, “Puni Bush”; Robert Copeland and family; Henry Dawson and family; Peter Gilfedder and family; Edward Willcox and family. “An Old Timer Interviewed.”

The early days of the Kennnington settlement were recalled by Mr Tasman Dawson, J.P., of Bourke street, North Invercargill, who had on two or three occasions been a member of the school committee. Mr Dawson—a hail fellow well met man—over the allotted span, told a Times reporter that he landed ..t Bluff with his parents from Tasmania in 1876. “My father had previously worked in Southland and with his brother built the old Riverton bridge about 1873. The prospects here, he thought, seemed bright so he decided to settle at Kennington. He went out in an old cab from the Invercargill station and it took a whole afternoon to get out. A train used td run up to Gore each day and oh the following morning it brought the rest of bur things out. Kennington was nothing but a large area covered with red tussock in those days” Mr Dawson said. “In 1880 a man named Mitchell brought a large block of ground which extended from just opposite where Mr Crombie (the son of an old identity) lived right up to the bend of the Waihopai River and he built the first Kennington hotel and subdivided his property into five acre and smaller lots. To this part he gave the name Kennington and it was as a result of several families settling on the subdivisions that the need for a school became apparent. Two old settlers here were Messrs J. Crombie and Copeland (the latter’s

property was just over the railway). Farther up the road lived Messrs Daniel McFarlane (grandfather of a later Mayor of Invercargill), Johnny McKay, Robert Craig, and Gilfedder (father of Judge Gilfedder). Houses were very few and far between in those early days until the settlement developed. From where the bowser station now stands near the racecourse comer there were hardly any houses on the left hand side of the road out and only those of the Crombie and of the Copeland families on the right hand side. There were no decent roads, no motor cars, no telephones only mud and slush, declared Mr Dawson “but the children used to go to school all the same ana many walked four or five miles each way. Programme of Events. Wednesday, January 23—Meet at school. Official opening. 2 pjn.: Address of welcome. Afternoon tea. 8 p.m.: Grand concert in the hall. Items by ex-pupils. Thursday: 1 pm.: Roll call. Photos m decades. 7.30 p.m.: Banquet in hall. Friday—lo.3o: Thanksgiving service in hall. Proceed to memorial and lay wreaths. 12.30: Lunch on picnic ground. Afternoon: Sports and picnic. 8 p-m.: Grand Ball. ~ Items of Interest.—The string band. Mr R. Edwards was the conductor of a string band in Kennington 37 years ago. The Edwards family were accomplished musicians and with the assistance of a few other enthusiasts made a combination which gave much pleasure at various functions. ... For many years there was a flaxmiU established on the site the dairy factory is. The Kennington dairy factory was established in 1909 with Mr J. Duncan as manager. When he retired Mr D. McQueen took his place as'manager, a position which he still holds.