THE CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XI, 14 September 1895, Page 316

THE CANTERBURY COLLEGE.

(BY

THE WARRIGAL.)

THE Canterbury College, to the ordinary observer, means only that solid-looking grey stone building in Worcester-street, Christchurch. Some may connect with it, perhaps, its professors and students and its system of education ; but few seem to know its full importance as an institution with tts important branches—the Boys’ High School, the Girls’ High School, the School of Art, the School of Mines, the School of Engineering, and the School of Agriculture. Fewer still see in it its full influence on the country — how it may exercise a greater power than any Government policy, any native wars or commercial treaties. To my mind there is no finer monument to the high aims and broad-mindedness of the people who built up this country. It is an institution of which any country might be proud, and the fact of it being the educational centre of a mere province, and one of three similar institutions in a country with a population scarcely larger than a third-rate English town, makes

it all the more remarkable. Half a century ago there was no thought of education in this part of New Zealand. There was one solitary house on the vast plain, and beyond it not a single sign of civilization. Only 45 years ago, Mr Strange, naturalist of H.M.S. ’Acheron,’ climbed to the top of the Port Hills one Sunday morning and saw the great sea of yellow tussock grass stretching southward further than eye could reach, and westward to the snowy mountains that were not even named. A few years later the settlers of the Canterbury Association began to arrive, and then there was born the idea of education here.

And what changes have taken place in the ideas of education since then I The men, broad-minded and liberal of their time, planned a scheme of ecclesiastical and educational endowments at which we can smile now. I find it set forth with due solemnity in the Canterbury papers. There were to be 20 churches at a /'looo each ; 20 Parsonage houses and Glebes at /'5OO each ; 20 schools at a £lOO each ; a college and a chapel, /'6,000 ; residences for a Bishop, the Principal of the College, and an Archdeacon, / 3,000 ; and the stipends suggested were — to a Bishop, / i,ooo ; to an Archdeacon, /"600 ; 20 clergymen, Z 200 each ;20 schoolmasters. £7O each. It must not be forgotten in reading this that the settlement was formed by the Church of England, and we must not forget when looking at the present College with its costly schoolsand rich endowments, at the numerous public and private schools, how greatly ideas on education have advanced .

We owe the Canterbury College and many other good things to the foresight and wisdom of those men, who were patriotic enough to think of benefiting the community, and high-minded enough to plan in such a generous scale.

It is a little more than twenty-two years ago since active steps were taken to form a college in Canterbury. During the year 1872, a number of gentlemen who had for years taken an active part in promoting primary education in the province, considered that the time had come to establish a college. A petition numerously signed was presented to the Provincial Council, with the result that the Council granted an endowment of 100,000 acres ol pastoral land. In 1873 the Provincal Government passed the Canterbury College Ordinance Act, which, says the preamble, was to ‘ make provision for enabling all classes and denominations of Her Majesty’s subjects resident in the province of Canterbury and elsewhere in the colony of New Zealand to pursue a liberal and regular course of education.’ The Ordinance included the appointment of the first Board of Governors, which consisted of the following gentle-

men :—William Rolleston, the Right Reverend HenryJohn Chitty Harper, Henry John Tancred, Rev. William James Habens, Thomas William Maude, Walter Keurnaway, Charles Christopher Bowen, Rev. James Buller, Arthur Charles Knight, John Sludholme, James Somerville Turnbull, William Montgomery, George Gould, Henry Richard Webb, Rev. Charles Fraser, William Potten Cowlishaw, Thomas Henry Potts, John Davis Enys, Joshua Strange Williams, John Inglis, Henry Barnes Gresson, John Hall, Rev. William Wellington Willock. Of all these gentlemen only two—the Hon. William Montgomery and H. R. Webb—remain on the Board to-day.

The first meeting of the Board took place on 9th July, 1873. Mr J. S. Williams (now Judge Williams) was elected chairman, and Mr F. de C. Malet secretary temporarily, and although no buildings had been commenced, or even planned, steps were taken to secure professors from England. The work of selecting these professors was left to certain gentlemen in the Old Country, who suggested J. Macmillan Brown, M.A., for the chair of Classics and English ; C. H. H. Cook, M A., for

the Mathematics and Natural Philosophy chair ; and A. W. Bickerton, F.C.S., for the chair of Chemistry and Physics. These gentlemen were appointed, and came out to Christchurch. They had secured professional chairs, but no college. The first Canterbury College lectures were given in a small building in Lichfieldstreet.

