Ashburton Borough Centenary/Education Not Neglected

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Borough School

The original Borough School was opened February 19, 1872, in a building where St. Stephen’s Church Hall now stands, with four pupils, and was called the Main School and the Infant School was built in 1880 on separate grounds diagonally opposite. Joseph Ward, 1872-7, was the first Headmaster, and H. T. Winter, 1872-5, the first School Committee Chairman. The people of Ashburton had decided to ask for a Government School supported by rates rather than send their children to the private school run by Gilbert Mayo, established in a large house, later bought by Dr. Trevor, who became the second School Committee Chairman, 1876-7.

The school slowly made progress and water was laid on in 1893; footpaths were laid. After the advent of the motor car, the Borough Council received continual complaints about motorists speeding near the school, or water lying in the grounds. There was a drain across the grounds to the river. When Tancred Street West was partly closed in 1907, some of the land was given to the Education Board for the use of the school. The rooms were poor and badly lit.

Agitation for a new school began in 1906 and the committee hoped for a reserve nearer the hospital, but the price and conditions offered to the Borough Council were not satisfactory and the position stagnated for another 10 years. The committee resigned and protest meetings were held by the parents. Hugo Friedlander donated £1000 to the school and the Education Board agreed to build a new school as soon as possible. It was opened by Mrs Hugo Friedlander in March, 1919, on the old low playground site that had earlier been condemned.

A new Infant School and Dental Clinic were built in 1938 and offices added in recent years. The swimming baths were built in the grounds in 1924. The Centenary was celebrated in 1972.

​Later Chairmen of the Committee have been E. E. Morriss 1955-58, R. D. Hefford 1959-60, A. W. Stayt 1961-2, L. J. Hydes 1963-4, I. A. Pearce 1965-6, J. T. Addis 1967-70, H. McGregor 1970–72 and M. Reid 1972-.

The Headmasters over the same years have been D. E. Brown 1955, R. H. Sutherland 1956-62, N. A. Garden 1963-70, H. Dephoff (2 terms in 1972), J. M. Bassett 1973-6 and E. A. Norriss from May, 1976.

Allenton

A side school opened at Allenton in 1897 after two early abortive attempts to secure a school separate from Borough and catering for the children in the Allenton area. It was built by J. H. Maynard at a tender of £573 on a section of two and a half acres bought from Mrs Crisp, and opened in July, 1897. It was known as the Ashburton Side School and only took pupils to Standard III and later to Standard IV. The first teacher was Miss Elizabeth Forrester, and the original building contained two classrooms.

In 1899, a struggle began for recognition as an independent school, but this was not achieved till 1921, after bitter School Committee elections and deputations to the Education Board. The people connected with this agitation were R. Hewson, W. Craighead, J. Argyle, W. Cunningham and F. H. Broom. In 1919, the residents bought another one and a half acres to give the minimum acreage for a main school. A separate school committee was elected in 1920 and the Main School became a fact in 1921. Mr W. A. Stout was the first Headmaster.

In October, 1932, the Seaview School which had been closed, was moved to Allenton giving it six classrooms, as it stood at its 50th Jubilee in 1947. Swimming baths and dressing sheds were added in 1936, but the water supply was unsatisfactory till a well was drilled in 1944. The Dental Clinic was built in 1947.

New brick classrooms have been added and then prefabricated classrooms as the roll grew, but the original wooden building is still standing.

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​Headmasters after Mr Stout have been E. Partridge 1923-4, S. H. Sullivan 1925-6, W. S. Pratt 1927-8, E. C. Chambers 1930-40, J. Southward 1941-6, G. A. Bain 1948-50, G. A. Robertson 1951-69 and A. McCone 1970-. Chairmen of the School Committee have been R. Houston 1923-30, E. C. Bathurst 1931-41, G. H. Rollinson 1942-43, C. H. Maynard 1944-5, J. H. Ward 1946-9, W. B. Elwood 1950-66, J. W. Tonkin 1967-70, G. Daly 1970-3, B. T. Stroud 1973-.

