Collection: Waihopai Side School | Invercargill Archives

Dates

Majority of material found within 1914 - 1941

Waihopai Side School

Waihopai Side School, often called Park School by locals, was the side school to Queens Park, later Waihopai School. From 1914 onwards it operated out of the two classrooms that were spared from the devastating Invercargill Park School fire of 1912.

If it weren’t for the protests of the old Park School community the side school would not have been established. Their argument was that the new merged Queen’s Park School was simply too... far away for the small children from the South side of the park to walk to. On these grounds the Waihopai Side School catered for children up to standard three.

Miss Dryburgh and Miss Harkness, who taught at Invercargill Park School, remained and continued to teach the younger children at this site. In later years this school became a special school and was named Dryburgh after Miss Dryburgh and her dedication to the school and its students.

Note: for more information on this school see Waihopai School.

Dryburgh School

In 1920 when the much loved Miss Dryburgh retired from teaching at Waihopai Side the decision was made to name the special school, which was to in later years occupy the site of Waihopai Side School, after her. The name Dryburgh School was a tribute to her 31 years of service and her status as the teacher with the longest association to the school.

Dryburgh School was erected in 1928 and opened on the 29th of March 1929 and, being a special needs school, it was the only one of its kind in Southland. Miss Margaret McDonald was the teacher in charge. Within three weeks of being open the roll had grown to 16 students which was the maximum number allowed for a single teacher special needs school. See more