NGAERE SCHOOL JUBILEE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1932, Page 14

NGAERE SCHOOL JUBILEE

GROWTH OF SETTLEMENT REVIEWED PIONEER DAYS OF BUSH AND SMOKE To-day Ngaere will be en fete, for the school is celebrating the fiftieth’ anniversary of its establishment. / It is a far cry back to the pioneering days of 1882, when Ngaere and the surrounding districts were covered in primaeval bush; yet.it. is such a short yesterday that there are a number o£ people still living in Taranaki who experienced Ngaere’s first baptism of fire and smoke. •: is taken, in the Daily News this morning to give a brief review of the development of the school, and to colour the history with eloquent reminiscences of several pioneers who knew Nghere in its infancy. ■' ' '. .' I ,

FOUNDATION OF SCHOOL

were other causes of absence, and it is recorded that one pupils was away for 16 weeks. 'Among'the reasons advanced for non-attendance was one which stated that a girl had been kept at home to chase the sparrows off ’the garden peas. Messrs. Penn and Hooker were the truant officers of those days, and they had a difficult task in maintaining the attendance. ■ . ' Girls-las well as boys came in for punishment, the principal method of redress being by the supplejack .stick, which of course was easily obtainable from the adjoining bush. Tn October, 1891, the Ngaere school district was removed from the control of the Wanganui Education Board and brought under the Taranaki Board’s control. The administration of the former body had been quite satisfactory, and the committee placed on record the fact they had always, obtained fair treatment. Mr. R. Foulis and Mr. W. H. VerekerBindon were the school inspectors under the Wanganui Board, but after that Mr. W. Murray was the visiting inspector. He was succeeded by Messrs. W. E. Spencer, Ballantyne, R. G. Whetter, and

education in early days ij DIFFICULTIES OF PIONEERS. ' .!■ '■ ■' ’SUCCESSES OF FORMER PUPILS. -A- meeting was held . at Ngaere on February 8, 1882, to elect the first school committee. -This comprised Messrs. H. Sanders, H. P. Smith, G. Sparks, W. Bpsleyand J: H. Cowen, the latter being appointed chairman.' . // • ■_ Ngaere, which was then spelled Ngaire, was at that , time a sawmilling. village in the midst of wild bush country, and the inhabitants were bold pioneers who were fighting the forces of nature in order to obtain sustenance for themselves and their families. Naturally the education of their children became a matter of some importance, and many of the residents co-operated and voluntarily cleared a site in the bush for a school and a- teacher’s residence. It is hard to believe that 50 years ago the present school grounds were heavy standing bush. However, the settlers put their shoulders to the wheel and by April 8 the site was finally cleared. Mr. W. Sangster was deputed to set fire to the clearing, and finally a school of two classrooms was erected at a cost of £593. Mr. Petherick was the builder. It is interesting to note that the Nga,ere school was in existence before that of either Stratford or Eltham. The existence of two, sawmills in the dis- : tfict was the cause of a small early I settlement, and there were several large families' which provided a potential' school population. ‘ .4 . I It is recorded that the school com-j menced on August 14, 1882, with an at-| tendance of 15 children, the opening I day being very cold and wet. Mr. G.; Everiss was the teacher and the school was under the Wanganui Education Boprd. 'The average attendance for the December quarter was 28 and the roll by that time stood, at 36. At one-time it reached as high as -175 but, with the cessation of sawmilling the population receded somewhat, and to-day there are 72 children on the roll. PLAYGROUND LOGS AND STUMPS. Childrenfrom as far as Eltham and Stratford used to travel daily to Ngaere school in' the early period of its existence. . The playground was, as might be expected, a mass of logs and. stumps, | and old , pupils remember a ' particularly | big white pine log which used to lie near the present front entrance. Working bees of settlers were held to clear the logs and put up post and rail fences around the education reserve, which consists of ten acre?.. .The scene of those days -was .a; remarkable contrast with the present, the grounds now being neatly laid out in shrubs, flower beds, paths, playing fields, and tennis ■ court, the school itself being one of the most modern and up-to-date fresh-air schools. At. a meeting ■of . the " committee on July 1, 1882, Mr., G. Everiss was selected i as master and it was decided to apply , forja/teacher’s residence. This was com- j menced on September 19. Before the! school was opened, however, Mr. Cowen 1 arid; Mr.. Sangster resigned from the com- , mittee. ’. ; ■ 1 The conduct of the early pupils was i by! no . means exemplary, and the re- ! cords afe filled with instances of punish- i merit inflicted on children for varying of- ! fences. Complaint was frequently made at ? the. backward state' of learning among the scholars, but it is worthy of note that of the. most dilatory later became creditable citizens. In addition the school has produced scholars of notable attainments in later life. Poor attendance was one of the chief troubles in the early days, and we find the minutes of the school committees 4 studded with requests for the truant officer. One winter’s day three or four years after the commencement there were present only 29 children, while 43 were absent. The average for that week , was 31 out of, a roll of 72. . Another wet day 19 were present arid 55 absent. But this was not the worst. The day following only 14 attended, those absent numbering 60. Another wet day six boys and'seven girls formed the total present, the week’s average being only 26,Wet weather was common in the bush districts of Taranaki at that time, but .hjt does riot appear to be the sole cause of bad attendance. One teacher remarked on the fact that some boys were present on wet days but absent on fine days,so some other cause than weather was evidently responsible. > Truancy was doubtless one cause of ..bsence, and in one instance a boy was missing from school for several days. lie 1 was eventually found and taken - home. Grass-seeding, the picking of f'mgus, the fighting of bush fires and : .i ; assisting of their struggling parents ;

