WAIKAKA VALLEY SCHOOL

Southland Times, Issue 23408, 15 January 1938, Page 10

WAIKAKA VALLEY SCHOOL

CELEBRATIONS BEGUN FIRST FOUNDATION AT THE PINNACLE Over 200 former pupils, past teachers and friends assembled at the Waikaka Valley school for the opening of the jubilee celebrations of the Pinnacle and Waikaka Valley schools yesterday. The weather was beautifully fine. The school was first situated at the Pinnacle and was erected 61 years ago, thus being one of the oldest schools in the district. In 1886 it was shifted to its present position, this being more central, and was named the Waikaka Valley school. The chairman of the jubilee committee, Mr Henry Smith, extended a welcome to those present. “When the district j’ubilee was held in 1924, the question of a school jubilee was frequently mentioned,” said Mr Smith. “The time arrived and a general meeting was convened, when preparations were made for celebrations on January 24, 25 and 26, 1937. Because of the infantile paralysis epidemic, however, it became necessary to postpone the functions to the present date.” It would be 61 years on April 19 of this year since the school was first opened at the Pinnacle. Fifty-one years ago, from December 1, 1936, the school was opened as the Waikaka Valley school. “Sixty-one years is a long time in the life of a school,” said Mr Smith. “No similar period in history has witnessed greater evolution and change. It has seen the development of the district from waving tussocks to the well-roaded and productive countryside that is seen today. “I wish to welcome specially the pupils of the Pinnacle decade,” the speaker continued. “These pupils have watched even more of the changes mentioned and have ably contributed them part along with others. A hearty welcome is also extended to all pioneers of the district who are with us. It is felt in these days that the independent spirit that was yours is not being encouraged. We of the earlier decades have some personal knowledge of the difficulties and vicissitudes that the first settlers encountered and triumphed over in the process of cultivating their land. We remember the almost impassable conditions of the roads when the method of transport was by horseback, sledge or dray.” The school building had been little altered from the day it had been first erected on the lonely crown of the Pinnacle ridge overlooking the Matauta and Waikaka Valleys. After it had been shifted to its present position it had been found necessary to erect a porch over the door because of the exposed position. In 1915 a window had been placed in the south wall of the building and some years later a new floor had been put down. The school had also been refurnished with dual desks at that time. OTHER SCHOOLS BUILT “For some years the school served the whole district from Maitland to Benio and children came from as far as Howe to attend,” said Mr Smith. “The best attendance was during the period Miss Cumming was the teacher, 63 pupils attending. It is about 42 years since the Maitland school was erected and the attendance was reduced considerably when that event took place. A few years later a school was erected at Benio and a further reduction in the attendance at the Waikaka Valley school was recorded. The average attendance during the last 25 years has been about 26.” Mr Smith said that as they met there that day many memories were stirred within them of the happenings round the school in the days of long ago. There they formed their first friendships and, while many pupils were now scattered all over the country, they would always have kindly thoughts of those they worked and played with. Mr Smith spoke of those who were killed during the Great War and said that little did they think while they were at school that some of their friends would lay down their lives on the shell-tom battlefields of a foreign country. The chairman paid tribute to the teachers who had been . appointed throughout the years and said that the school had been fortunate in securing such splendid teachers. He also paid a tribute to the pioneei-s of the province and referred to the system of free education they had established. The leaders in the settlements of Otago and Southland had acted as men of vision when they had laid aside endowments to be held in perpetuity for the advancement of education in the country. The chief aim of primary education was to give the child . a thorough grounding and to equip him with a knowledge required of useful citizens. The school had done its part in that respect and former pupils . in that and other parts of the Dominion were engaged in various callings, and were doing their part as useful citizens in their respective communities. The roll of honour was unveiled by Mrs S. Morrison, and following this a lament was played by Piper F. F. Hesselin. , , . „ Mr H. P. Mclntyre spoke briefly of returned soldiers and of those who had died in the Great War. There were 34 names on the roll of honour, including the following who were killed in action: —W. N. Mclntyre, R. H. McPhail, J. S. Johnston, R. G. Taylor and R. E. Wright. ROLL CALL ANSWERED The following answered the roll call: PINNACLE DECADE: Elizabeth Howe, Ann McKinnon, Emma Howe, Elizabeth McKinnon, Isabel Chittock, L. Voight, E. Robertson, Ellen Robertson, G. Robertson, Lena Gutschlag, Louisa Daumann, Ann Ladewig, Mina McAskill, William Kirk, James Smith, John Smith, William McDonald, John Fowler, William Daumann, John Ladewig, William Perkins, William Gutschlag, James Thomson, Joseph Beleski, William Chittock. FIRST WAIKAKA VALLEY DECADE: Sarah White, Samuel White, Euphemia H. Smith, Henry Smith, Jessie Aitken, Mary J. Smith, Johanna Harvey, John Edwin White, James McCall, Mary McCall, Jane Harvey, William Perkins, David W. McPhail, Marion W. Johnstone, Frederick B. Chittock, David Chittock, John S. Waddell, Cecilia Sheddan, Isabella Aitken, Eliza Chittock, Ellen Smith, John Sheddan, Margaret Chittock, Grace Mclntyre, Millie P. Aitken, Thomas H. Smith, William Gutschlag, Lily Sheddan, Douglas Bain, Catherine Mclntyre, Robert Cunningham, Benjamin Chittock, Annie G. Morton, John Whitefield, Thomas McPhail, John Kirk, Laura Morton. SECOND DECADE: Martha Sheddan, Charlotte M. Cruickshank, Donald E. Sheddan, William Chittock, Adam R. Johnston, Edwin W. Aitken, K. Cunningham, Forrest F. Hesselin, Alexander P. Waddell, John O. McPhail, Andrew Whitefield, John Martin, Rubina Aitken, F. Morton, William Leitze, Isabella Lietze, Janet N. Whitefield, John Harvey, James M. Harvey, Murray McPhail and John Lietze.

