Invercargill Park School
Record Group
Identifier: A0163
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1884 - 1914
Invercargill Park School
Invercargill Park School, originally named Invercargill District School and briefly in later years North Public School, was founded in 1874. For the first 18 months of its existence it operated from a hall on Leet Street and later in the Leet Street Wesleyan Sunday School building while waiting on its new buildings to be completed. From 1876 onwards, when the new buildings were ready (two large classrooms and a smaller bell-room), the school was situated at the southern end of what is now Queens Park on the south west corner, Kelvin Avenue.
The general surroundings of the new school were rather primitive. North of the school there was a swampy creek known as “Blind Creek” which dominated the area. Patches of bush, trees and a few cultivated paddocks completed the schools surrounding land.
The school had a large roll and serviced students from the town side of the park as well as the whole suburban region north of Gala Street, and from homes as far away as Bay Road and Waikiwi area. As a result of this the two classrooms were overcrowded and the two staff highly inadequate by today’s standards. However, with the opening of North Invercargill School and Waihopai School in 1879, Invercargill Park School’s drawing pool was greatly reduced.
As early as 1884 the school board was discussing proposals to reshuffle the three schools at the North end of Invercargill and the closure of Park (known as North Public at the time) had been mentioned. In 1895 this same issue gave rise to the suggestion to combine Park and Waihopai schools as well as create a new school in Waikiwi. Only the latter eventuated.
The most notable event in the school’s history was when a tragic fire struck shorty after 1am on 26th September 1912 and destroyed most of the school and all school records. Two classrooms were saved though by the efforts of the firemen. At the time of the fire 341 children were on the school roll. (Note: As a result most of the histories recorded for this school are generated from personal sources and press files).
To keep the school running temporary housing was offered in many places. In the end by using the shelter-shed and by erecting a temporary building with a ruberoid roof the school could continue on site until a more permanent adjustment was made.
The neighbouring Waihopai (Gladstone) School was also struggling at this time with overcrowding and in desperate need of better accommodation. Due to the state of both schools the idea of amalgamating them was brought to the fore again. Despite the pleas of the community to rebuild Park School and let it remain its own separate school the union of the two was finally agreed upon.
Collegiate Reserve at the other end of the park was decided upon as the new home for this amalgamated school to be called Queens Park School which was to accommodate 600 pupils. The name only lasted one year however and it was changed back to Waihopai School in 1915 as there was already a Queens Park School in the North Island. The community’s pleas on behalf of the younger children were heard though and the two remaining classrooms saved from the fire were designated to be used as a side school for pupils up to standard three to save them the journey from that side of town.
1913 ended with a much reduced roll. In 1914 the new school was built as the staff and older students were transferred. Miss Dryburgh and Miss Harkness settled in to run the two remaining rooms now known as Waihopai Side School.
It is estimated that over 4000 pupils had their names in the Invercargill Park School registers from 1874 – 1914.
The general surroundings of the new school were rather primitive. North of the school there was a swampy creek known as “Blind Creek” which dominated the area. Patches of bush, trees and a few cultivated paddocks completed the schools surrounding land.
The school had a large roll and serviced students from the town side of the park as well as the whole suburban region north of Gala Street, and from homes as far away as Bay Road and Waikiwi area. As a result of this the two classrooms were overcrowded and the two staff highly inadequate by today’s standards. However, with the opening of North Invercargill School and Waihopai School in 1879, Invercargill Park School’s drawing pool was greatly reduced.
As early as 1884 the school board was discussing proposals to reshuffle the three schools at the North end of Invercargill and the closure of Park (known as North Public at the time) had been mentioned. In 1895 this same issue gave rise to the suggestion to combine Park and Waihopai schools as well as create a new school in Waikiwi. Only the latter eventuated.
The most notable event in the school’s history was when a tragic fire struck shorty after 1am on 26th September 1912 and destroyed most of the school and all school records. Two classrooms were saved though by the efforts of the firemen. At the time of the fire 341 children were on the school roll. (Note: As a result most of the histories recorded for this school are generated from personal sources and press files).
To keep the school running temporary housing was offered in many places. In the end by using the shelter-shed and by erecting a temporary building with a ruberoid roof the school could continue on site until a more permanent adjustment was made.
The neighbouring Waihopai (Gladstone) School was also struggling at this time with overcrowding and in desperate need of better accommodation. Due to the state of both schools the idea of amalgamating them was brought to the fore again. Despite the pleas of the community to rebuild Park School and let it remain its own separate school the union of the two was finally agreed upon.
Collegiate Reserve at the other end of the park was decided upon as the new home for this amalgamated school to be called Queens Park School which was to accommodate 600 pupils. The name only lasted one year however and it was changed back to Waihopai School in 1915 as there was already a Queens Park School in the North Island. The community’s pleas on behalf of the younger children were heard though and the two remaining classrooms saved from the fire were designated to be used as a side school for pupils up to standard three to save them the journey from that side of town.
1913 ended with a much reduced roll. In 1914 the new school was built as the staff and older students were transferred. Miss Dryburgh and Miss Harkness settled in to run the two remaining rooms now known as Waihopai Side School.
It is estimated that over 4000 pupils had their names in the Invercargill Park School registers from 1874 – 1914.
Extent
1 box(es) (Box 1)
Language of Materials
English
Sources
'The first 100 years : being a brief history of the Park and Waihopai Schools, Invercargill, from 1879-1979' by E.E. Pankhurst
REF: LC 372 PAN
'Jubilee memoir 1939 : Invercargill Park School, at first named Invercargill District School, then North Public School (founded 1874), and Waihopai (Gladstone) School (founded 1879), united in 1914 and forming the present Waihopai School (Main, Side and Dryburgh Schools)'
REF: LC 370.9 INV
REF: LC 372 PAN
'Jubilee memoir 1939 : Invercargill Park School, at first named Invercargill District School, then North Public School (founded 1874), and Waihopai (Gladstone) School (founded 1879), united in 1914 and forming the present Waihopai School (Main, Side and Dryburgh Schools)'
REF: LC 370.9 INV
Photographs
A couple of early photographs of Park School students can be found in the Maurice Thompson Collection [A0083]
General
See also Waihopai Side School records, as when Invercargill Park closed in 1914 Waihopai Side was established on the same site.
- Title
- Invercargill Park School
- Subtitle
- Park School
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