more.recently by Messrs. Morton, Valenttine, Dempsey and Griffin. The school picnic was always. one of the events of the year with the scholars. This was usually held on Mr. H. Sparks’ property at the corner of. Climie Road. The surroundings were beautiful indeed, and pretty native bush formed a lovely location for the happy annual gathering. Big tawa trees 60 feet high made a suitable ■ place for swings, and the children had:some thrilling experiences. It is said that this, locality was one of the camping grounds of the soldiers during the Maori war campaigns. As soon as the logs became dry bush fires would rage fiercely in the Ngaere district, and the smoke. proved detrimental to scholastic work. On occasions the children were unable to proceed with, their lessons, and school had to be dismissed in Consequence of the blinding smoke.

. In more recent years the school took an enthusiastic; interest in agriculture, and on • several, occasions honours were won at 'the Stratford. and Eltham shows. On one occasion, in 1910, a pupil named Gordon Saunders' won the Stratford Horticultural Society’s gold medal from 25 competitors for an essay on the “Winter Feeding of Stock.” In 1928 the Ngaere school was destroyed by fire, but in one way this was not exactly a misfortune as the Education Board decided to erect as a new structure one of the latest of fresh-air buildings. This is specially well lighted and ventilated, and the pupils find that it makes the conditions of learning. very pleasant indeed. This modem building