Hampstead

At the end of 1884 a side school was formed under a Miss Stewart. It grew rapidly and became independent in 1886, taking the name of “Hampstead” from the farm of Frank T. Mayo, son of Ashburton’s first teacher and who was Chairman of the School Committee. In 1886, when its first Headmaster, J. B. Mayne, took up his duties, it had a roll of 222. Apart from Miss Jessie Stewart, Miss Lucy Fawcett joined the staff as assistant and Mr A. Jamieson as pupil teacher. Miss Alcorn also joined as a pupil teacher. In July, Miss Stewart went to the Borough School. Miss Fawcett was promoted and stayed on at Hampstead till 1929.

The School fought a continuous battle for funds (it received only £10 when it broke away from Borough), equipment and accommodation. It opened with desks borrowed from Borough. In 1887, two rooms were added and another “lean-to” which became a Dental Clinic in 1926, serving all of the Borough, Allenton and Tinwald children besides its own.

The change of name to Ashburton East was made in 1923, recognising that the School was part of greater Ashburton and at the same time in an easterly direction. It reverted to “Hampstead” in 1956. A learners’ pool was opened in 1933. The present building on the Wellington Street site opened in 1950. The “Special School” established in 1937 and carried on by Miss G. MacFarlane, Miss B. H. Brown, Miss L. J. Robinson and Mr F. Fraser, was moved across to the new grounds in 1952 and closed as a “special” in December, 1960. 1965 saw the whole school united on one site.

Headmasters in more recent years have been S. G. MacFarlane 1933-45, W. J. Boraman 1946-7, J. E. Fraser 1947-54, P. C. Heath 1954-6, J. E. A. Clemens 1957-60, G. D. Bruce 1961-70, H. Dephoff 1972-.

​Recent Chairmen of the School Committee have been F. J. H. Grattan 1955-7, J. K. Mather 1945-8, H. C. Childs 1957-60, C. K. Young 1961-4, A. G. Childs 1965-8, B. D. Parsons 1969-71 and K. J. Smith 1971-.

Tinwald School

The first Tinwald School was opened in a barren tussocky paddock on March 17, 1879, with a roll of 51 pupils and Mr J. G. Allsop as Headmaster. Pupils came by horse, gig, or on foot to a one-roomed building. The first School Committee was elected in January and comprised Jos. Beswick, T. Williams, M. Scott, J. Escort, W. H. Smith, W. Price and H. Donaldson.

In 1880, two more rooms were added. In 1882, W. G. Wallace became Headmaster. Mrs A. J. Wake was the first Infant Mistress and T. Todd the first pupil teacher. From 1886 the next Infant Teacher, Miss Louisa Bishop, stayed till 1897.

Mr George Culverhouse had the longest service as a Headmaster, staying from 1887 till 1909. In more recent years many will remember A. F. McMurtrie, later Assistant Director of Education, O. D. Sewell 1942-7 who left to join the Inspectorate, J. A. Esson 1948-50, H. A. Saunders 1951-5, G. W. P. Mitchell 1956-61, N. M. McArthur 1962-5, R. D. Johnston 1966-70 (tragically killed in a car accident), C. Cotton 1970-73, J. Thomson 1974-5 and I. Davies 1976-.

The first Chairman of the Committee was C. P. Cox 1879–1880, followed by W. Baxter 1880-81 and J. Clark 1881-5. Coming to more recent times, Chairmen have included J. W. Lowery 1944-52, R. J. Millichamp 1953-9, G. Glassey 1960-61, R. E. Spicer 1961-62, J. A. Love 1962-67, J. H. Bayne 1967-69, G. J. Geering 1969-71, G. Shearman 1971-5, and M. E. Tarbotton 1975-.

The old School was occupied till 1964. New blocks were built by 1967 and the old School demolished in 1968. An open air infant room had been built in Harland Street in 1929 and the first modern three-roomed block in 1961-62. A two-roomed infant block was added in 1967, the upper school was extended, a library and more office space built. By the end of 1969 four pre-fabricated classrooms had also been added. A learners’ swimming pool was installed in 1967 after the 75th Anniversary. In line with other ​Schools a detached Dental Clinic was constructed in 1951, but in line with other borough schools a detached Dental Clinic was constructed in 1951, but this was later shifted to Eiffelton and a new one built in 1961-2.

The Tinwald School has been noted for its pride in environment and has won competitions in this respect.

Ashburton Netherby

This is the newest primary school in Ashburton, being opened in 1959 in Brucefield Avenue to ease the mounting roll at Hampstead. The first Headmaster was Mr C. E. Small who retired in 1975. Miss G. E. Bowyer was Head Teacher from 1976 to the end of the first term in 1978 when Mr M. Dallison arrived.

Considerable energy was displayed by the parents resulting in the School becoming self-sufficient in a very short time, not only in internal equipment but with learners’ pool and School Hall.

Chairmen of the School Committee have been T. D. Childs 1959-61, R. A. Lloyd 1961-5, T. R. Plunkett 1965-9, D. G. Campbell 1969-73, L. M. Ward 1973-5 and G. E. Maxey 1975-.

One of the biggest problems of the new school has been the crossing of the railway line by young pupils and this is still not satisfactorily solved.

The Catholic Schools

The first Church, built in 1876, was used as a boys’ school when the second Church replaced it in 1882, and continued to be so used till the building of the Parish Schools. It was shifted to Havelock Street and became the Parish Hall. Eventually it was demolished in 1974.

In 1882, Miss Burke took charge of the already established day school now catering for both boys and girls, Catholic and Protestant. When Father Coffey learned that the Sisters of the Mission were coming to Ashburton he bought a two-storeyed house in Wakanui Road. Two schoolrooms were added in 1885, one for the boarders and paying guests and one for girls. Both the boys’ school and the girls’ Convent School prospered in the next decade. The Sacred Heart Select School was established.

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​The boys’ school was closed in 1904 and from then on both boys and girls were taught in the Parish School by the Sisters. St. Joseph’s is recorded by name as having 80 pupils in 1916 and 185 in 1971. A new brick primary school was built soon after Father Finerty arrived (1946). New classrooms followed in Burnett Street to accommodate about 300 primary pupils. The Sacred Heart College flourished from 1961 to 1970. In 1965 came a directive that schools with over 150 pupils had to reduce their rolls by eliminating all primer classes, so that more classrooms were not needed. At the end of 1970, the Sacred Heart Girls’ College was closed after 87 years, owing to decreasing numbers. It became the Senior School and the Havelock Street School the Junior School. The Burnett Street (affectionately referred to as “The Academy”) classrooms were converted into an Educational and Community Centre.

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The Intermediate School

This School was established in the former Ashburton High School grounds. The old main building was utilised for offices, but large new blocks were built. The top two standards of all the Borough Schools were transferred to the Intermediate. Parent votes were taken in country areas and not all agreed to come in on the scheme at once, but they have since. Mr T. L. Morgan was appointed to take charge of the School and Mrs M. Hoar became the Senior Mistress. It has now been in existence four years, and it is quite an education to see the forest of bicycles beside Walnut Avenue as all the children come from areas some distance from the School.

Chairmen of the School Committee have been W. R. Anstiss 1973-77 and B. T. Stroud 1978-.

Bigger and Brighter—

Again Scotter says that improvement in domestic building followed closely on that in the business area. Quickly erected cottages made to sell were giving place by 1881 to more substantial and habitable dwellings. Between that year (when the first census of the Borough was taken) and 1902 the number of houses increased from 242 to 471. But the number of small cottages was halved while that of houses of six or more rooms tripled from 46 to 127. There were still a few of brick or stone. The “Guardian” regretted the poor attention to gardens and a horticultural society had failed to establish itself in 1881, but must have revived as it held its first show in 1892. It even promoted a garden competition on quarter-acre sections!

​Secondary Education

The Ashburton Technical School

Technical classes, as distinct from a technical school, were started by the Caledonian Society in Ashburton in 1881, apparently for the Society’s benefit. Mr Hogg, Principal of the High School, was the tutor, and they persisted for about 20 years.

A public meeting was held in July, 1900, in the Longroom in the Arcade and a Continuation Classes Committee was set up to organise evening classes. It comprised the Rev. R. A. Woodthorpe (Chairman), Miss Jones, Messrs S. Hardley, W. Brock, Causey, F. Ferriman, D. Grant, C. F. Salmond, Hiskins and J. S. Tennant (Secretary). C. Reid, H. Friedlander, D. Thomas and C. Hardie were added to it later. It hired rooms in the Borough and High Schools and St. Stephen’s Hall.

