Te Tua School
Record Group
Identifier: A0463
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1898 - 1967
Te Tua School
As early as March 1897 requests were made for the development of Te Tua School. By January of 1898 a Board Commission had met with the settlers and made recommendations. The school was to be located on the education reserve which the settlers would clear. Teachers were also to be found for the 50-pupil school and supplied with a four-room residence for accommodation.
With Jessie Carnahan as head teacher the school opened in September that year. Later in 1899, one of the longest serving teachers, Hewan Archdall, became the head teacher of 24 pupils. He served for seven years while Mary McCallum completed 11 and Gil Porter served eight.
One past pupil, Elsie Kennedy, recalls spending summer lunchtimes barefoot and down at Camp Creek near the school. They only stopped paddling and playing when they heard the mill whistle sound. By 1902 a closed-in playground was built.
In 1904 the school gained its first assistant teacher, Miss Flora McEwan, due to the arrival of the sawmills in the district. The Head Teacher at the time, Mr Archdall added more to the growing community through a debating club and the introduction of night classes to help those young people who lived and/or grew up in the district before the opportunity for formal education. He also paid for special attendance prizes for the students from his own pocket.
Grounds wise the school had a variety. Behind it was an area of native bush. Reportedly a vine always grew over everything which children always tried to climb and walk along to its end. The yard was very rough and full of holes that filled with water in the colder months.
Te Tua lacked manual training. Boys learnt gardening and the girls sewing. Also, school concerts were an annual event which everyone was involved with.
Te Tua School closed in 1967.
Reference:"Up the Waiau: The Story of Four Schools, Marking the 75th Anniversary of Tuatapere Schools", Compiled by Gordon McLeod. Pp.83-88.
See Additional Description for more information on this reference.
With Jessie Carnahan as head teacher the school opened in September that year. Later in 1899, one of the longest serving teachers, Hewan Archdall, became the head teacher of 24 pupils. He served for seven years while Mary McCallum completed 11 and Gil Porter served eight.
One past pupil, Elsie Kennedy, recalls spending summer lunchtimes barefoot and down at Camp Creek near the school. They only stopped paddling and playing when they heard the mill whistle sound. By 1902 a closed-in playground was built.
In 1904 the school gained its first assistant teacher, Miss Flora McEwan, due to the arrival of the sawmills in the district. The Head Teacher at the time, Mr Archdall added more to the growing community through a debating club and the introduction of night classes to help those young people who lived and/or grew up in the district before the opportunity for formal education. He also paid for special attendance prizes for the students from his own pocket.
Grounds wise the school had a variety. Behind it was an area of native bush. Reportedly a vine always grew over everything which children always tried to climb and walk along to its end. The yard was very rough and full of holes that filled with water in the colder months.
Te Tua lacked manual training. Boys learnt gardening and the girls sewing. Also, school concerts were an annual event which everyone was involved with.
Te Tua School closed in 1967.
Reference:"Up the Waiau: The Story of Four Schools, Marking the 75th Anniversary of Tuatapere Schools", Compiled by Gordon McLeod. Pp.83-88.
See Additional Description for more information on this reference.
Extent
1 box(es) (Box 1)
Language of Materials
English
Reference
"Up the Waiau: The Story of Four Schools, Marking the 75th Anniversary of Tuatapere Schools", Compiled by Gordon McLeod.
Ref: LC 371 UP
Ref: LC 371 UP
- Title
- Te Tua School
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