was opened on May 9, 1929, by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P. Once before, in 1898, the school had been attacked by fire, but owing to the prompt action of a Mr. Emmett the fire was subdued. In 1921 a new teacher’s residence was built. Two interesting records have been made in connection with the school. For over 30 years Miss Sarah Mills was an assistant teacher, and when she retired in 1924 her services were. eulogised at a public presentation. Mr., T. E. Coleman obtained the other record by 38 years service as a member of the school committee, 30 years being spent as chairman. Ngaere school has in recent years many successes to its credit. Many scholars figured in the list ,of scholarship winners, and in 1911 Gordon Saunders was at the head of the list of National Scholarships. The same pupil also obtained special mention and a prize for an essay on “Arctic Exploration, conducted by the British Sailors’ Society. In school agriculture the district has been very successful, winning the. Farmers’ Co-operative potato shield in 1921. The next year the school also won the potato shield and 37 prizes at the Eltham show. In 1922 the school won the Cuthbert Shield for school agriculture, and in 1920 a very successful school show and display of work was inaugurated. This has since become an important ans nual event. . , Although only a small district Ngaere I has nurtured many men and women who L have attained distinction and success in > after life. Although not actually a pupil at Ngaere school the Hon. R. Masters, a t past chairman of the Taranaki Education i Board and present Minister of Education, . is an old Ngaere boy, and for several years his father was a member of the • school committee. A brother, Mr. Arthur ■ Masters, who was a pupil, is a partner , in a successful Taranaki business. i Mr. Harry Morrison, another old pupil, now occupies a high position with the . Bank of New South Wales, Sydney. Mr. s Walter Taylor is a prominent architect i and artist of Wellington. Messrs. Harry ; and Robert Climie are pupils who at- ■ tained prominence as civil engineers, the ' former being the consulting engineer ■ who supervised the construction of the . Taranaki electric power system. Messrs. R. E. Thomas, headmaster of • Eltham school, and J. Thomas, headmaster of Hawera school, are ex-pupils who have attained prominence in the teaching profession. Mr. H. C. Taylor, another old boy, is now chairman of the Ngaere Dairy Company and a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board. Some of the old pupils who have attained success in the legal profession are Mr. Cuthbert Taylor, of the Crown Law Office, Wellington, Mr. Ernest McGregor, Morrinsville, and Mr. Ray Gibson, Dargaville. Ngaere school has alsi produced some notable women. Among the old students is Miss Clara Taylor, who possessed brilliant scholastic attainments. Winning a Sir George Grey scholarship she went to England and is now principal of Redland Girls’ High School, one of the leading girls’ colleges in England. Mrs. H. j Benton is another old pupil who has atj tained prominence in social affairs, being a successful teacher, a justice of the peace, and a leader of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union. Distinction as a nurse in the war was gained by another old pupil, Miss Jean Sinclair, who was a survivor of the “Marquette” disaster. The Saunders boys have also attained ! distinction in the scholastic world. Gordon, who later attended Oxford and obtained his M.A. degree, is language master at Wanganui Cqllege,' while Ivor is bacteriologist at the Napier hospital. NGAERE ROLL OF HONOUR. . Many old pupils of the Ngaere school 'volunteered for service on the outbreak of the Great War, and in 1922 a memorial tablet was 'unveiled at the school containing the names of the following old boys who had made the supreme sacrifice: Sergeant fl. S. Richmond’. Privates H. C. Aitken, J. B. Aldridge, V. Brake, M. Charteris, C. J. Espiner, E. J. Fryday, H. J. Fever, D. Hill, I. Lovatt, A. C.. Robson, G. Riley, V. Thomas, C. Volkert. ,L.-Corp. Cumberworth. PREVIOUS HEADMASTERS. The following is a list of previous headmasters of the Ngaere school: Geo. Everiss 1882-86, F. A. Tyrer (temporary), H. A. Stewart 1886-87, C. I. Cooke 188792, W. H. A. Worsop (temporary), F. Mills 1892-98, F. J. Cumberworth 18981900, H. Collins (temporary), W. J. Evans 1900-07, H. A. Stratford 1907-09, B. Black (temporary), A. V. Sims 1909-19, W. A. Brown 1919-22, F. J. Cumberworth (temporary), D. Taylor 1922-26, T. Taylor 1926-30, G. C. Harre 1930 (present teach- , er). • | ASSISTANTS. I The following have been assistants or probationers at the school: Mr. T. Innes, Miss S. Mills, Miss Stewart, Miss K. Wade, Miss I. Barron, Miss J. Beedie, Miss Riordan, Miss Chapman, Miss M. Blizzard, Miss Q. Divehall, Miss Richi ards, Miss A. McKay, Mr. R. E. Thomas, ; Miss E. Brown, Miss E. W. Bent, Miss j J. Tuck, Miss E. Rountree, Miss E. Lewis, [ Mr. W. Syme, Mr. J. L. Pennington, Miss M. Keppel, Miss M. Mackie, Miss I. Tayi lor, Mr. M. Rogers, Miss Surman, Miss M. Foley, Miss L. F. Handscomb, Mr. R. D. Gardner, Miss K. McCarthy, Mr. A. E. Gilliver, Miss M. Lunan, Miss H. Leech, Mr. D. R. Hill, Miss Simpson, Miss J. Carmichael, Miss I. G. Richards. PAST CHAIRMEN. Past chairman were: Messrs. J. H. Cowen, H. P. Smith, J. McKay, W. Kent, H. S. Sanders, J. Sinclair, J. Thomas, J. W. Boon, T. E. Coleman, X. Jones, A. C. Marr, H. C. Taylor, J. H. Thomas (pre- i sent chairman). PAST COMMITTEEMEN. ; Past committeemen have been Messrs. 1 J. H. Cowen, H. S. Sanders, H. P. Smith, ! G. Sparks, W. Bosley, J. B. Godkin, W. ; Sangster, T. McCarthy, J. Cheyne, W. • P. Taylor, W. Morrison, G. W. Calvert, ' G. Myhill, J. McKay, G. Leech, R. Taylor, H. Divehall, J. Robson, C. Sanders, C. Stanners, J. Sinclair, T. E. Crowhurst, W. Kent, H. Kenny, W. B. Blizzard, E. J Amoore, A. Ruff, J. Huzziff, T. Stanners, . J. Thomas, T. E. Coleman, Mclntosh, R. ‘ Morrison, W. Jameson, H. West, J. ;* Beedie, H. Nixon, J. Thompson, J. L. 1 Manley, C. Biggs, T. McGregor, F. Nor- E