In 1902, Teachers’ classes were started and the Committee took over the Manual Training in all the Borough’s schools. In 1904, a Technical Association was formed. By 1911 there were 600 pupils in all the technical classes. Association secretaries who worked hard to establish a school were J. McLeod, Headmaster of the Hampstead School and J. B. Christian who secured a grant of an acre of ground in Cameron Street from the Borough Council at a peppercorn rental.

The foundation stone was laid on January 11th, 1912, by the Mayor, H. Davis, who was also Chairman of the Association, and the opening ceremony took place on October 3rd, 1912. The roll was 630, made up of Day Classes, Manual Training and Evening Classes. There were four rooms, one provided by the Borough and County Councils as a permanent memorial to mark the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. It was used as a woodwork room. There were also a cookery room, a typing room and offices, etc. Mr A. L. Moore, a London building specialist, was the first Director. In 1915, Mr A. T. Smith became Woodwork Instructor, a position which he held till he retired in 1946. H. Davis had been Chairman from 1906 till his death in 1917, followed by Charles Reid, till his death in 1925.

In 1919, Mr Moore left and Mr R. J. Thompson became Director. A workshop block was built on Havelock Street in 1921. More land was bought in 1920 and 1924. Seven sections ​belonging to the Digby Estate in Chalmers Avenue, including the old Brewery grounds facing Cameron Street, were bought for sports grounds. The brewery cellar was enlarged to make a swimming bath. In 1931, Devane’s Hotel, on the corner of Cass and Havelock Streets, was also bought. More buildings were added.

In 1927, Mr W. Crawford and Mr J. M. Willoughby joined the staff and organised a Cadet Unit. Then, in 1931, Miss I. Chamberlain arrived as Drawing and Home Science Teacher, being Senior Mistress 1935-1962. Mr Crawford became Principal in 1936 and remained in that position till 1952, and Mr Willoughby was first assistant till his retirement. In 1934, the School was given the status of a Technical High School. Mr Thompson resigned as Principal in 1934, and Mr Crawford was Principal when the foundation stone of the new Assembly Hall was laid in 1936. A new wooden block was erected in 1940 to help cater for the roll of 1,177 pupils.

Six prefabricated ex-Army buildings were put next to Cameron Street. Mr Crawford retired in 1952, after 25 years of service, 16 as Principal. With the coming of Mr Day, more emphasis was given to the academic side of the School, but he left in 1954, and Mr W. J. Jefferies became the School’s fifth Principal. The School was modernised. Mrs Fern resigned as Registrar in 1954 and Miss N. Yeoman came in her place. In 1960 the Technical High School became the Ashburton Technical College and celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1962. The name was eventually changed to Hakatere College.

The fateful decision on amalgamation was taken, again not without hesitation as in the case of the Ashburton High School. Teachers commuted from 1965 onward and pupils awaited their arrival with glee. Sometimes the cars broke down—frequently, as they grew older—or a dilatory teacher missed the bus! The cars could not afford to wait as it was desirable for the classes not to be delayed too long.

In a way it is sad to see the old Hakatere College now. The main block houses the Historical Society and Senior Citizens’ Association after being the temporary home of the Borough Council while the new Administration Block was being built ​beside Baring Square West. The Havelock Street side was taken over by the Police Department and the newest block is now the home of the Elgin Caterers, called “Chartwell” and frequently used for receptions.

The pupils from both secondary schools are well and truly entrenched at the Ashburton College and carrying on the traditions in another environment—Walnut Avenue.

The Ashburton High School

On November 1st, 1878, the Ashburton High School Act became law and in March, 1879, land was set aside for the new school which eventually opened on February 7th, 1881. Disappointment was expressed because there were only 17 boys initially but Mr J. E. Buchanan’s School for boys was taken over and he became second master, bringing the roll to about 40. The High School functioned as a boys’ school till September 18th, 1884, when a girls’ section was opened. In 1894, the parents voted for amalgamation, so that co-education is a long established principle in Ashburton secondary schools.

The first Board of Governors mentioned in the “Ashburtonian” of December, 1908, includes Dr. Trevor (Chairman), and Secretary, F. Mainwaring. The first Principal, Charles Hogg (1881-7), was followed by J. E. Buchanan (1887-94) and E. S. Buchanan (1894-5).

