Aranui School Aranui School Centennial Book

1911 plus one earthquake

Christchurch, New Zealand
1911 - 2012
Compiled by Tim Baker

Centennial
plus one earthquake

D.v.d. - Class and school photographs, archival film footage etc.

Throughout this centennial book a lot of information has been sourced

from the 25th, 50th and the 75th Jubilee books.

ISBN 978-0-473-18076-8 COPYRIGHT 2011

FRONT COVER IMAGES
257 Breezes Road - Christchurch 8061
Top Photograph: 1911, group of the older pupils.
There were 28 children in total at the end of 1911. p: (03) 3888-306 - f: (03) 3884-599
e: office@aranui.school.nz
Bottom photo: Whole School 30 April 2012 www.aranui.school.nz
30th April 2012 141 pupils

1911-2012
 A WARM WELCOME TO
ARANUI SCHOOL
As you know, this Centennial celebration should have taken place in 2011. Sadly, the seismic events of 2011
made it necessary to postpone. As a result we have a Centennial + 1 year to celebrate the education of children
at Aranui Primary School.
I know that you will enjoy reading about the events and people that have shaped the Aranui district. There
have been many interesting, exciting, and challenging events during 101 years of educating children in the
area. The people and diverse groups that make up this area contribute to a unique learning environment.
At the beginning of 2012 I took up the Principals role at Aranui Primary School. It is a privilege leading such
a caring and dedicated group of teachers. As I read through the roll of past Principals I feel honoured to be a
part of this list. A number of these Principals have gone on to become nationally recognised for their
educational knowledge and leadership skills.
I look forward to the challenges that face us in the future knowing that the wider community supports the
school in many ways. It was expected that this year we were to start a process of rebuild and renovation that
would have seen building replacements and a repaint. This development is currently on hold while the
government reviews schools in the area.
As I read through Tim Bakers Centennial history of Aranui School it is clear that many of our ex-pupils and
staff have been brought up in the area and return to teach or have their children educated here. This speaks
volumes for the respect and confidence that they have in the school. There is a huge community pride and
loyalty that is hard to find anywhere. Together, I am sure that the Centennial + 1 celebrations will be mem-
orable and enjoyable.
It is very interesting to read of the innovations and events that have occurred over the past 101 years. It is
staggering to read of the scale of changes achieved such a short time. I wonder what changes our community
and lives will have over the next 100 years.
On behalf of the Staff, pupils, and the school community past and present I would like to thank Tim Baker for
researching, writing and publishing this significant document. In addition to this task, Tim is the current BOT
chair and the chairperson of the Centennial committee. He is also a member of many community groups in the
Aranui district. His commitment to the Aranui community is huge. The histories of the area that he has written
are an important contribution to the collective knowledge and memories of Cantabrians.
I am sure that you will enjoy this book and the reminiscences contained in it.
Mike Allen
Principal, May 2012.
Principal
Mike Allen
and student
Pandora Tauave
2nd may 2012
A WELCOME FROM THE PRINCIPAL 1 2
A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
It is my pleasure to have produced the Aranui Primary School Centennial plus one earthquake book.
The plan was to have a centennial on the Canterbury Show Weekend 2011 but thankfully this was postponed
until Labour Weekend 2012. After the first earthquake on 4th September 2010 there were no plans to postpone
but February 22nd 2011 was different. I have included a chapter, starting on page 85, about the schools
involved after both the September and February quakes. There are many photographs of the damage the
quakes caused to the school and what means were undertaken to re-open the school.
When I look at the first school photograph dated 4th Nov 1911, I am bewildered by the massive change in the
district and the wider world. Starting off in the small church building, The Mission Hall, then re-locating the
church close to Pages Road then building the first Tin Shed at the current site in 1915.
Bare feet and neck ties, kids were tougher in those days. They were!!
The first pupils, Bickertons, Rowses, Breezes, Richards (children of Tom Richards), their families will be
remembered in our street names.
Cars, telephones, electricity, sewage treatment, sealed roads, supermarkets, computers, cell phones, satellites,
moon walks, W.W.2., Titanic, 3D, medicine, diesel trains, - you know what I mean. The celebration will have
pupils from as far back as the 1920s, they will have seen the school and world change enormously.
I have included some highlights from New Zealand and the wider world each decade as you read through the
book to highlight the ever changing world over this century. I often wonder what it will be like at the 150th
celebration and for my children the 175th maybe the 200th. It will be far in excess of what I can imagineI
hope it is all good.
Our school played a centre roll in the district for may decades but as the district was built up and populated
other schools and community facilities were built and the school now has a much lesser roll but still a very
important one. It is unique from other schools which I will not try to explain but trust you will understand this
from reading the memories and comments of the past Principals/Headmasters, teachers and pupils. I have
included a lot of photographs because the old saying a picture tells a thousand words proves it self to be true.
The d.v.d. with this book contains every class photo the school has in its possession as well as many more
supplied by ex-pupils, teachers and staff. The fear of fire is always on my mind and by doing this there are 500
copies of these photos all over New Zealand and the world. It is intended to update the school website
www.aranui.school.nz with all other photos that are discovered. There are many years that are missing, but it is
hoped that eventually all school photos will be copied and added to the website.
I am proud to be from Aranui and to have attended Aranui Primary School in the 1970s. My children do/will
attend here and I have been on the Board of Trustees for 12 years. It is truly a school to be proud of.
Tim Baker
Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
 Contents 1911 - (A different world)
Welcome from the Principal 1
January 18 Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania stationed in San Francisco harbour,
marking the first time an aircraft lands on a ship.
A word from the author 2
The first Monte Carlo races (Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo) are held.
January 26 Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful seaplane.
1911, a different world to today 4 January 30 The destroyer USS Terry makes the first airplane rescue
At sea, saving the life of John McCurdy 10 miles from Havana, Cuba.
1911 - 1919 5 March 8 International Womens Day is celebrated for the first time.
Glenn H. Curtiss seaplane
March 24 Denmark abolishes the death penalty and flogging.
1920 - 1929 15 March 31 RMS Titanic is launched at Harland and Wolff, shipyard Ireland.
April 12 Pierre Prier completed the first non-stop London-Paris flight in three hours and 56 minutes.
1930 - 1939 21 April 19 Mexican Revolution: Francisco I. Madero's troops besiege Ciudad Juarez but general Juan J.
Navarro refuses his demand of surrender.
1940 - 1949 27 May 30 The first Indianapolis 500-mile auto race is run. The winner is Ray Harroun in the Marmon 'Wasp.'
1950 - 1959 May 31 The hull of the White Star Lines 's new flagship, Titanic, is launched at Harland and Wolff Ship
35 yards in Belfast.
1960 - 1969 June 15 IBM is incorporated as the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR) in New York.
43 June 16 A 772-gram stony meteorite strikes earth in Columbia County, Wisconsin near the village of Kilbourn
1970 - 1979 damaging a barn.
53 June 17 The University of Iceland is founded.
1980 - 1989 June 22 George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are crowned at Westminster Abbey, London.
59 July 21 Denis Moore (aka Jane Wright) becomes the first woman & woman pilot to be killed in an airplane
1990 - 1999 crash at Etampes France
67 July 24 Hiram Bingham rediscovers Machu Picchu
2000 - 2012 September 29 Italy declares war on Turkey.
73
The Wuchang Uprising starts the Xinhai Revolution that leads to the founding of
Thursday 1st November 2011 the Republic of China.
School Centennial Birthday 83
November 4 The MS Selandia (the first ocean going diesel ship) is launched in
Denmark.
2010 - 2011 Earthquakes November 21 Suffragetes stormed Parliament in London. All were arrested and
85 all chose prison terms.
December 14 Roald Amundsen's expedition reaches the South Pole.
December 29 Sun Yat-sen becomes the first President of the Republic of China.
British physicist Ernest Rutherford deduces the existence of a compact atomic
nucleus from scattering
Machu Picchu
experiments.
Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
discovers superconductivity.
1 out of every 7 employed persons is a
domestic servant in Great Britain.

Aranui School opens!!!

Roald Amundsens ship

CONTENTS 3 4 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1911 - 1919 The roads were mostly only horse and cart tracks, the lupin and broom on the side of the road often growing so
much that parts of the road were like a tunnel without a top. Breezes Road from Pages Road to New Brighton
Road was far from level, a big hill not far from New Brighton Road having to be climbed by all users. At the
Record of Head Teachers Teachers include:
other end of Breezes Road just past Carters Road there was a large depression in the road and in wet weather it
1911-1918 Beatrice M. Harband 1914-1917 Donnell, Agnes was difficult to keep dry feet.
Committee Chairman 1915 Miss Brunt Pages Road was divided by tram stops as follows: The stop now at Bickerton Street being known as
1912 Mr A. G. Goring 1918-1920 Smith, Annabelle P. Wainoni; the stop at Rowan Avenue being known as Wirihana whilst Breezes Road was known as either
1913 Mr P. J. Fryer Between 1911-1916 teachers who relieved for Breezes Road or Aranui.
1914-1915 Mr J. D. Sprosen short periods of time didnt have their names
1916-1917 Mr C. Reeves recorded, therefore are missing from this list. The only open roads in 1911 were New Brighton Road, Pages Road, Cuthberts Road, Breezes Road from New
Miss Donnell Miss Brunt Brighton Road to Bexley Road. All the other roads were paper or unformed roads, although in some cases
1918 Mr J. Blakeway
1919-1921 Mr W. H. Phipps there were people in them.
NEW BRIGHTON PARISH: THE MISSION HALL At Wainoni the well-known Wainoni Park run by the Bickerton family provided much pleasure to the citizens
Aranui Schools first building of Christchurch with the zoo, birds, ponds, and various amusements including the well-known fire-works
displays given from time to time. Wainoni Park was virtually walled with trees so that in spite of any wind, it
In 1908 the Anglican parish of New Brighton, St Faiths had a little, modest, outreach church built in Breezes was always a pleasant place to take the family for a days outing.
Road just south of Carters Lane (Road). It was given the name of The Mission Hall. It wasnt until the 1920s
that the name was changed to St Ambrose. As well as church services the Hall was used for social functions The first store in the district was the one built by John Blakeway on the corner of Breezes and Pages Road on
and was the meeting point for families of the district. the site now occupied by the Aranui Garage. (Now Mobil Service Station 2011) Actually Mr Blakeways store
remained until it was pulled down to make way for the building of the garage. The other store built in 1911was
known as the Sunnydale Store and was on the site now occupied by Aranui Stores Ltd. (It is the same
building), and opened by Mr Edwin Rowse who was also the builder. Mr Rowses store was one of the first
buildings to be built on what was known as the Sunnydale Subdivision, whilst Mr Blakeways store was built
In 1911 a school was opened in the district that used on part of the Jubal Fleming subdivision. In earlier times the stop at Breezes Road was known as Flemington;
the church as its classroom and from this first year named after Jubal Fleming.
class photograph shows clearly the name Aranui In 1908 the Breezes Road Mission Hall was built by Mr Edwards of Burwood, on a site in Breezes Road just
School 1911. It is also the earliest known photograph south of Carters Road, and for some years was used for social as well as religious education work. In Pages
of the Church. This is thought by Tim Baker to be the Road, at Wirihana, on the right hand side going east, a childrens home was kept by Miss Smith who sent the
first evidence of the district name, Aranui. children to Breezes Road School. Further back from her home was a larger building used as a boys private
school by Mr W. Wilson, who was always referred to as Wirihana Wilson.
Rowan Avenue was previously known as Burton Road after Mr G. K. Burton, a well-known member of the
Heathcote County Council. Mr Burton, who was a bachelor, lived to attain the age of 99 years, and at the time
The Mission Hall of death resided in Kerrs Road.
photographed in the 1920s by W.A. Taylor The education of the children was a problem for the residents owing to the lack of any school in the district.
Children could be sent to any of the following schools: Bromley, New Brighton or North Linwood. Of these,
The following extract from the Aranui Primary the New Brighton School was the easiest of access as there was a tram service.
School 50th Jubilee booklet gives a clear picture:
During 1911 residents formed a Committee, with Mr A. Goring as Chairman, to endeavour to get a school in
Aranui as a district has usually been considered to the district. As a result of this Committees work, in 1911 the Education Board bought an area of 8 acres 2
cover the area bounded by Wainoni Road, Cuffs roods 13 perches for education purposes paying in all 365/9/8 for the land. Mr A. Goring was also Chairman
Road, Kearneys Road, Cuthberts Road, Breezes of the first School Committee.
Road to the River Avon at Pleasant Point; and a
The Education Department finally agreed to the establishment of a school as an aided school. Thus for some
line from Wainoni road to Pages Road including
time parents had to pay towards the cost of running the school.
Rowan Avenue. The district was in the Heathcote
Council previously known as the Heathcote Road
Board. (The suburb W ainoni I believe wasnt
officially a suburb until the development of
Bickerton Street in the late 1950s).
Aranui was very sparsely populated at that time,
the district consisting of acres of sandhills, swamps, broom, lupin, gorse and sod fences. Much earlier it A group of first year pupils November 1911
formed part of the Sandhills run and was well named since most of the land from Linwood Avenue to the sea
at New Brighton consisted of sandhills and swamps. There were a number of holdings of from 10 to 20 acres Back row: Ernie Reeve, Fred Hanham, Alf
or more and most of the early settlers built their homes on high sandhills. Then in order to save the sand Hanham, Norman Orr, Herbert
from being blown away from their homes etc, they planted trees on the boundaries. Wilkins
The main road from the city to New Brighton was Pages Road with the tramline making it the busiest road in Middle row: Dolly Mallard, Grace Wilkins,
the district. New Brighton Road, since renamed Wainoni Road, was also an important road in that prior to the Ethel Wilkins, Edna Reeve, Effie
opening of the New Brighton bridge to all traffic, the easiest way to New Brighton was via New Brighton Snook
Road over the Bower Bridge. For many years traffic other than trams could only proceed down Pages Road as
far as Breezes Road; the New Brighton Tramway Company Limited having a right-of-way over the private Front row: Sydney Haynes, Hector Orr,
properties from Breezes Road to the New Brighton bridge. Indeed the first New Brighton bridge was built by Charles Wilkins, Eric Orr, Robbie
the New Brighton Tramway Company Limited, which in turn was taken over by the Christchurch Tramway Breeze
Board in 1905, was known as the New Brighton Transport Board.

1911 - 1919 5 6 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 The School Opens (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
Prior to the opening of the School and at the request of the Committee, Miss B. M. Harband had carried out a
survey of the district and was advised that altogether 40 children were promised as pupils.
The first building used for school purposes was the Breezes Road Mission Hall in Breezes Road, just south of
Carters Road, and for this building the department paid an annual rental of 25. The School opened on
Wednesday, 1st November, 1911, and when Miss Harband arrived Mrs Goring and Mrs Snook were waiting
with their children. The following joined on the opening day: (1) Goring, Colin G.; (2) Haynes, Sydney; (3)
Snook, Effie M.; (4) Kinney, Louie J.; (5) Fleming, Rita M.; (6) Breeze, Harriet; (7) Stewart, Ina H.; (8)
Edmonds, Lily; (9) Orr, Norman; (10) Orr, Eric J.; (11) Orr, Hector; (12) Speake, Bilton; (13) Nankivell, Gor-
don.
After being enrolled the pupils returned home; school work started on Monday, 6th November, 1911.
Additional pupils were: Nov. 2nd, (14) Nankivell, Olive; Nov. 3rd, (15) Hanham, A.G., (16) Hanham, Fred C.;
Nov. 6th, (17) Wilks, Herbert N. E., (18) Wilks, Charles L. E., (19) Millard, Dolly, (20) Mallard, Dolly; Nov.
7th, (21) Reeve, Edna; Nov. 13th (22) Wilkins, Grace, (23) Wilkins, Ethel, (24) Biggins, Lilian; Nov. 14th,
(25) Wilkins, Eva K.; Nov. 17th, (26) Bickerton, Beryl W.; Nov. 22nd, (27) Breeze, Robert; Dec. 13th, (28)
Parker, Annie Mann.
Thus 28 pupils joined up to the end of 1911, but on the 28th November, 1911, Gordon Nankivell left the school
and returned to New Brighton School so the net roll was 26 for that year. 22 of the 28 pupils came from Breez-
es Road, 2 from Cuthberts Road and 4 from New Brighton Road. (Probably New Brighton Tram Road as it
was known and today named Pages Road)
Miss Harbands appointment was only a temporary one and her salary was 120 per annum plus 15 per
annum house allowance. Whilst the house allowance may seem small, in 1911 it was possible to rent houses
from 8/- to 10/- a week.
Money spent by the Education Department in 1911totalled 27/6/6, which included incidental school expenses
of 5/6/6. For several years the school provided tuition only for classes up to Standard 4, as a result of this
pupils wishing to finish their schooling had to attend another school. The first proficiency certificate awarded
to an Aranui School pupil was won by Mr E. Reeve at the New Brighton School.
The Education Board records show the name of the school as Breezes Road until the end of 1915, when the
school was recorded as Aranui. (This 1911 photo has Aranui School on the slate, the name Aranui School
was probably unofficial until 1915).
1912-1914
The following joined the school in 1912: (29) Kerr, Herbert P.; (30) Fletcher, Mary R.; (31) Millard, John; (32)
Breeze, Harry E. W.; (33) Breeze, Ronald P.; (34) Clark Eileen; (35) Clark Marjorie M.; (36) Thomson,
Arthur; (37) Haynes, Eileen H.; (38) Moore, Eleanor L.; (39) Moore, Jessie; (40) Chaston, George E.; (41)
Wilkins, David; (42) Larcombe, John J.; (43) Hill, Gwendoline; (44) Larcombe, Areta; (45) Richards, Jack R.;
(46) Richards, Thelma D.; (47) Richards, Percy J.; (48) Richards, Eileen E.; (49) Irving, Catherine Daisy; (50)
Irving, Elizabeth M.; (51) Irving, Edward Thomas; (52) Irving, Robert Lional; (53) Irving, Cecil Harold.
During January 1913, the Breezes Road Mission Hall was moved to the present site just behind St. Ambrose
Anglican Church in Breezes Road. (The church, Mission Hall, burnt down in the 1970s). The building
continued in use for school purposes until 1915, but it was used as a temporary school on several occasions
during later years whilst additions were being made to Aranui School. The old building is now used as a Scout
Den. (1961)
Average attendances were : 1912, 31; 1913, 37; and 1914, 50. 1914 saw the appointment of Miss Donnell as an
assistant teacher at a salary of 100 p.a.
On may 14th, 1913, pupils were taken to inspect H.M.S. New Zealand which was paying a visit at the time.
The dreadnought was well known to all school children as there had been an appeal for funds towards its
cost from all schoolsin fact it was often referred to as the school childrens ship. The trip was by tram to the
Railway Station and steam train to Lyttelton. It was a great day for all pupils.
MISSION HALL
One of my earliest recollections of Aranui School is that of being taken by my mother to the Mission Hall in
Breezes Road where classes were being held in the small back room. I remember one of the senior boys, Percy
Richards, poking his tongue out at merather frightening for a first day infant.
The Brick School, when it was opened was surrounded by sand hills. How we loved to have our lessons, sitting
out there in the sunshine. Break-ups were eagerly looked forward toespecially the Prize Giving, and how we
enjoyed giving our concert items. Written by Mrs ROGERSON (formerly Annie Storer) in 1961
1911 - 1919 7 8
MEMORANDA. (From school archives)
April 29th 1912
St III covered the work outlined in the scheme for the first period. There was no time for revision. Probably
because the abilities of the class had been over estimated, or else the fact of their being town children, working
for the first time in their school career, under country conditions, militated somewhat against that close
application that is obtained where they have the privilege of a teacher for their sole benefit. The class is
composed of 7 pupils from the New Brighton School.
St II has five pupils fr om thr ee differ ent schools. J udging fr om their age (av. age 10 ys. 2 m.) and their
attainments, they are not amongst the best pupils of the schools they came from. The whole of the scheme of
work laid down for them was covered, and some of it was revised.
St I has 4 children from three different schools. Two boys and two girls. The two boys are much below the
average of St I both in intelligence and attainments. They are twin brothers and are 8 yrs & 8 months old. The
two girls make a much better attempt as the class work than the boys do.
P. Classes
These classes have made a nice steady beginning with their school work. Only 3 of them had attended any
school previously to being admitted to Breezes Road and these for just a few months.
Aug 14th 1912.
The second term examination was held on Aug. 14th and 15th.
St III covered with some revision the whole of the scheme of work laid down for them. The first girl in the
class gained 86% of the possible marks, the other three members only varying 10 marks behind her: so that the
result of the examination was fairly even.
St II has wor ked with some per sistent effor t than dur ing the fir st ter m, but did not r each high water
mark in their examination.
St I has six pupils this ter m. One little gir l being admitted, and one little boy being pr omoted for m P.3.
This class does not reach the average of a St I. Their school career has been somewhat chequered. With the
exception of one girl, all have attended three or four different schools before being admitted to Breezes Road.
P. classes
The little ones have made good progress this term,
especially with their reading which is in advance of the
scheme laid down for them. They make a nice little attempt
at Singing and Recitation.
PHOTO LEFT: Aranui School Infants & Standard 1, 1914
This photograph was provided by Dave Howell.
Daves mother, Annie Turton Phipps, is one of the girls.
This is a letter from Charlie Wilks to the 50th Jubilee Committee in 1961. I have included it because of the
relationship of the early people, its historic value, humour and because of the inconsistent information that is
different to other written material that I believe is correct in most part.
To the Aranui School Jubilee Committee.
As far as I can find from our family records, it would be about the turn of the century, just after the Boer War,
that a school for the Aranui district was first thought of or talked about.
It was first called Breezes Road School. My Grandmother the late Mrs H. Stone gave the original section at the
Pines later owned by the Went family, to the church with the expressed wish that it should be both used for
Church, Sunday School and day school. The first school started in Nov 1911 in the Mission Church, which was
later shifted by H. Gurdler and Co. to its present site, (about 1912 I think). (It was actually 1913)
We were all afterwards, shifted to an iron building (temporary) of which I have a photo with children against
the wall, while the new brick building was being built. On a certain day, all the pupils present, laid a brick in
the west wall of the new building.
Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
We were all afterwards, shifted to an iron building (temporary) of which I have a photo with children against IN THE OLD TIN SCHOOL (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
the wall, while the new brick building was being built. On a certain day, all the pupils present, laid a brick in
the west wall of the new building. There is one particular memory I have which occurred in the days of the brick school. In fact it is the only clear
image I have of those impressionable but often dim days of the infants and lower standards. Our own teacher
Early Teachers was away on this particular day and in the afternoon we were herded into the old tin school where we sat
Miss B.M. Harband and her sister Miss M.A. Brunt, Mrs Dudley Hill and her daughter Miss Hill, Miss three or four to a desk. The teacher of this room, a large tall man, sat with his long legs on the table and read to
Stevens, (the daughter of Dr. Stevens of New Brighton) and Miss Donnell. All these teachers were really good, us. Near at hand was a chalk box and a supply of dusters and if any one distracted him from his reading he
to my mind outstanding. would throw chalk or dusters in the general direction of the culprit. I cant remember what the story he was
The ones connected with making the early school: Mr Wilson who had a private School near Rowan Avenue. reading was about but I do remember the thrill of ducking as chalk splattered the walls and the dust, broken
Mr Blakeway, storekeeper and late Major in the Indian Army. Rev. Mr Inwood and Mrs H. Stone. Mr Carson chalk and dusters that littered the floors. The teachers name, Mr Danks, now Professor of Economics at
manager of Wood Bros. flour-millers and father of the present Mrs Sprosen Senior. Mr Goring. Mr Wilks, Mr Canterbury University. I found that while taking his lectures there he no longer throws chalk.
Burton (Bromley). I think Mr Blakeway had a hand in the selecting of Miss Harband, with Mr Wilson. Written by Kevin Beardsley in 1961
The late Miss B.M. Harband M.A. had been a missionary in India with my fathers sister the late Miss M.
Wilks M.A. and she told me herself in late life that it was because of her married sister, Mrs Brunt, and Mr
Wilks living down near the new school she was going to that influenced her in taking the position.
Incidentally her early training in teaching was taught her by the Rev Theodore Wilks M.A., Cambridge Bish- The Brick School (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
op of Woking and his wife taught her music. Both my Grandfather and Grandmother. The brick school, which consisted of two class rooms each with a capacity of 50 pupils, was built in 1915, and
was opened on 18th December 1915, by Mr C. H. Opie, Chairman of Board of Education. The school was built
Two things I was responsible for that occurred during my school life, which were no credit to me, but childish by Head and Webb and continued in use until it was demolished in 1938. During that period it developed a
at the time, I confided both to Miss Harband years after. number of cracks, and in the light of the experience of brick buildings in the Napier earthquake in 1931 was
First: At a School Concert about the end of 1914 to men leaving for the war, with the help of several others, I considered unsafe.
climbed up a builders ladder (left after painting) at the back of the old Vestry, on to the gable and stuffed a At the opening ceremony the
sack down the chimney, to smoke everybody out like bees, right at supper time. I thought this a huge joke at following Committee Members
the time, but the spanking I received afterwards from my mother. were present: C. Reeves
Second: About 1916 in the new brick school, after the talk of some older grown up boys, who had gone to the (Chairman), J. Good, J. Orr, J.
New Brighton School, I played a very practical joke which really worked thoroughly sick of school and Blakeway and J. D. Sprosen,
lessons and wanting a holiday. I dragged a dead cat to school and concealed it in the new building that nobody whilst the Rev. H. Mathias and
could find it. The school was closed and fumigated out before we all returned. Mr Bishop, headmaster of New
Brighton School were among the
visitors. Although the weather
was very wet there was a good
attendance and a special
The Tin Shed (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961) programme of singing and
dancing was presented by the
The Breezes Road Mission Hall was becoming too small for the number of chil- pupils. The weather prevented the
dren attending the School and the Education Department built a temporary School on the site purchased in hoisting of the flag.
1911, in mid-1914. the building of corrugated iron, was known as the Tin Shed, and was cold in winter and
hot in summer. The status of the school had been
raised as the pupils were now
Miss Brunt was a further assistant teacher during this period, the Tin Shed being used first in July 1914. It
taken up to standard 5. At the
was on the opening day of the Tin Shed that it was decided to call the School Aranui. The Education
prize giving during the opening
Department proceeded with the building of a permanent school. In 1916 the Tin Shed was moved to North
ceremony prizes for standard 5
New Brighton for use there as a temporary building.
were given to Muriel Brown 1st,
This information comes from the 50th Jubilee booklet. There is conflicting evidence about the year that the
and E. Reeve 2nd, as well as priz-
Tim Shed was moved. As you will read below, pupils from the early 1930s remember a classroom they
es for the other classes. The Edu-
worked in that they referred to as the Tin Shed.
cation Department spent
North New Brighton School history is recorded 473/18/5 on buildings during
saying: An enabling bill was duly passed and in 1915.
1916 the school was opened in a one-roomed, unlined The brick school was the centre of social entertainment until the opening of the Aranui Hall in 1925. funds
corrugated iron shed set among lupins and were raised by local Committees in the early 1920s including the Aranui Burgesses Association which was
sandhills. largely responsible for the raising of funds which ultimately bought the section at present ocupied by the
The number of pupils at Aranui School in 1916 was Aranui Hall. Euchre parties were the vogue and many difficulties were cheerfully overcome by Committees
about 80 pupils. The classrooms built in 1915, The such as shifting desks out of the school before entertainment and returning them afterwards.
brick school held 100 pupils. It is reasonable to Then the hot water had to be boiled outside in a copper fed with wood. Needless to say the School Committee
think that a second Tin Shed may have been built also did well out of various social activities run in aid of school funds.
and was used at a later date when the Brick School
was over its capacity and remained right up until When the brick school was demolished the bricks were used to build the present fence on the Breezes Road
about 1937/8.) entrance. (This fence was replaced in 2001.)
When the school was being built the bricks up to about 7 high were laid by the pupils.

Photographed not dated, possibly 1915

1911 - 1919 9 10 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011


This photograph of the school is thought to be dated
1919.
Miss Harband is on the right and assistant teacher,
Miss Donnell on the left.
The board reads Aranui School.
FIRST BRICK (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
I was the only pupil who stayed at the school from opening day till passing Standard six. For that reason I had
the privilege of laying the first brick when the new brick school was built. At the end of World War One I had
the privilege of planting the Peace Tree, an oak presented for the occasion. Our teacher, Miss Harband, had
spend a lot of time in India and, of course most of our history and geography lessons were on India. Miss
Huband was a fervent patriot and she used to take the whole school to see the troops march through the streets.
Written by Mrs E. M. Giles (formerly Effie Snook) in 1961. Effie was the 3rd pupil recorded on the school
roll.
LEFT: The Peace Tree (oak) planted in 1919 by a pupil,
Effie Snook. Pictured in 2010 are Scarlet-Ruby Mahuta,
Ashley de Thierry, Principal Chris Nord, Shakyra Tipu-
Taylor and Caretaker Craig Youngman. Unfortunately
the tree has a disease and is unlikely to remain until the
125th Jubilee. There were two other oaks planted near by
that arent quite as old and also suffer from disease.
1915 -
2011
Map showing the three location of Aranui School
From the 50th jubilee booklet
1911 - 1919 11
FIRST TEACHER AND HEADMISTRISS - Miss Beatrice Mary Harband
(Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
The first teacher and head mistress at Aranui School was Miss B. M. Harband, who with her sister, Miss Amy
J. Harband, was a missionary in India. Owing to the failing health of Miss Amy J. Harband in India, the two
sisters had to relinquish Missionary work there and finally settled down in Christchurch.
Miss B. M. Harband, who was known to the pupils as Bid or Old Biddie, was the daughter of Josiah
Harband, who was a Congregationist. Miss Harband did not approve of drinking, dancing or gambling, and
was a staunch worker of the Womens Christian Temperance Union.
As a teacher her work was thorough and she took keen interest in all her pupils work. After her retirement
maintained contact with many of them either by correspondence or by visits to her home at New Brighton.
That her pupils highly respected her was proved by the many who, although they had left the district, would
always call and visit her at her home whenever they were in Christchurch. Miss Harband rarely forgot their
names and even up to a few weeks of her death at the age of 90, she chatted most interestingly about many of
the early pupils. She was also proud of her nickname Bid or Old Biddie, and took it as a personal
compliment from the pupils.
Just before her retirement Miss Harband held undenominational
Bible Classes at her home every Sunday afternoon, and most of
those who attended were pupils of the Aranui School. Her Bible
Class was instrumental in running a fine service at the New
Brighton Methodist Church in honour of the British and Foreign
Bible Society. At that service a portion of Scripture was read in
fourteen different languages. The success of the service was
largely due to Miss Harbands organising ability.
Her interest in Mission work never weakened, and the organ
which was used for some years at her home was finally given to
the Mission at Niue.
Selfishness was an unknown word to her. After her retirement
Miss Harband married Mr Graham who was far from well and
who had little chance of ever regaining his health. Miss Harband
ministered to him until his death. She knew the job she had
undertaken but she had carried out her duties faithfully and with
little thought of her own comfort.
As a Christian, Miss Harband lived up to all her beliefs and did
much to comfort all who consulted her regarding such matters.
Her words of wisdom will always be remembered by all that
knew her.
Pupils and teachers from the
1st decade of the school 1911
-1920.
Taken at the 50th Jubilee in
1961.
No names were recorded.
12 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
WORLD WAR 1 ROLL OF HONOUR
On Saturday, 21st December, 1918, the Hon. G. W. Russell, member for the district,
World War 1
Roll of Honours
1911 - 1919 (World events)
visited the Aranui School that afternoon to unveil the Roll of Honour and was received Board for "Aranui" 1912: Malcolm Champion becomes the first New Zealander to win Gold at the Olympic Games.
by the Chairman, Mr J. Blakeway. Owing to the influenza epidmic and school holidays 1917-1919 Parachutes invented.
as well as the shortnesss of notice, the ceremony was posponed until the school re * MB O. Norris H.M.S. Titanic sinks.
-opened in the New Year. The singing of the first verse of the National Anthem MB A. Wilks Black Tuesday Waihi strike. A bitter six month strike by miners in the mining town, Waihi, striker
brought the proceedings to a close. * 3rd G. McHaffie Fred Evans was killed. One of two fatalities in an industrial dispute in New Zealands history.
* 4th J. Williams 1913: First crossword puzzle.
5th J. Radcliff Henry Ford creates the worlds first assembly line.
It is not known when but this 5th J. Stevens
Roll of Honours was given to 1914: Charlie Chaplin first appeared as the Little Tramp.
5th L. Stevens First traffic light (America).
the New Brighton Returned
5th J. Stewart Panama Canal officially opened.
Servicemens Association
where it was displayed on the MB A. McHaffie World War 1 begins.
wall along side others. In 5th F. Radcliffe
* 6th D. Gillespie 1915: Germans use poison gas as a weapon.
2007, when I read about the Left:
Roll in the 50th Jubilee Book- 6th R. Gillespie wounded during W.W.1 at First
1916: Gallipoli. He lostgrocery
self-service a leg and returned
store home.
opens in U.S.
let, I did some enquiry and 6th L. Richie can read about
* 7th A. Nankivell 1917: Russian Revolution.
found its location. I asked the U.S. enters W.W.1..
R.S.A. if I could return it to 7th E. Reeve
the school, to which they * 8th M. Duggan 1918: Spanish flue epidemic. Estimated that 8000 New Zealanders died of the disease and 1/3 to 1/2 of the
replied that this was a good 11th F. Timms population were infected. The death rate for Maori was estimated at 42 per 1000, approx 2,160 deaths,
idea. A perspex case was 12th S. Hodson compared to 5.6 per 1000, 6,400 deaths, for European New Zealanders.
made to protect it from more 12th W. Went Daylight saving time introduced.
damage as the door is missing 14th W. Foster Russian Czar Nicholas 11 and his family are killed.
and it is marked a little and 14th F. Hobbs 1919: Treaty of Versailles ends World War 1
has specks of paint on it. 14th L. Timms
Although the pupils at school * 16th C. Bailey Quick facts and figures
from 1911-1919 were too 17th L. Nankivell
young to take part in W.W.1., 17th G. Pitcher The total population of New Zealand in 1914 was just over one million.
most of the names on the Roll 17th A. Went
of Honours Board are broth- 18th T. Grose In W.W.1., 120,000 New Zealanders enlisted of whom 103,000 served overseas.
ers or fathers from the early 86th Bh F. Abraham A total of 2227 Maori and 458 Pacific Islanders served in the New Zealand forces.
pupils. After the war some Samoa W Grose At least 3370 other men served in the Australian or imperial forces, among them four Victoria Cross
soldiers and their families MR BT Pat H. Richie winners.
moved to the area. One of AUS.ARTIL L. Phipps
these was Thomas Richards, AUS. MIN.C L.Phipps
In all, 550 nurses served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and many others enlisted in the Unit-
who Tomrich Street is named ed Kingdom.
20th T. Merry
after, and whos children * 21st L. Corson A total ofM.B.E.
Left: Captain W. L. Glanville, 18,500 New Zealanders died in or because of the war, and nearly 50,000 more were wounded.
attended Aranui School. * 21st W. Breeze 1900 Of the total number who died, over 2,700 died at Gallipoli and 12,500 died on the Western Front.
22nd F. Merry 1911
22nd A. Stewart rose to Warrant Rank which he held throughout W.W.1.
* 23rd A. Jones
1939
Left: Mr Thomas Richar ds
suffered from bad health as a
result of being buried from an
24th H. Bailey
24th A. Napper 1911 - 1919 (New Zealand)
Later he was appointed to the rank of Captain and appointed Quartermaster
28th A. Hobbs of B Block. Captain Glanville retired from the active list in 1947 but he
explosion in W.W.1. He 28th G. Lewis 1911: Thewith
remained in close association nametheAranui
Army. appears for the
married Alice Beecroft in 1921 * 31st N. Packham first (known) time in the first class photo.
You can read more about Captain Glanville in chapter 31.
and bought a 2 acre 2 rood 31st J. Thorne 1911: Ted Howard stood for Parliament
property on Breezes Road. He 36th R. Grose for the Socialist Party, (former Labour
farmed poultry to supplement 42nd R. Palmer Party), for the first time. He got the
his war pension. M.B J. Boocock bottom of the poll with just 540 votes.
Right: Lieutenant-Colonel 4th F. Boocock In 1919 Ted entered Parliament winning
J.F.R. Sprosen, D.S.O. 37th E. Boocock the set for Christchurch South. Ted and his three daughter lived at 147 Pages Rd from 1906. Mabel lived there
31st J. Dunnan until she died in 1972.
James F.R. Sprosen started at
Aranui School in 1914 and then 41st V. Nankivell 1912: The districts second store opens on the corner of Breezes and Pages Roads. Edwin Rowses General
Total - 51
was a teacher there in 1927. * 11 died in action
Store named Sunnydale after the subdivision it is located on.
This photograph was given to 1913: A tram from Christchurch to New Brighton met with a mishap outside Wainoni Park.
the school after W.W.2 and is hanging in the foyer of the 1914: Wainoni Park closes and the property sold. (See Tim Bakers book, Professor Bickertons Wainoni)
Aranui Primary School hall, (2007).
MANY OF THE SCHOOLS PUPILS TOOK PART IN W.W.11. 1919: The New Brighton Golf Links closed and relocated to Avondale Golf Club. The golf links was on
the corner of Breezes Road and Cuthberts Road and opened in 1910.

1911 - 1919 13 14 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1920 - 1929
There isnt a lot of information about the school during the 1920s, so I thought I would include part of a book
written by Lucy Larcombe nee Smith. More can be read of Lucys life in my book, The History of Aranui and
Wainoni. The portion relating to the school is captured for the purpose of this Centennial Book.
Record of Head Teachers TEACHERS
1920-1921 Beatrice M. Harband 1911-22 Miss B. Huband 1925 Willis H. Gaudin In 1986 Lucy Larcombe compiled and wrote a 70 page book of her earlier years called Know your family, a
1922-1925 Mr J. E. R. Smith 1918-20 Annabelle E. Smith 1925-26 Kathleen M. B. Brewins peep behind the scenes. This chapter contains extracts from book about her parents who had been married just
1926-1929 Mr W. J. Boyce 1922 Mrs Minnie F. Early 1925-29 Olwe A. French
1922 Mrs Edith E. Hill 1926 Cordelia A. Brunsden
three short years and their travel to New Zealand, the time leading up to her family moving to Aranui in 1919,
Committee Chairman 1922-24 Mrs Emily N. Ironsides 1926-28 Adelaide C. Arnold and Lucys memories and recollections of her time in Aranui. The book is not printed commercially but is
1919-1921 Mr W. H. Phipps 1923 Kathleen Glasson 1926-29 William J. Boyce photocopied and is very rare.
1922-1923 Mr J. Venner 1923 Anne E. McDonald 1927 Hilary M. Newton
1923-24 Violet M. Jones 1927 James F. R. Sprosen
1924-1933 Mr F. O. Rowse 1923-25 James E. R. Smith 1928 George M. Pilkington
ON THE LONE PRAIRIE
1924 Alfred C. Iggo 1928 Robert C. Murly Here we are on the road again, heading for destination unknown?
1925 Ida M. Rabbidge 1929 John M. Grant Sounds fascinating in fantasy, but could be devastating in reality. After a whole days journey, with a large
Mr W. J. Boyce 1929-30 Kathleen M. Rule horse drawn wagon, we landed in this quiet remote area, just as the first evening shadows were beginning to
fall. We only just reached our designation in time, after a chapter of accidents, the worst one being on the last
lap of the small lane, leading up to the property, when one wheel of the wagon, became firmly stuck, in a pot
J. E. R. SMITH 1923 - 1925 (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961) hole or rut. It required much strong pulling by the horses, and ingenuity on the part of the men, before it was
Mr J. E. R. Smith, who succeeded Miss B. M. Harband, as Headmaster at the school, was greatly respected by released. My father had hired this man, with his horses and wagon, for the furniture removal, which took all
all the pupils. Popularly known as Jerry, he took a keen interest in sport at the school and used to travel with day, at the amazing cost of one pound.
the school teams wherever necessary and encouraged them in their sport. That it took up much time after SHADES OF THE PAST!
school hours troubled him not, and his pupils respected him for his efforts. He was an excellent headmaster and This new place was called Aranui meaning Big Path, and we certainly had plenty of that, with a long
his sudden and untimely death caused much sorrow to the many pupils and parents who knew him. driveway up to the house. The old two-storeyed house with its sloping attic walls, and funny little windows
upstairs, made a quaint picture. The homestead was well set back, surrounded with several acres of ground, a
few paddocks, a small cow bail, and the rest covered with bushes of broom, gorse, lupins, and the inevitable
sand, being only a mile from New Brighton.
I realised later that in my mothers eyes, it must have appeared to be a combination of Ma and Pa Kettles
farm or the sinister Patters Castle. Of course here again we children, thought it was all a glorious
adventure, and went on a voyage of discovery, peering into every nook and cranny.
I was especially intrigued with the four upstairs attic bedrooms, as they all had doors leading into each other,
Aranui
so we could traverse through it all in one circle. It became a favourite place for playing chasing. We were so
Upper Infants
young, we accepted change, but did not really understand the full impact of the situation. Uppermost in my
1922
mind later, was the sad picture of my mother, sitting on a box in the kitchen, weeping bitterly. I literally
stopped in my tracks, when I saw her and I cried too. Only later did I realise what this upheaval meant to her.
She of course, had never been shown this place, and then to find herself in this old empty house, no electricity,
no near neighbours, and surrounded with sand and bushes, well it would have caused some very sick thoughts
and doubts. Of course after the first initial shock, she took up the reins, and took everything in her strides as
usual. Learning to cope, had to be her stock in trade.
CAME THE DAWN
A new chapter had begun, and our lives truly began to take shape, at this point. We settled down at the Aranui
Aranui School Committee. School, and on the first morning at assembly, much to my delight, I found that my beloved teacher, Mrs
Ironsides, was once more to be my teacher here.
26. 7. 1926 Committee - F.O. Rowse (Chairman); C.H. Ashton (Sec) Members - Mrs J. Richards, Mr C.W. I had the rest of my primary school days here, from Std. 1 to Std. 6 gaining a lovely prize each year. I was
Iggo, ___ Jones, J. Venner, H.W. Rose. disappointed to miss out on being Dux of the school by three marks, as I had been the top pupil at every exam
30. 7. 26 Application for use of School for Sunday School Classes by Presbyterian Church granted at during the year. We had to sit our Proficiency Test at New Brighton School on the last year, as we were only a
minimal charge of 2/6 per meeting. small school. I know I was a bit nervous, in these strange surroundings. During the years at school, we always
Cricket Club granted use of grounds after 4.30pm on school days and on Saturdays (all day). had the New Zealand flag ceremony, and I was very proud of being part of it.
In due course , the power lines were carried over the paddocks, from the main road, and we had the luxury of
26. 10. 26 Presbyterian Church granted free use of School for Sunday School meetings. Nov-Jan inc. electricity. After the kerosene lamps, and candles, this was pure magic. The cooking still had to be done on the
29. 11. 26 Headmaster instructed to use strap instead of cane in future. range, but mother was quite an adept in manipulating this tedious job. Joyce and I were relegated to the task of
Owing to letters going astray the letter box was removed and letters were to be delivered to the keeping the wood box stacked up. Every day after school we set off with an old box on wheels, which we gave
School. the ostentatious name of a sledge, and the wood we collected, was located in what we termed a plantation.
27. 3. 27 Presbyterian Church granted further 3 months use of School for Church Services at 2/6 per Why be hum drum, like Ma and Pa Kettle down on the farm, when we could use more grandiose terms, and
meeting. imagine ourselves on Tara from Gone With The Wind.
Complaint of language used by some of the teachers. My father used to get quite carried away with ideas of trying to reform the existing architecture, and one was
2. 5. 27 Committee protests against the introduction of bible in schools. to lower the roof of the house, by removing the top storey, so we lost those quaint little attic rooms. He
obviously had his reasons, and we thought it was all great fun, and very impressive, to have some carpenters
10. 1. 28 Donation of 5 made to New Brighton School Dental Clinic. on the job, especially with the addition of a new room..
26. 3. 28 Education dept. advised that it was to build two new rooms in the near future.
25. 4. 28 Classes to be held in Aranui Hall instead of shelter shed at School.