THIRD DECADE: Thomas Howden, Tennant Harvey, Lily McPhail, Stanley Morrison, Alice Lietze, Mary Harvey, Margaret Cunningham, William C. Cunningham, Cecii Cunningham, Thomas

Cunningham, Ella Cockburn, C. Whitefield, Evelyn Morrison, Maud Cunningham, John A. Milne, Leslie Morrison, Maisie McPhail, James McPhail, Isabel M. Walsh. Norman Morrison, J. Sydney Smith, Ada Collister, Muriel Crawford, Beatrice Smith, Molly White, Muriel Mclntyre and Alice Crawford. FOURTH DECADE: John Morrison, Hilda Walsh, George Reid, Norman Reid, Hazel Reid, James Smith, Mavis Smith, Joyce Smith, Alexander White, Birnie Dynes, Dorothy Reid, J. Little, Leslie White, Sydney McPhail, Raymond White, William Smith, Leslie Burnby, Betty White, Dulcie White, David Smith, Ronald Dynes and Jessie Johnston. ' , FIFTH DECADE: Ruth M. Chittock, J. M. Smith, D. H. Chittock, J. M. Smith, G. W. Whitefield, G. S. Chittock, T. K. McPhail, B. W. Johnston, H. Dove, M. F. Dove, G. H. Whitefield, W. R. Cunningham, J. P. Malcolm, N. A. Johnston, B. M. Massie, D. White, S. McKay, H. C. Smith, J. G. McKendry, J. McKendry, S. G. Chittock, M. R. Harvey, S. M. McPhail, D. G. M. White, R. G. Ramsay, O. M. Ramsay, R. Whitefield, L. T. Johnston, G. J. Hunter, B. M. Cunningham, J. S. Harvey, M. J. McPhail, M. J. Aitken, W. A. Whitefield, H. D. Chittock, H. G. Uren, N. G. A. Massie, G. H. Aitken, J. Whitefield, A. G. Cunningham, P. S. Uren, G. R. Harvey and B. P. Waddell. FIRST DAY PUPILS Following is the roll of the first day pupils at the Waikaka Valley School:— Mary Gilchrist, Kate Gilchrist, Grace Gilchrist, Sarah White, Robert S. White, Samuel White, Euphemia H. Smith, Mary J. Smith, Henry Smith, John A. S. Aitken, Alice Johnston, Annie Johnston, Robert Harvey, Annie O. White, Johanna Harvey, Jessie Aitken, Mary Aitken, Maggie Aitken and Mary E. White. Following the calling of the roll, the members of the decades were photographed. A group of all present was also taken. A concert and dance was held last evening in the Returned Soldiers’ Club rooms, Gore, and the celebrations will be continued today, when a picnic will be held in Mr J. S. Waddell’s paddock. A banquet will be held in the Soldiers’ Club rooms, Gore, this evening. The celebrations will end tomorrow, when jubilee services will be held in the Waikaka Valley Church at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. At 10.30 a.m. an address will be given by a representative of the Gore Returned Soldiers’ Association at the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial.