SCHOOL IN BLOCKHOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1935, Page 9

SCHOOL IN BLOCKHOUSE

DIFFICULTIES OF ’7o’s WORK OF MR. ALEXANDER MAJR. HISTORY FROM AN OLD LOG BOOK. The thirteenth of May, 1935, was the sixtieth anniversary of the commencement of school work' in the first part of what is now the Hawera school building. An entry in the first log book dated May 13, 1875, states that “business was commenced in the new school house today by order of Mr. T. Middlemas” (chairman of the school committee), and is signed, by “F. Dunne, teacher.” The log book, contains nothing to indicate when school classes of any kind commenced at- Hawera, but its first entry was written on April 1, 1875, .by Mr. Robert. Lee, for many years an inspector of It read: “This is my second visit to the Hawera school held in an old blockhouse without any suitable furniture. ' The school, as on my former visit, is in a primitive state and the results low. There are 29 boys and 19 girls of whom 19 boys and 11 girls were present. Eleven boys and five girls passed standard- 1, and five boys passed standard 2. . There were no candidates for standard >3. . “The new school is being built ;6n- a very suitable plan.. The new master (Mr. Dunne) .was. not .present, owing to illness. He has not been in office long enough ‘to produce - results. There is not much . evidence, at J present .of his efficiency as . the copy . book writing., is slovenly, the organisation unsatisfactory and no separate classification is made for arithmetic.’’ . . I ' . : • . Apparently Mr. Dunne was not pleased with these > criticisms of his work and' organisations, as the next two entries, made by visitors: to the school, read almost like testimonials to Mr. Dunne’s work. ■ -••. ■—- ' ; BLOCKHOUSE BUILT IN 1870. The blockhouse referred to by Mr.'Lee was erected in’lB7o as a; place'of accommodation, or refuge if required, for,those .' who had'settled in the district., Hawera . was a settlement for. those, whohad .performed military service and to whom 50acre blocks of land • had been . given;

There was danger in working the farms and the holders had the option of acquiring one of the 10 acre blocks into which the settlement had been divided. By* that means closer contact was established, and the blockhouse thus became the nucleus of what developed rapidly into a township. Meetings and other gatherings, including early meetings of the Hawera Town Board, were held in the blockhouse, which was where the Hawera public library and Welsh, McCarthy, Houston and Coleman’s offices are now, and it was only natural that the first school classes should be held in this building. A change of headmasters was indicated by an entry in the log hook on May 22, 1876, by Mr. John Harre that he had opened the school on May 15. If his log entries are an indication of his ability and keepess, Mr. Harre brought to the school a number of new ideas and worked on a system which must have been productive of very beneficial results to the children. The reports of the inspectors indicated definite progress as the years passed and the little school grew in numbers and efficiency. A number of punishments were recorded, with the usual crop of protests from parents. An entry by Mr. Harre on June 6, 1876, is interesting. He wrote, “I will have to pay more attention to scholars in the playground, as much rough work goes on. Three boys were, punished this afternoon for using whips.” Mr. Havre’s last entry on July 23,

1877, gave no indication that he was leaving the school, but entries for 12 months from September, 1877, are in a different handwriting with nothing to -show by whom they were made. On October 2, 1878, there began the regime of'Mr. Alexander Mair, who was destined to give 14 years of his life to the moulding of the young people in his care. His entries in the log book are a model of neatness and accuracy, and the fact that a number of citizens prominent at Hawera and other parts of New Zealand to-day were taught at Hawera speaks well for the early training they received from him and those associated with him. UNDER TARANAKI INSPECTORS. Just ,before Mr. Mair’s appointment the Wellington inspectors, who had been ' visiting the school since its inception, were replaced by Taranaki inspectors. 'After commencing his duties Mr. Mair reported in his first entry that there were 29 boys and 25 girls pr esent. From that time the roll number began to increase noticeably. In March, 1883, an entry in the log book by Mr. R. Foulis, inspector, stated that the roll number was 269. ’Many of the children attended irregu.larly, the inspector commenting on the absence of over 70 children, “a in themselves, one might say!” he added. When . Mr.-Mair left the school on. June 30, 1892,. the. roll number was about 360, with an average attendance of, 235. -• The development of farming in the South Taranaki district had its effect upon the :school,- and upon the progress of the/town.. “The progress of .the school is very muchhindered.' by the ■ continual" moving -of ■ childfen to y the plains, ‘ andthe ■' admission'’ of .children from other yfhip were staying at Hawes® 'wntil' houses are -.erecrted; on ‘ the plains,”' wrote’/Mr. - Mair -on November 18, 1881. ■' •-./-■ ■' , The opening' of ; the rmlway line, from New Plymouth ? to. Hawera on October 20, 1881', ; was the occasion of a halfholiday granted by..the committee.,“Few children at school in the morning,” says the log book. : ADDITIONS. AND ALTERATIONS. Additions and.alterations were made to the school early in' 1882, and ffie- progress being made •by the growing school was testified to by the inspector, Mr. Foulis, who wrote on May 25, 1882, as follows: “The master (Mr. Mair) continues to exercise over this ' school the excellent moral influence tfose -acquainted with him would expect. The tone and appearance of the children are highly creditable. With additional school places the school will he likely to make more progress than it has yet exhibited, notwithstanding'. its . former high character.” The holding of the first agricultural and pastoral ritow at Hawrira on /November 4, 1884, was recorded’ in -the* log book, the children being given a half holiday. The running of the. first train • between Manutahi and Hawera on March . 20, 1885, was also the occasion of a holi- , day. ' . / . 1

The first library at the school was formed in April, 1890, by a gift of 50 volumes from the school committee. Ths books were first issued to the children of the upper classes, on April 17, ,1890. < On July 25, 1892, Mr. E. M. C. Harrison took charge, remaining until November 27, 1895. The number of children on th® roll on September 30 was 354, with an average attendance of 280. An epidemic of measles 12 months later affected the attendance so badly that on one day over 200 children were absent. Tire epidemic continued for more than a monthi From November 28, 1895, to January 27, 1896, Mr. C. H. Warden was in charge of the school pending the arrival of Mr. C. A. Strack, who remained in office for 29 years, nearly half the period during which the school has been open.