1920 - 1929 15 16 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 IF WISHES WERE HORSES The Advent of More Horses, and Learning to Ride
We were all very excited when my father bought us a little black Shetland pony. I have an idea here, that he
made a satisfactory swap, with an old discarded gig! We all took up the reins now, and had great pride and
pleasure, in learning to ride. We bestowed the name of Jean on her. It is a well known fact that a Shetland pony
can be very stubborn, and this one was no exception. One day I saddled her up, for a ride to New Brighton.
Actually it was not a saddle. When we first started riding, just a girth strap with stirrups was used, which was
quite sufficient on the small pony. All went well in traversing two small roads, but when I tried to turn her on
to the main road, I struck an obstacle. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, and would not budge. No
amount of persuasion, either on or off the pony, would get her to yield an inch. Once she had made up her
mind, that was it - In frustration, I now turned her head in the direction of home, where upon, with a delighted
whinny, she threw up her head, and galloped off, hell for leather. So much for an afternoon ride!............
SARAH BERNHARDT TAKES THE STAGE
This small suburb of Aranui only boasted one little church, so that is where we children, attended the Sunday
School, Church of England. I used to love going there, especially when given a lovely coloured card with Jesus
on it. When a special Sunday School Concert was produced, it was really exiting. I was duly elected to show
off my acting ability, by giving a recitation. I rehearsed this very special poem, about Little Mary Forset who
came from down in Dorset. I took my place on the platform, and presented my big act. In my ears rang the
applause of the crowd, and I was so elated to think I had gone over really big. Sadly later on, my ego was
somewhat deflated, when I was told the audience were laughing at the sight of me, blinking madly the whole
time, and I was treated to a most unkind exhibition at the picture I presented. So much for great acting
aspirations!
During my last school year in Std. 6, I was allowed, as a great privilege, to go to the school social, but home
early, was the rule. As it was my birthday then, I received a most delightful surprise from Dorothy, a lovely
pink evening dress! She had bought the material, and arranged for a friends mother, to make it in secret. The
soft Japanese silk, I thought was a perfect dream, especially with the little pink rose on the shoulder, and one at
the waist, made from the material. As this was the first party dress I had ever owned, I could just see myself
showing off to my class-mates. One dance I do recall was the Boston Two Step to the tune of Valencia,
played with great gusto by the band. That certainly was a night to remember.
We have always been keen on dancing, and actually, Dorothy and I taught ourselves the art of ballroom
dancing, in the early stages. We acted as partners with each other, when we played our records, on the gram-
ophone, and I could say, that we were considered quite adept, at this exhilarating pastime.
I remember when I was only about twelve years of age, that the teacher let the class have a little music and
dancing in our classroom. Another boy (also a keen dancer) and I were asked to go out, in the front, and give
an exhibition, to show the children how it should be done. What a pleasure and fun it inspired.
UP THE TREE
It was most unusual for my mother to ever go out at night, but once we had all been down to the local hall, for
a special occasion. Later, when I started off home, I thought mother and the others, had gone ahead of me, so
on arrival home, when I found the house in darkness, panic really struck. I could not possibly enter alone.
What a dilemma! What was I to do? I had already traversed the lane, off the main road, then the long
driveway, by myself. I walked half way down the driveway again, then decided, no, I would not dare
adventure further that way either, so by now I was terror stricken. All I could think of were lions and tigers,
could be lurking round the bushes. Desperately I climbed up a big willow tree, thinking nothing could get me
up there. I would be safe from wild animals. So I sat there on the bough of this tree, my only safe haven, until I
heard the welcoming sound of the family coming home, flashing a torch, as they walked up the drive. I waited
until they were under the tree, to make my presence known. I will never forget the sight of my mothers white
face, staring upwards, as she peered into the tree saying - Is that you Lucy? Looking back on it later. It was a
truly comical situation, with poor little Lucy, up the tree, looking like something out of an old film
comedy!............
THE MOTOR CAR WE GO UP IN THE WORLD
During the next few years some changes began to take place, the most noticeable being the advent of a motor
car, which signalled in our eyes, a step up, in our possession in society. Even if it was an old Brisco, and later
on, an Overland, at least it was a car, which travelled faster than a horse, and did give us some status. After
skiting about our latest acquisition to my school mates, I was asked if it was a closed-in car, and when I told
them - Yes it has mica curtains, I could never understand why they all burst into hoots of derisive laughter. It
was great having a car, to go off sometimes, for a picnic further afield or visit some beauty spots.
1920 - 1929 17
THE WINDMILL
My father could always be relied on, to come up with some quite unpredictable ideas, at inventions. His father
before him had been a clever inventor. In the back yard, was a well, and it was always someones job to pump
up the water, into a tank on the roof. This was of course manual labour, so he hit on the idea of a more devious
solution. Why not let the wind do the job? Why let all the boisterous wind just go begging? So forthwith he
erected a windmill, which was nothing short of a masterpiece. It stood in a strategic position on top of a small
hill. Now came the real complex part, how to get the mechanism to pump the water up to the tank. Using all
his ingenuity, he devised a system of a long pipe, running down the hill, connected up in some mysterious
way, and when the wind blew and turned the windmill round, this pipe would work up and down furiously. In
a gale force wind however, it could be quite alarming, as it would get faster and faster, shaking and rattling,
and making a terrific racket, like a dented creature, writhing in agony. The long pipe was fastened to posts, set
in the ground at intervals going down the hill
.During our years at Aranui, I also learned to ride a bicycle, Christchurch being so flat, was known as
the City of Bicycles, and nearly everyone owned one. I also had a go at milking a cow once, but alas, that came
to a sad end, after the cow kicked over the bucket of milk. My neighbour, in most forceful language, told me to
Get out of it. We all took part in school activities, such as basketball.
One year our school even entered for the school sports at Lancaster Park, and Joyce and I had the distinction of
being the champion runners in the three-legged race. She was an excellent fast runner. One year, when the
headmaster retired, I was given the great honour, of making a speech, and presenting him with a rug, from the
pupils, at his farewell ceremony. I will always recall my school days, with a satisfactory feeling of warmth,
knowing the pleasure and rewards.
THE BEACH AND OCEAN BEAKON
At one time, my father had tried to float a business, The Solar Salt Company. He was ambitious, and an
excellent salesman, but money was scarce, he failed to sell enough shares, so the project was abandoned.
When he was offered a situation later on, in Auckland, as a travelling representative, he felt it was a chance he
had to take. It was hard trying to earn a living in Christchurch, a quieter city, businesswise.
Gradually, all the livestock had been going, the horses, dogs and birds. The goat family had risen to five, but
three had come to an ultimate end. Even the one lone goose had disappeared, after a suspicious looking
character had called on a fictitious errand. When the man had gone, the goose had gone too. My mother had
informed us, that we would be forced to give up the house.
Now comes the dramatic turn of events! Mother was ill in hospital, father gone, the mortgage foreclosed, Dor-
othy out at work, and here I was, looking after the household, at about fourteen years of age. Dorothy and I
agreed we should move, while mother was away, to save her any hassle and the hard work involved. Looking
back later, I marvelled how I could have tackled such an undertaking. I went to a land agent in New Brighton,
stated I wanted to rent a house for the family, and was handed the keys to go and look at them. Quite
incredible! After inspecting a few most unsuitable holiday abodes, I finally found a respectable little house
very handy, at a most modest rent. The asking price was actually 22/6 per week but I beat them down to 1.
Sounds like one of fathers tricks. Dorothy hired a carrier, and we proudly moved in, after the most bizarre
form of packing up, you could ever see. Any surplus items, or furniture we could not use, we just stacked up,
in one small room, and left it there.
Poor mother, her feelings must have been quite traumatic, when she came out of hospital and saw what we had
managed to accomplish. Reasonable thinking however could say - the end justified the means.
The time of year Lucy Smith and her
family arrived in Aranui is un-
known, but as Lucy hasnt described
the weather so far, it is likely to be
toward the end of 1921. Lucy and
her sisters Dorothy and Joyce are
recorded in the Aranui School
archives as starting in 1921. Her
teacher, Mrs Ironsides is recorded
as teaching at Aranui School from
1922-24.
It is possible that the Smith sisters are in this photograph.
18 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
 FANCY DRESS PROCESSION (Excerpt from the 50th Jubilee Booklet 1961)
One humorous incident I remember well. We were holding a fancy dress show with the men dressed up as
1920 - 1929 (World events)
women and vice versa. There was a procession to be held from Pages Road to the School and a lady member
of committee volunteered to drive an old four-wheeler over the route. I got in touch with the traffic inspector 1920: Women granted the right to vote in the U.S.A. (27 years after New Zealand in 1893)
and he and I arranged that the driver should be arrested on charges of poor condition of the horse and wagon. First commercial radio aired.
The driver was dressed in old clothes including a very battered Bowler Hat so she was charged with being League of Nations Established.
improperly attired. The inspector put on such a good show that the poor soul really thought that he meant it, Prohibition begins in U.S.A.
and became so distressed that we had to let her onto the joke.
1921: Lie detector invented.
Written by Mr Edwin Rowse in 1961, a former Chairman of Committee.
Edwins brother Fred is recorded as being a former Chairman of Committee, 1924-1933, but Edwin isnt 1922: Insulin discovered.
recorded therefore the date he was chair is unknown although it may have been part of the time during 1924- Kemal Ataturk founds modern Turkey
1933. Rowses Road is named after their family. Their father William Rowse was the first foreman at the Tomb of King Tut discovered.
sewage plant at Bromley, (was New Brighton), in 1882. Edwin and his siblings were grown up by 1911 and Mussolini marches on Rome
didnt attend Aranui School, but Edwin, Fred and other siblings stayed in the district and their children The Readers Digest is published.
attended the school.
1923: Hitler jailed after failed coup
Rahr occupied by French and Belgian Forces.
Talking movies invented.
Time Magazine founded
1924: First Winter Olympic Games.
1925: Flapper dresses in style
Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
1926: A.A. Milne publishes W innie-the-Pooh
Houdini dies after being punched.
Robert Goddard fires his first liquid fuelled rocket.
A woman swims the English Channel.
1927: Babe Ruth makes a Home run record.
B.B.C. founded.
The first talking movie, The jazz singer.
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic.
1928: Bubble gum invented.
First Mickey Mouse cartoon.
Penicillin discovered.
Sliced bread invented.
1929: Byrd and Bennett fly over the South Pole.
Car radio invented.
First Academy Awards.
Stock Market crashes.
St. Valentines Day Massacre.