ton, H. Courts, G. Coleman, J. W. Boon, J. Masters, C. Thompson, W. B. Snook, A. Wood, N. Fryday, A. C. Marr, Richardson, J. E. Clarke, S. Zinsli, M. West, H. Pennington, Read, F. S. Tarrant, J. Robson, J. R. Stanners, T. Birdsall, J. Brake, R. Shuttleworth, F. A. Lee, J. B. , Barleyman, T. R. Orr, S. Death, L. K. Tarrant, J. C. Davis, C. Robertson, J. Pierce, W. Wickham, Mrs. B. Manley, J. Pennington, A. D. Walker, G. F. Styles, H. Kenny, X. Jones, S. Whittam, E. H. Kenyon, N. Hollard, Mrs. A. E. Truelove, Mrs. Phillips, F. Tecofskey, A. E. Wickham, H. C. Taylor, J. F. Saunders, J. R. McMillan, F. E. Bocock, J. Piper, J. T. Scott, R. A. McGarrigle, O. Partridge, R. Rogers, H. H. Clough, J. H. Thomas, D. P. Simpson. LIST OF EARLY PUPILS.'

Following is a list of early pupils of the Ngaere school:— Adams, Philip and Walter; Aldridge, William and Martin; Allan, Marry, Robert and Elizabeth; Amoore, Philip, Emma, Helen, Ruth, Amelia, Edward, William, John and Eva; Anderson, Veda, May, George and Lily. Beedie, James, Louisa, Jean and Margaret; Best, Cecilia and Edith; Biggs, Charles, Hilda, Amelia and Ruby; Boon, Dick; Bosley, Annie, William, Lucy, Charlie, Sarah, Rachel, Emily, George, Arthur, Jane and Elsie; Blair, Harry, May and Tom; Blizzard, May, Ellen, Charlie and Ruby; Brake Brown, Alfred; Brown, Francis, George, Neil, Christina, Minnie, James, Margaret, Mary, Ellen, Alexa and Flora; Burgess, William, Jack, Peter, Michael, Christina and Brigetti; Burkett, Mary, Paul, Joe, Martha, Jim and Agnes. Calvert, Edwin, Gordon, Bertha, Mary and Priscilla; Charteris, Bertie and Malcolm; Cheyne, Robert, Julia and Ann;

