Gladstone School
Record Group
Identifier: A0214
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1882 - 1900
Gladstone School
Gladstone, also known as Waihopai School, was opened May 1879. It was situated on the corner of Duke and Russell Streets, Invercargill. By 1895 the school was incredibly overcrowded but requests for an extension were deferred due to the building of a school at Waikiwi which, once operational, reduced the role at Gladstone to below 200.
This relief was fairly short lived though as by 1908 the role had almost returned to its size pre Waikiwi School. In general the schools site was far too small for its 300 pupil’s and the current building was so badly borer riddled that it was deemed unworthy of repair for enlargement. In attempts to help with the overcrowding a shelter shed was put to use as a classroom and a rough annex was added to the existing building however these were temporary measures.
In previous years the idea of amalgamating Invercargill Park School with Gladstone School had been raised, and due to the conditions at Gladstone, it was raised again, however, it was met with a lot of opposition from the Park School community.
In another attempt to ease congestion at the school a new infant unit was built in 1911 on the Collegiate Reserve at the North end of Queens Park. It was a two classroom brick building which was formally opened as a side school by Mr J. C. Thomson.
It was not until the tragic events of 1912 when Invercargill Park School suffered a devastating fire that the amalgamation of the two schools was seriously considered and eventually actioned. It was decided that a new school would be built on Collegiate Reserve where the infant unit already stood and it was to be called Queens Park School. Upon its opening the other two schools were to close.
Due to community petitions it was decided that the two surviving classrooms of the fire would serve as a Side School for the younger children from that end of town. These classrooms became a Side School from 1914 onwards. From 1915 onwards they were known as Waihopai Side School.
The new building opened in May 1914. It was a large brick building of eight classrooms facing Herbert Street. The infant unit that was already on the site was the nucleus of the new build.
The old Waihopai (Gladstone) enrolled 3149 pupils in its 35 years of operation.
Note: There is no set time when a name change occurred. Both names are used interchangeably throughout the school records. The Gladstone name though did not carry over to the new school situated on Collegiate Reserve. For more information on the merged school see Waihopai School and Queen’s Park School.
This relief was fairly short lived though as by 1908 the role had almost returned to its size pre Waikiwi School. In general the schools site was far too small for its 300 pupil’s and the current building was so badly borer riddled that it was deemed unworthy of repair for enlargement. In attempts to help with the overcrowding a shelter shed was put to use as a classroom and a rough annex was added to the existing building however these were temporary measures.
In previous years the idea of amalgamating Invercargill Park School with Gladstone School had been raised, and due to the conditions at Gladstone, it was raised again, however, it was met with a lot of opposition from the Park School community.
In another attempt to ease congestion at the school a new infant unit was built in 1911 on the Collegiate Reserve at the North end of Queens Park. It was a two classroom brick building which was formally opened as a side school by Mr J. C. Thomson.
It was not until the tragic events of 1912 when Invercargill Park School suffered a devastating fire that the amalgamation of the two schools was seriously considered and eventually actioned. It was decided that a new school would be built on Collegiate Reserve where the infant unit already stood and it was to be called Queens Park School. Upon its opening the other two schools were to close.
Due to community petitions it was decided that the two surviving classrooms of the fire would serve as a Side School for the younger children from that end of town. These classrooms became a Side School from 1914 onwards. From 1915 onwards they were known as Waihopai Side School.
The new building opened in May 1914. It was a large brick building of eight classrooms facing Herbert Street. The infant unit that was already on the site was the nucleus of the new build.
The old Waihopai (Gladstone) enrolled 3149 pupils in its 35 years of operation.
Note: There is no set time when a name change occurred. Both names are used interchangeably throughout the school records. The Gladstone name though did not carry over to the new school situated on Collegiate Reserve. For more information on the merged school see Waihopai School and Queen’s Park School.
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
- Title
- Gladstone School
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