1920 - 1929 (New Zealand)

During the years 1919-21, the post-war boom occasioned a marked rise in export prices. In 1922, prices fell
Infants 1925 Infants 1925 or 1926 sharply, but recovered rapidly so that prices for 1925 were higher than ever before in the history of New
Zealand. In 1926 and 1927 export prices fell, and were 20 per cent, lower in 1927 than in 1925; in 1928 there
was a substantial recovery, to be followed by a downward movement which rapidly gathered way until in
1933, despite assistance from a 10 per cent, depreciation in exchange on London, export prices were 21 per
cent, lower than in 1914, and 49 per cent, lower than in 1928.

1920: ANZAC Day established.

Dated
1922
Knowing that the first school building on the current site was The Tin Shed and that it was relocated to North
beach in 1916 when the Brick School was built, I couldnt understand why pupils from the 1920s and early
30s said that they remember being taught in a Tin Shed. I have long suspected there must have been 2 tin
buildings. Today 7/12/11 I received this plan in an e-mail from Roy Montgomery, Senior Lecturer of Environ-
mental Management at Lincoln University. He discovered it in the National Archives in Wellington. Roy has
been researching how the social housing came to be in Aranui and what social effects it has had.
New Zealand gets League of Nations mandate to govern Western Samoa.
First aeroplane flight across Cook Strait.
N.Z. sends first team to Olympic Games. - (Previously they had competed as part of Australasian team)
Clarence Hadfield DArcy wins first Olympic medal for New Zealand.
1921: New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy Established.
1922: Meat Producers Board placed in control of meat exports.
1923: Otira tunnel opens. Ross dependency proclaimed.
1924: All Black Invincibles tour Great Britain and France.
1925: Aranui Community Halls foundation stone is laid.
1926: Population of New Zealand (1926 census) is 1,408,140
National public broadcasting begins.
The Arctic Shoe Company opens on Breezes Road. (1926-1939)
1928: Charles Kingsford Smith completes the first flight across the Tasman.
Ted Morgan wins the first Olympic Gold Medal for New Zealand.
1929: Economic depression worsens.
Severe earthquake in Murchison - Karamea district, 17 people died.
First health stamps issued. You can read a more about the Rhodes
Professor Alexander William Bickerton died. family in Aranui and Wainoni History.
The Arctic Shoe Company was in a big shed behind the Rhodes family
house. Photographed is a son Eric making sheep skin boots. Eric and his siblings attended the school and at
the 50th Jubilee Eric took a home video of some of the function. You can watch it yourself on the d.v.d. at the
front of this book.

1920 - 1929 19 20 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 GLIMPSES FROM SCHOOLDAYS by Joan Burborough (Lindsay)
1930 - 1939 1930 Mr P. Scott
Pupil from 1936-1943 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
Record of Head Teachers TEACHERS - some names could be missing 1930 Rita Clark When I was five, on 3 February, 1936, my mother took me to school. I was smartly dressed, starched white
1930 Mr P. Scott 1930 Leslie N. Bradley
apron and all. My biggest shock was meeting my teacher, the strap sitting in its place of honour on her table.
1930 Mr P. Scott 1933-36 Mrs Ella M. Wilson
1930 William Stirling
1931-1936 Mr V. H. Bremner 1930 Rita Clark 1934-41 Muriel Scrimgeour
1931 Very tall, her head held high she gave the impression: Do as I say, or else! It was true, as I discovered one
1937 Mr J. C. Parry 1930 Leslie N. Bradley 1936-37 Alan J. Danks day when some of us did not catch on in reading class (THE BIG GREEN FROG). Doris Belgrave gleefully
1931
1930 William Stirling 1937 John C Parry
1938-1940 Mr E. H. Cross 1931-32 Mrs Gertrude Cree 1937 Benjamin L. Evans
1931 reported us and Miss Wilson gave each of us a tap. I felt that it was the end of the world.
1932
Committee Chairman 1931-33 Grace K. Jarman 1937-40 Eva M. Farquharson
1933 In Standards One and Two we had chalk-thrower Miss Hene who upset me one day when her missile missed
1924-1933 Mr F. O. Rowse 1931-36 Victor H. R. Bremner 1938 Nance W. W. Heney
1933 the ducking Barry Radford and hit me. Kirwee, 1939 was a great year for me when I won the 100 yards
1932-35 Dorothy M. Simmons 1938-41 Edward G. H. Cross
1934-1939 Mr J. T. Dickie 1933 Margaret O. Crosbie 1939 Irene Nuttall
1934
championship at the age of eight, a school first. I was also champion for the next two years beating such big
1936
1937 John C Parrygirls as Shirley Boyd. How proud I was when Mr Tom Richards presented the cup to me.
1937 Benjamin L. Evans
1937 Our years in Standards Three and Four were the best I ever had, because of our teacher, Miss Scrimgeour, who
1938 was
Nance W. W. very
Heney dear to us all. She was always telling us not to scribble. With all subjects she never gave up until we
1938 had caught on. Our craft work was most enjoyable, too. Miss Bowker, our sewing teacher, made sure that
1939 Irene Nuttallevery stitch was correct. Those two years saw the best of the education I received at Aranui.

By Standards Five and Six we were well into the war years, with air-raid shelters in the paddock next door and
the singing of Therell Always Be An England in front of the flag-pole.
In 1942, Dorothy Pounsfords death by lightning stunned the whole school. I still have the autograph book her
mother gave me in remembrance of Dorothy. (See page 32)
The war-time teacher shortage produced some old replacements. One, who was notable for his bicycle, put me
off poetry forever. He drummed it into us every day, especially Sea Fever by John Masefield. I can still see
him there, apparently with the fairies, reciting and miming his poems. Suddenly he would be up, out of his
Miss Merle Dodge Mr Vic Bremner chair, screaming his head off at somebody who would be sure to land outside the door. When my brother,
George was late through having to help Dad, who was ill, with the feeding-out on the farm, Mr Patterson would
look at us and say: Lindsay not here yet? Just sit quiet till he arrives. Huffing and puffing, George would
appear, and on with the day it was for us all. George Stubley and John Barrington, do you remember the paste
you put on the girls seats? I recall how you wouldnt own up, either, you scallywags. Finally, if you didnt
Aranui School Infants 1930
know the meaning of respect before you started Aranui, you certainly knew before you left.
EXTRAS
Remember all the patches of garden we used to look after, and look after we did because we all knew we had
to.
All the time and effort that used to go into those concertssuch as dressing up back to front and doing drill
our class sang the song In A Toy Shop Window but some of us, like me, could not keep in tune so just had to
mime it.
I used to like the way we lined up when the bell went, waited for the music to start, and marched into school.
Oh! Those great big red apples all wrapped up in soft coloured paper.
Remember the Copper Trails? Pennies would be put out every day and added to, and not a penny was taken.
After lining up for milk my brother was asked to come up and help; he spilt it everywhere and after cleaning it
up was told to go back into line. One particular boy would not let him in which as you can imagine caused a
performance. Mr Bremner, our Headmaster, would never accept an explanationso George was failed
unbelievable but true!

1930s Photo and names: Pearl Pauline nee Evans

This photo shows the Lindsays family

home in 1961 when the land around it
was being developed for another
Aranui subdivision. There house is
still there today.

