MANUTAHI SCHOOL JUBILEE

Taranaki Daily News, 25 May 1934, Page 9

MANUTAHI SCHOOL JUBILEE

DISTRICT SHARES CELEBRATION r ■ ORIGINAL SCHOOL STILL STANDS GO-YEAR-OLD MEMORIES OF THE PAST Manutahi, the peaceful little township on the mam road between Hawera and Patea, is to-day holding celebrations in memory of the settlement of the district and the establishment of the school. The school is now 58 years old, but, as the 50th year was overlooked, it has been decided to celebrate a jubi ee this year. The Manutahi School has at least one proud record, for the school building is the oldest on the coast. The original building still serves admirably. The endurance of. this old wooden building in a way seems to typify the sturdy pioneers of the district, some of whom are still alive to-day. Manutahi was a frontier town in the early days, and as such saw stirring scenes. Its later history has been peaceful and, in the main, prosperous—a happy result of the foundations laid by the early settlers and the first school-teachers. On this page something is told of the history of the school (first held in the old block-house, one of the few still standing), Manutahi’s part in the Maori war, the early settlers and the beginnings of modern farming. As is too often the case, many of the early records are missing, but enough remain to form an interesting story of the development of a school in a typical country centre in Taranaki.

THE SCHOOL AT MANUTAHI

FIRST HELD IN BLOCKHOUSE BUILDINGS ERECTED IN 1876 SETTLORS PAY FOR SCHOOLING. The story of the school at Manutahi goes back to 1876, when it would appear that the old Manutahi block-house, still standing, was used temporarily. It is likely that at this time the teacher had two schools, one at Kakaramea and one at Manutahi, spending three, days every week at each. The school at Kakaramea was held in a cottage. _ was in January, but there is no record as to who was the teacher, and old identities cannot recall him. At any rate in August Miss T. Corrigan, the daughter of a well-known Irish family of the district, was appointed. Miss Corrigan was well liked, and had some reputation as a literateure. The school as were so many country ones at that time, was in the “aided” class, that is the parents paid something towards the cost of the upkeep and the teacher’s salary. The fee at Manutahi was 6s 6d per quarter. On March 6 the Patea Education Board let a contract for the erection of a school building to Holtham and Warren. A building, 18ft. by 28ft., was erected, identical with similar schools at Kakaramea and Carlyle (now called Patea), both of which have been replaced.

In 1877 quite- a flutter was caused by the resignation of Miss Corrigan, who asked the board to accept it, or increase her salary. The latter the board was nnaWe to do, despite a petition by the settlers, and her resignation had to be accepted.

Apparently a ‘cottage of two rooms for the residence of the teacher was built at the same time as the school, or thereabouts, as in May, 1877, there is a record of a third room being added. The shelter shed was also built at the same time, with a partition to make a harness room, which was quite a necessity as most of the children rode to school. It is a remarkable fact that all this original block of buildings is still in use after 58 years. The teacher’s house has, of course, been built on to quite intensively. FIRST SCHOOL PICNIC. Early in 1878 a Mr. Lee organised a picnic, in which settlers and the school united, the picnic being held in Schultz's paddock at the hotel. In the evening the festivities were continued in the blockhouse, which still served as an important social centre for the community. It is on record that Mr. Colin Campbell, a well-known resident of Manutahi to-day, won the quarter-mile at the picnic. The first known visit of an inspector to the school was that of Mr. Robert Lee in November of the same year, when a Mr. Lee was teacher there, and the school was congratulated on its work. At that time there were only, four standards. One boy, Mr. J. Campbell, another well-known settler of today, nearly passed the second class, roughly equivalent to the present fourth standard, which was considered a creditable performance.

Shortly after this the education system was altered by the institution of new legislation for the various boards. In the process the Patea Board was dispensed with, Manutahi passing under the control of the Wanganui Board, in which board’s district it has remained ever since. The funds of the old board, which unlike local bodies of to-day did not merely have a debt to bequeath, were divided among the schools in its district Manutahi’s share was £lO. A school committee was elected at this time, and Mr. Peacock, a former member of the Patea Education Board, was elected chairman.

As far back as 1877 teachers noted a defect in the chimney, for an attempt to prevent it smoking was made in that year. Apparently the alterations did not improve matters, and right up till the last few years this subject was quite a hardy annual. In 1933 modern heating equipment was installed, so that the smoke nuisance no longei- exists.

From the early days there has been little alteration at the school, although the roll has grown very slowly and gradually. The biggest change in this respect is in attendances, which are,' as is natural, much better than they were in the old days of bad roads.

Teachers were ever changing. Usually there has been only one, but sometimes, as at present, two. A record of their periods of services is given elsewhere.

MEMORIES OF 70 YEARS

MISS GINGER LOOKS BACK SECOND WOMAN IN SETTLEMENT STORY OF A PIONEER FAMILY. Miss Ginger, who is now living in Hawera, is the oldest living resident of Manutahi and was the second white woman in the settlement. Despite her 95 years and trying experiences of the pioneering days, she retains all her faculties, including her memory of bygone times. She lives with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Ginger, whose memory of Manutahi also goes back over 60 years. The Ginger family came to New Zealand in 1852, settling in New Plymouth. Driven out by the Maori war they sought refuge, as did so many, in Nelson. When the, country quietened down they returned to the North Island, and this time settled at Kakaramea. Again the Maori disturbances, this time of the Hauhau period, drove them from their home, but they went only as far as Wanganui. After the defeat and flight of Titokowaru, the Gingers went to Manutahi, settling on a property at the back of where the dairy factory now stands. Few New Zealand women are still living who can remember both the Taranaki wars. “Those were stirring times,” said Miss Ginger, in a chat with a Daily News reporter. “We were burnt out by Maoris twice. The first place they burnt was at Tataraimaka, and, when we went to live at Kakaramea they burnt that home too. Our place was on the comer of the Ball Road, the property later bought by Mr. George Pearce. The Maoris used to take our stock, too.” When the setlters came back to Manutahi, Miss Ginger recalls, the blockhouse which is still standing,- had been built. Her brothers and other men of the settlement, either armed constabulary or military settlers, used to go there for. drill. Later another blockhouse was built, but when the hall was put up it was taken down and added to the old blockhouse. Manutahi was all in thick scrub when Miss Ginger first saw it, with patches of bush further away from the coast. The railway line was not built for many years, and when it was a few more people came to live at Manutahi. Both ladies had pleasant memories of the dances that were held in the old blockhouse. They recalled that the music was often played by the postmaster, Mr. Dawson, on his violin, or else someone would come to light with a concertina. After a long while they bought a piano, and a man. used to come from Patea to play it. “They were very good dances, too,” said Mrs. Ginger. “People came from all over the district, and they were very jolly.” “Hawera was all grass when I first rode into it -in 1872,” continued Miss Ginger. “There was practically no one there, though the Livingstones and, McMichaels had already settled. Hawera was nothing in those days.” Neither could remember having seen Kimble Bent, the renegade, though they thought they might have seen him. Miss Ginger’s brothers knew him very well, but he was very shy of coming near white people. They considered he a dog’s life.

Both remembered the early days of the school, when Miss Corrigan was teaching. Among the children they thought were early pupils were the Hamiltons, the O’Deas, the Foremans and the Peacocks, the last being nephews and nieces of Mrs. Ginger. Miss Corrigan was the daughter- of an Irish family, well connected on both sides, which afterwards left their place at Manutahi, and also the Dominion. Mrs. Stewart, New Plymouth, who is at present in England for the marriage of a grandchild, was one of the large Corrigan family.