In 1908, permission was granted by Lord Ashburton to use his Crest, his Coat of Arms and his Motto, “Virtus in Arduis.” Only two other institutions in New Zealand, the Ashburton Borough Council and the Ashburton Masonic Lodge were granted this honour. In the same year the first issue of “The Ashburtonian” appeared and the last was published in 1964, just prior to the amalgamation of the High School and Hakatere College, as the former Technical College had been renamed.

The new classroom block and Assembly Hall additions were opened on May 8th, 1958, by the Hon. P. O. Skoglund, Minister of Education. The old Hall was extended into the former Memorial Library and a stage built into it. The School had certainly gained in size from when it opened in the first building later to remain as the gymnasium.

​In the next year a new two-storeyed block was built, comprising laboratories and classrooms to be ready for use in 1960.

In 1964, it had been decided to amalgamate the two secondary schools, supplementary in their roles, one as an academic school and the other more specifically a technical training ground. Of later years, both had tended to become more comprehensive. Well-known Principals in the later years had been G. A. Simmers 1895-9, J. S. Tennant 1899-1905, W. F. Watters 1905-29, E. A. Cockroft 1929-49 and the last was W. L. Jolly 1949–64. Assistants with long service were R. H. Biggar 1922-49, R. M. McGregor 1922-60, E. J. Wood 1924-59, T. Phillips 1927-65 and J. M. Sutherland 1959-76, the last 12 years of his service with Ashburton College.

The last Ashburton High School Board of Governors comprised J. Lane (Chairman), W. R. Currie, J. Davidson, G. C. Nicoll, H. C. B. Withell, W. H. Dalton, J. A. Denley, N. Robilliard and E. J. Wood.

Ashburton College

In 1965, came the establishment of Ashburton College as a co-educational, multi-course secondary school of 1,126 pupils, a Grade VI School, one of the highest in New Zealand. At first it operated on two sites, the Senior forms at the ex-Ashburton High School site and the Junior forms at the ex-Hakatere College site. The staff had to commute in cars and mini-buses but pupil movement was kept to a minimum, only those who needed specialist rooms or workshops moving between sites.

The new College chose a new crest, the main emblem of which was the Phoenix, signifying a rebirth, and the Motto was changed to “Resurgamus”, meaning “Let us go Forward”. Mr D. H. Thurlow came as Principal to guide the combined college through its initial years and he had no easy task, welding the systems together.

In 1966, Mr T. Phillips and Mr H. Montgomery retired after many years given to education in Ashburton.

After three years of argument and two deputations to Parliament, it was decided that the College should be built on a new site between Middle Road and Walnut Avenue, largely due to the aggressive tactics of the Citizens’ Action Committee ​that did not want it established on a second-hand site. The College was ready to vacate the Cameron and Cass Street sites by the end of 1970.

The Third, Fourth and some of the Fifth Forms had shifted by the end of the first term in the following year, the seventh year in the life of Ashburton College, and the senior division moved from the old High School buildings in 1972. The Constitution of the College had to change with 1,200 (now 1,500) pupils to manage and there are four blocks with Deans in charge, set up like schools within a school. There is a splendid Library, Cafeteria (funds supplied by the Amenities Committee), a full-size swimming pool and “Menorlue”, a gymnasium that is a centre for sports in the town. Only the Auditorium remains to be built of this model S 68 School, but already pre-fabricated buildings have been needed to supplement the accommodation, so quickly has the roll increased. It is impossible to list all the people who deserve mention. However, Miss N. Rickard is the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr R. O. McDowell, the Principal, and Mr T. Ryder the Associate Principal. Mr and Mrs A. W. Thomson are the Deputy Principals. “Resurgamus”—let us go forward.

Photographic Phantasy—

A hundred years ago the fast film was well in the future. The slow emulsion on the plate would possibly be exposed by removing the lens cap for a time. Did that man in the 1878 main street photograph—the ghost-like phantom in the cart—stand up or sit down during the exposure?

Gravel Gratitude—

So great was the mud problem on some roads in the Stratford area about the turn of the century that a kiln was built to burn blue clay to make a road-metalling material. Successful it was too, but the cost must have been astounding. We take for granted our “free” shingle supply—free because the rivers, in building the plains, used the graywacke of the Southern Alps. It was available, usually complete with binding grit, by digging, the question being of course, “Where could we have a big pit?”

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