Clark, Rosa, William, Ruby and Alf; Climie, Robert, Harry and Lizzie; Cole, lima and Graham; Coleman, George, Alex, Ellen, Ada, Jessie, Rebecca, Christina, Grace, James, Neill, Osmond and Edith; Cook, Gertrude and Alice; Cowen, Henry; Courtenay, George and Henry; Crowhurst, Charlotte, Clara and Bradleigh; Cumberworth, Alan, Lucy, Gertrude and Dorothy; Days, Juan; Dow, Margaret, Thomas, George and Alexander; Drummond, James and Elsie. Everiss, Ernest and Ellen.

Fowles, Nellie, Laura, Albert and Frederick; Fryday, Annie, James, John, Robert, Tom, Dolly and Johanna. Gerrihoefer, Richard and Bruno; Gibson, Ray and Winnie; Godkin, William, John, Ellen, Jim, Elizabeth and Thomas; Gooding, Sydney; Gredig, William, Rheinhold and Bertha; Gwynne, Gertrude, Maud and Amelia. Hamilton, Darcy; Hirst, Herbert; Huzziff, John, Annie, William and Tom. Instone, Leonard, Lily, Violet, Mabel, Phyllis and Gwendoline. Johnson, William, Edward, Ellen, Rose, Louisa, Elizabeth and Jessie; Jones, Henry; Judd, Albert.

Kemp, Arthur, Harry, Mary and Rob-

ert; Kenah, William; Kenny, Arthur, John, James, Harry and Sarah; Kirby, Ernest.

Laverty, May, Ethel, John and Thomas; Leech, Charlotte, Ashton, Leonard, Leah and Horace.

Manley, Irene, Kitty, Arthur, Oscar, Clem and Jack; Marr, Gordon, Graham, Douglas and Janet; Masters, Harry, Arthur and May; Mehrtens, Eileen, Wilhema, r Herbert and Harry; Melville, Elizabeth; Mills, Fred and Alice; Moir, George, Alexander and Agnes; Morrison, Dougall, Harry, Aimee, Nellie, Maggie, Elsie and Blanche; Munro, Sydney and Reginald; Myhill, George, Jack, Willow and Lily; McCarthy, John, Tom, Timothy, Hannah and Kate; McDonald, Archie, Fred, Jasper, Frank, Dora and Ada; McGregor, Violet, Ernest, James, Flora, Hector and David; McKay, Agnes, Bella and Margaret. Norton, Arthur, Willie and Annie; Nixon, Ethel. Olsen, Caroline, Louisa, Amy and Henry; Orr, Rachel and Annie. Paterson, John, Arthur, Peter and Jane; Penniall, James; Pennington, Jack, Harry, Fred, Ethel, Polly and Annie; Phillips, Rose; Pinny, Laura and Leonard; Read, Mabel, Lilian, Agnes, Archie and William; Reid, Alexander, Elizabeth and John; Richardson, William, Arthur, Herbert and Percy; Robson, Amelia, Elizabeth,, Tom, Charlton, Agnes and Archie; Robinson, Beatrice, Henry, Fred and Ellen; Ruebe, Ada and Dolly; Ruff, Emily, Elizabeth, Robert, John and Gertrude.

Sanders, May, Gertrude, Linna, Etta, Owen, Darcy and Reg; Sangster, Alex, John and Margaret; Savage, Rose, Mary, James and Ellen; Simes, James; Simpson, Lizzie and Ethel; Sinclair, Isobel, Douglas, Jean and Katie; Shuttleworth, Evelyn; Smith, Eric, Herbert, Violet, Henry, Alexander, Percy and Fred; Sparks, Ethel, Emma, Harry and Jessie; Stanners, Lizzie and Laura; Starnes, George and William; Stearns, Jane; Styles, Alf and Fred.

