The Garden Party at “The Pah."

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue VIII, 22 February 1902, Page 366

The Garden Party at “The Pah."

For the past nineteen years a boys’ school has been established at St. John's College. Tatnaki. It was begun by the Rev. W. Gulliver, M.A., anil was continued by the Rev. T. F. King, who died tn 1889. From that date until 1901 the Rev. I*. S. Smallfield was the headmaster of the school, and under his management it became one of the leading boarding schools of the colony. At the last session of the General Synod, however, the question of the management of the theological college of St. John received a great deal of consideration, and, with a view to rhe improvement of the College, and to the settlement of its affairs on something like a permanent basis, it was resolved that the boys’ school should be removed from the college buildings, and that these should be used in the future for the occupation oi the theological students alone. Mr Smalltield thus found himself obliged to look for a new location for his school, and as the beautiful Pah homestead happened at the time to be in the market, he was fortunately able to arrange for its purchase, and to adapt it to school purposes. Spacious class-rooms have been built on the grounds, the roomy stable has been turned into a gymnasium, and several important alterations have been carried out within the house itself. The result is that the wellknown mansion. “The Pah.” which stands cut so prominently on the hill overlooking Onehunga, has become a well-equpped boarding school for bo J'S. fitted with every convenience for the comfort of the inmates, standing in grounds beautiful and attractive in the highest degree, and. owing to its elevated position and nearness to the West Coast, situated in one of the healthiest spots that can be found anywhere in New Zealand. The school grounds include the large area of 48 acres, partly playing fields and partly gardens and shrubberies, thus affording the pupils plenty of space for recreation, and imparting that sense of freedom so essential to the proper development of growing boys. On the eastern side of the house are the garden and orchard, and an attractive green slope ending in a level cricket ground. On the western side is a large quadrangle on one side of which stands a detached dormitory for elder pupils, also the boys' library and social room. Adjoining the quadrangle are the class-rooms, gymnasium, armoury, workshop, etc. The class-rooms have been built with a special view to securing sufficient light and good ventilation, and the science-room has been admirably designed for lectures and laboratory work. On Monday. February 10. the opening day of the new school, about 500 guests assembled at the invitation of the Rev. P. S. and Mrs Smallfield, and spent a very pleasant hour in the garden and in making an inspection of the buildings and grounds. Among the guests were several of the clergy of the diocese, with their wives and families. One of the clergymen present. Dr. Purchas. could recall the time when the site of the Pah was but a fern-clad hill. The Most Reverend the Primate. Bishop Cowie, the visitor of the school, was unavoidably prevented from being present. Our illustrations record some of the scene a of this interesting occasion.

THE GARDEN PARTY AT -THE PAH.” ■nd show the guests assembled in the garden engaged in social conversation or playing tennis and pingpong. On February 11th, the school was formally opened with a large number of pupils. There are at present 45 boarders in the two houses, while many day pupils attend the school from Onehunga, Epsom, and also from Rejnuera and Parnell, these last reaching the school by special bus or on horseback. All the accommodation at present available for boarders is now taken up, and it will be necessary to extend the buildings as the school increases. The headmaster, the Rev. P. S. Smallfield, has had 25 years’ experience as a teacher, and is well-known in Auckland. He is assisted by an efficient staff of resident and visiting masters; the first assistant master being Mr R. Mcllroy, M A., a graduate in honours of the New Zealand University. The school is divided into a classical side, a commercial side, and a science side, the work of the last side being arranged to meet the case of boys who are preparing for engineering or for agriculture. Instruction in Holy Scripture is an essential part of the school course for all boys. M-J.UV pupils wh< have passed through the commercial side of the school are now holding important positions in Auckland and elsewhere; while a fair number of those trained in the classical side have passed various University examinations at school and subsequently. The Cadet Corps is a prominent feature of the school institutions. The corps has always borne a high reputation for efficiency, and has been successful in winning on three occasions within the last four years the challenge vase presented by Dr. Campbell as a prize for an annual firing competition. The Stt. John’s College School Cadet Corps was the first volunteer company in New Zealand to march in review past the Duke of Cornwall on his recent visit to New Zealand. Given the advantages of such attractive, spacious, and healthy surroundings, the school at the Pah bids fair to become one of the largest of the boarding schools in New Zealand, and may in time be the Eton of Auckland.