But those were days of rapid progress and plentiful money. In 1875 the Provincial Government granted /2,850 for the erection of a Chemical Laboratory. In 1876 the first wing of the College was commenced, and from that time to the present day there has been continuous building and improvement. Now the College possesses lecture halls, class-rooms, library, laboratory, all on a scale of size and finish that rivals some of the best English colleges. From the parent stem have grown numerous branches. The Girls’ High School was opened in 1877 ; the School of Agriculture in 1880 ; the

Boys’ High School in iSBI, the School of Art in 1882; in 1890 the school of Engineering and Technical Science was established. Besides these schools there are othe’ - branches belonging to the same stem. When our history-makers were working for the formation of a college the Literary Institute in Christchurch was in a state of bankruptcy. A few gentlemen subscribed and collected in a few days, purchased the whole thing, Government gave them aid, and the Literary Institute became the Public Library controlled by the Canterbury College Board of Governors. The Museum, built partly by public subscription, partly by Government grant, partly by Mr G. H. Moore’s splendid gift of Moa bones, and largely by the untiring energy of Sir Julius Von Haast, passed

under the same Board of Governors, so now the Canterbury College includes all the leading educational institutions, for both library and museum are educational. Its capital account annually is nearly Z 75,000, and its splendid revenues leave room for further developments. The educational development of the College is remarkable. In 1879 twoof its students obtained degrees in the University of New Zealand, in 1880, seven ; in 1890, 91 ; in 1894, 167. Out of 375 who have taken degrees in the University of New Zealand (exclusive of medical degrees, for which the college cannot enter candidates) 167 belong to the Canterbury College ; out of the 149 who have taken the M.A. degree 71 belong to it; out of the 105 senior and third year and John Tinline scholarships awarded during the last 17 years, 67 have gone to Canterbury College students. Of the 19 Bowen prizes 13 have been won by students of this College. No irksome restrictions of religion or caste hedge the

advantages of this College. Not only is it open to all classes and denominations, but to women as well as men, and as early as 1879 Gertrude Grierson won a senior scholarship in English. In 1880 Margaret Lilian Florence Edger won a senior scholarship in English and French. In 1882 Jeanette Grace Grossman won a senior scholarship in Latin, history, and political economy. The opening of the franchise to women in New Zealand found some at least capable of understanding political questions. Eight years ago Ellen Pitcaithly and Annie E. Mills won senior scholarships in political economy. Beatrice E. Gibson and Janet M. Prosser won Tinlinescholarships. Edith H. Searle and Margaret Lorimer won Bowen prizes. In nearly all branches of education, but especially in languages, history, and

political economy, the girl students of the Canterbury College have more than held their own against their brother students. I do not know what has been the proportion of male students over females during the last five years. It has been large, no doubt, but I know certainly that taking the proportions of each sex women have won the most successes. It would be interesting if some fair student, for the honour of her sex, would prepare tables and show whether I am right in my opinion. Girl students appear to be harder and more conscientious workers. Without in any way detracting from the intellectual equality of the sexes, it may be confidently asserted that much of the success of girl students is due to superior power of coneentrative work—a greater conscientious in solid reading, a fuller possession of that ' infinite capacity for taking pains,' which has been denominated genius. The male graduate has usually some hobby or pursuit which takes him away

from reading. The girl graduate seldom thinks of anything else. Save for the unquestionable superiority of women in capability of bearing mental strain this would result in break down. Few young men would stick as long to unremitting mental toil as girls do. I should like to show the system of education pursued at the Canterbury College. The growth of technical education, as indicated by its Schools of Engineering and Agriculture, proves that its Governors are not in the old classical slough. Its Schools of Art, of Music, show that the finer thoughts of civilization are trained. But to give an adequate idea of the whole system requires too much space. It is a system in advance of the older colleges in England. It is a system that might be broadened yet, but the history of the College lias shown conclusively that the wiliest interests of the communitv have always been considered, and as it has been, so it will be.