Taylor, Evelyn, Chapman, Walter, Harold, Bertram, Cuthbert, Clara and George; Thomas, Walter, Richard, Arthur, John, Joseph, William and Emily; Thompson, James, Alfred, Bruce, Flora, Charles, Archie, David and Minnie; Treweek, Winnie, Alice, Ellen, George, William and Mary.

Walker, Arthur, Henry, Ella, Edith and Alex; Walsh, William, Thomas and Emma; Watkins, Ethel, Job and Ernest; West, Edward, Frank, Minnie; Williams, Garfield, Wickham and Howard; Wilson, Margaret and Tom; Winter, Wilfred; Wisnewski, Joe and Peter; Wood, Albert; Worthington, Howard and Percy. v

THE NGAERE SAWMILLS INDUSTRY IN THE BUSH HARDY TYPE OF PIONEER. RAVAGES OF LOG FIRES. Ngaere in the ’Bo’s was the delight of the sawmiller. Thousands of acres of splendid virgin timber bush extended in every direction as far as the eye could see. Matai, rimu, white pine, rata, and other valuable timbers grew in abundance, and it was not long before this attracted the attention of enterprising sawmillers like Mr. Alex Brown and the Robson Bros. • The first mill was started by Duncan Bros, and afterwards bought by Mr. Alex Brown. After working out a bush at Ketemarae Road, Normariby, the Robson Bros, established a mill near the present Ngaere Gardens and proceeded to mill a block of 2300 acres they had obtained in the district. Their plant was of 25 h.p., one of the largest in the district, and had a capacity of 5000 feet per day. The price of timber was low in those days, and the best quality could be obtained for 7s and 8s per 100 feet. Mr. Brown’s mill was situated at the upper end of Cheal Road, and a tramway extended down the road towards Pukengahu, where the best of the milling bush was situated. An engine was used for hauling up the logs.

A small mill was for a time operated by Mr. Jackson on Cheal Road. Bullock waggons, horse teams and teamsters made an animated scene in the district as the timber industry gained sway, and only those who participated in that adventurous pioneering life are able to speak of its pleasure and sorrows. The pioneers were all men of outstanding physique, strong in spirit and constitution and able to endure without complaint all the hardships of the pioneering life. Among the settlers were men of all types, and even men from Oxford and Cambridge were included in those taking part in the rough life of the bush. Periodically bush fires would ravage the country, vicious tongues of flame carrying everything before them—houses, fences and tramways. On one occasion Brown’s mill became a victim to the devouring fire. After this a new mill was erected at Pukengahu and this was afterwards purchased by Mr. G. Syme, Hawera. Mr. T. E. Coleman, Ngaere, had many years of association with this mill as bush supervisor, while Mr. C. Biggs,

Eltham, was yard foreman and Mr. W. B. Blizzard was mill manager, also for long period. Grass-seeding and fungus picking were other means whereby the settlers augmented their meagre earnings, and as the timber became cut out people turned their attention to dairying. This has since become an established industry which proves its worth each year. Timber milling operations naturally attracted the interest of the children, and each day on their way to and from school they would love to watch the “bullocky” persuade his team through the sea of mud which did service as a roadway, or watch the big saw bite its way through the logs which were soon reduced to the size of boards. Of metal roads there were none and the tracks were often girth deep in mud, at times' being almost impassable The children were unable to use the roads in winter, and they made their way to school along the banks and cleanings. Old pupils of Ngaere who performed these feats recall the difficulties of their times and point to the great change in transport with thin strips of tarred surface roadway now radiating throughout the district. Nothing is more inspiring than a log fire by night but perhaps no more shall we see the whole country a blazing mass as it used to be periodically around the Ngaere district when the fallen logs had decayed and become a ready prey, for the raging fire.