Our Illustrations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 23, 9 December 1905, Page 23

Our Illustrations

THE VICTORI A SCHOOL FOR MAORI GIRLS.

It is now nearly three years aince the Queen Victoria. School for Maori Girls was opened. The foundation .stone was laid on June 12, 1901, by ILR.II. the Princess of Wales, when on a tour iu the colonii s. The school was formally opened on May 22, 1903, by our late Governor, Lord Ranfurly. Thirty-seven girls arc now being maintained at this institution, mid the instruction in the practical arts of home making is producing excellent results among the girls. They are taught to cook, wash, clean, and sew for themselves. Many of them are quite adepts in making their jwu dresses, underclothing, and the scrupulous cleanliness of the house is ample proof of the domestic work done by them. When it is borne in niind that everything in the way of washing and house cleaning has to be done by 8.45 a.m. (when morning school begins), it will be seen that the training in method will be of distinct advantage to the race. A good sound general education is also given, comprising reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, drill, drawing, and Ringing. Rules of health and simple hygiene are also carefully ta-ught. Tlie Government provide for 20 scholars, and an association called the Victoria Association (for helping Maori women and girls) has been formed, of which Mi's. Neligan is president. They collect funds, and at present maintain IT pupils. This association also strives to help the girls when they return to their own homes by writing to friends near where they live and asking them to take a kindly interest in them. If only more white people would strain their energies to collect the sum of £2O, to maintain still one more girl for a year at the school, the improvement to the Maori people must soon begin to be noticeable. . .......

It may interest many to know that the Maoris take a deop interest in the school, and show it in various ways, the most practical being iu frequent gifts of potatoes, kumaras, fruit, and. vegetables, all of which are very much appreciated. The pictures in this issue give a good idea of the daily life in the school, so far as domestic duties are concerned. Other photographs of the school rooms,, dining rooms, ami dormitories, could, oi course, have been given, but since in a modern and recently-built scholastic and hoarding establishments these are of necessity much alike, it was thougat that representations of the girls doing the. house work of the. school would be mort interesting. In one, therefore,* some of the girls are shown in the kitchen preparing dinner, in another the washing is depicted, and the ironing and mangling in a third, while a fourth gives a capital idea of the work room. Such photographs are hard to procure, but once obtained they certainly give a. far better notion of the thoroughness of the training than columns of description could do. It will be generally conceded that the pictures show the usefulness of the school, and pay a tribute to Mrs. Miwnns and her staff for the admirable manner in which they have discharged their heavy responsibilities. In order to augment the funds it has been decided to hold a. Maori huihuinga and sale of work in the Government House paddock on similar lines to that which was hold in the grounds at Hisliopscourl, Varnell, last year. \ ery complete arrangements have been made, ami an attractive programme has been prepared so that all that is wanted to make the affair a success is the support of the public, which will no doubt be liberally accorded when the worthiness of the cause is remembered. Hie Excellency and Lady I’lunket have accorded the sale of work their patronage, and intend to I>c present. There arc to be afternoon tea, strawberries and cream, and sweet stalls, and among other attractions there will be an exhibition of the work turned out by the pupils of tho school. The pupils arc also to go through physical drill and gymnastic exercises, and the Maori section of the Auckland Mounted Rifles will also contribute to the programme of event*.