1930s Primers 1930 standard 3 and 4

1930 - 1939 21 22 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011


1937 Basketball Team (Netball)
The captain Rema Hill is fourth from left.
As far as I know from looking through records and talking
with ex-pupils from the 1930s, there was not a 25th Jubilee.
This would have been in 1936. Parties, dances and cards
nights were a regular event at this time. The Aranui Hall on
Breezes Road was the meeting place of the community.
Left: School children all over New Zealand
each received one of these certificates
in celebration of the new Monarch.
1937 Soccer Team (Photo: Garth Richards)
1939 Seniors
1936 (we think) Photo-Garth Richards
1930 - 1939 23
ALINE FERGUSSON (NEE REED) WROTE THE FOLLOWING
AFTER THE 75TH JUBILEE IN 1986
November 1986
Having just been a part of the 75th Jubilee celebrations I would like to write my reminisces of my days at
Aranui School from 1937 - 1944. My first teacher was a lively red headed, Mrs Farquharson who walked
briskly, her head always bowed. She used to tell us hold your heads high, or as she showed us we would
develop a hump on our neck as she had.
My entry into the standards and Basil Arnold was the teacher. He was a very young guyfull of fun? Handy
at whacking the knuckles with the edge of a ruler. Next our beloved Miss Scrimgeour, a tall elderly lady in
1941 but a much shorter and still elderly lady in 1986. (We were small as she was tall when got tall, found her
quite small.) Then our dear, full busted, Miss Hazel McCaughern, who delighted in playing, possibly the only
tune she knew, while we sang, the hated song, where the bee sucks there such and in a cowslips bell and
lie. Then on to Mr Paterson, a retired Headmaster back to help out with the war being on. He was nick
named fox, he rode an old model green bicycle with two horizontal bars which we affectionably called the
Green Hornet. He almost needed a stiff ladder to board it. (His love for footy we will never forget sea fever.)
Harry North, he was as keen on cricket as he was teaching. Other teachers to mention are Dear Miss Bowlker
who taught many of us our early skills in sewing. Miss Nuttall, Miss Low, W.D. Sloane, Pat Mummery, Mrs
Oldfield - an educated twin and of course the lovely young students probably best remembered by our school
mate, Bob White, who obviously quite a young boy could pick a good thing when he saw it.
The fun in the playground, the boys in pairs, one on a rope harness playing horse races, each carrying the
name of a well known trotter of the times pinned to their backs. The many games in the out of bound pine
trees and I remember chewing the cream gum from those trees. It finished up just like chewing gum. The
games of postmans knock etc. in the pines and the smoking on the sandhills up near the Bates house.
After about forty odd years I will confess to being one of several who picked Mr Bates huge sunflower, only
to rip it up and bury it. Hell was he furious as were our teachers but the secret was held - till now. I cant
remember who the others were.
Other things that come to mind are the boys toilets with the wire netting about six feet up, a danger to walk
past. One passing was often showered from a great height, what did those boys do to gain such heights
anyway?
The trips to learn to swim at the tepid baths in Manchester Street, to the dental clinic at New Brighton
School, the museum and of course the trips one afternoon a week to cooking and woodwork at Phillipstown
School. The school picnics were a long trip by train to Kirwee, Diamond Harbour, Stewarts Gully etc. The big
end of year concerts and prize giving ceremonies with well known Committee Chairman being Ron Lisle, the
M.C.. Our 3 penny meat pies from Mr Venner for our lunches were a treat too. Not many had parents well off
enough to allow this too often.
Aline and her brother Tom grew up on Ottawa Road along side their family business Bettaplants Nursery.
Tom still owns and works there today (2010).
On his return from W.W.1 Gordon Thomas Reed took up three sections in Ottawa Road, numbers 27, 29 and
31 at the cost of 25 pounds each. Earlier this land was part of Bickertons Wainoni Park. It was well over-
grown with lupins, gorse, broom, thistle and twitch etc. Nethertheless, by hard work, Gordon cleared the land
and by 1925 had built a house on each of the three sections. Gordon, being fiercely independent and reluctant
to go on relief work as so many had to, first tried his hand at breeding rabbits for their skins but the depression
took its toll once more. One momentous day in 1934, Gordon invested 10 shillings in lettuce, cabbage and leek
seed and so ... Bettaplants Nursery was born.
24 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
 ARTHUR FLETCHER - A LETTER TO TIM BAKER IN 2010
Dear Tim, it was not until Christmas that I heard of your Aranui and Wainoni History book. I borrowed a copy
from my local library and read all the bits that interested me. Congratulations! A splendid effort.
I am Arthur William FLETCHER, born and raised in the area. We lived at 350a Wainoni Road on a one acre
section behind the Dugdale property at 350. We reached our place down an unformed track which is now
Hampshire Street. We had no electricity and no water laid on. Our former house is pictured on page 234.
Each year my father, using a single furrow
plough and a draught horse, planted half an acre
in potatoes and onions. It was the middle of the
depression but we were never hungry. My late
father Laban William FLETCHER, was once
employed by PANNELL of Wainoni Road and
later set up a partnership with Bill PREBBLE.
The firm was called PREBBLE and FLETCHER
and consisted of four tip drays and four draught
horses. Each day my father would set off for
Christchurch to cart away rubbish from
businesses and building sites. Each partner drove
one dray and led the other.
My late mother Ivy Jane FLETCHER was the
local Labour Party Secretary and also served for
many years on the Aranui School Committee. Having no option she walked for miles in those days either to
meetings at the Community Hall or Aranui School, or through a rough track through the broom and lupin to
catch the tram to Christchurch a (Tram stop and loop). She also walked to Bexley to visit her father.
When my parents property was swept up to be built on my parents went to live in the pensioner flats in Pages
Road. The Mary THORNE mentioned on page 9 of your book is my mothers grandmother. My elder brother
Harold George FLETCHER is probably the one shown on the Roll of Honour Board. (This is kept in the
Aranui Hall in Breezes Road). He served in Tonga in W.W. 2. He also is in the football team photo on page
173.
1930 - 1939 (World events)
1930: York scientist predicts man will reach the moon by 2050.
The planet Pluto is discovered.
The first diesel automobile trip is completed.
1931: Feb 11th, Inventor Thomas Alva Edison died.
Pathologist Ernest Goodpasture grows viruses in chicken eggs, opening the door for the production of
vaccines.
New Delhi becomes the capital of India.
1932: RCA demonstrates TV using a cathode-ray tube receiver
1933: Charles Darrow, an unemployed engineer, invents the game of Monopoly.
Marconi announces discovery of micro-waves.
Wiley Post completes a solo flight around the world in 7 days, 18 hours, 49 minutes with the aid of such
things as an automatic pilot.
1934: Cheeseburger created.
1935: The first round-the-world telephone conversation.
Alcoholics anonymous founded.
Germany issues the anti-Jewish Nuremberg laws.
1936: NAZI Olympics in Berlin.
Spanish Civil War begins.
1937: Japan invades China.
Amelia Earhart vanishes
Amelia Earhart
1938: Chamberlain Announces Peace in our time. During an attempt to make a circumnavigation
Hitler annexes Austria. flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded
Snow White and the 7 dwarfs is released in cinemas. Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Earhart disappeared
over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland
1939: The Wizard of Oz is released in cinemas. Island.
Helicopter invented.
WORLD WAR TWO BEGINS!!

1930 - 1939 (New Zealand)

1931 Rugby Team Photo: Brian Nye
My second brother Walter Bernard FLETCHER is not on the Roll of Honour Board but should be. He served
with Signals in Italy in W.W.2. After the war he had a house in Kiaora Street, Bexley.
I am the only survivor of this family. I am probably the A. FLETCHER on the Roll of Honour Board as I
served in Italy with the 27(MMG) Bn. When I was a boy the whole of the Wainoni Block was a wilderness of
lupin, broom and gorse. I wandered the whole of it many, many times. My brothers and I went to and from
school through scrub tracks. I was many times at the Beardsley home being a friend of Erics elder brother
Garth. I was also friends with Garth Richards on Breezes Road. Dave Iggo was at school when I was, being in
the same class as my elder brother Harry. Many of the names that you recorded are familiar to me through
school.
Myself and my brothers used to attend Presbyterian Bible Class in the school shelter shed. On 4/10/47 I was
married in St Ambrose church, and we had our reception in the Aranui Hall.
As recently as the 19th April 2008 I stood outside the school gates but things have changed so much that it no
longer looks like my old school.
I hope all this has not board you. Thank you for taking me back down memory lane. Kind regards.
Arthur Fletcher. Thanks Arthur, it is an honour and pleasure to read some of your memories.
Arthur received the Queens Service Medal in 2010 for Service to returned services personnel and the
community.
1930: Population of New Zealand 1,506,800.
The first New Zealand made film with sound talkies was shownThe Romance of Maoriland.
1933: New Zealand's first distinctive coins issued by the New Zealand Treasury.
1934: 6 February: Treaty House and grounds at Waitangi were dedicated as a national reserve.
Bettaplants Nursery is opened on Ottawa Road by Gordon and Emily Reed. Their son Tom Reed (ex-
Aranui School pupil) still owns and operates there today.
1935: The death Elizabeth McCombs, first female Member of NZ Parliament (and in the Commonwealth).
1937: Milk in schools (a half pint daily for each primary school pupil) started, it was stopped in 1967.
1938: 19 February: 21 people working on the Wairoa-Gisborne railway are drowned when a flash flood hits a
works camp at Kopuawhara near Mahia.
1939: 26th April: Ted Howard died. Ted entered parliament in 1919 winning the Christchurch South Seat for
the Liberal Party, later becoming the Labour Party. Mabel Howard is one of Teds daughters. She won
the seat in the 1943 election.
3rd September: New Zealand declares war on Germany.
Ted Howard built this house at 147 Pages Road, Wainoni, in 1906. Mabel lived
here until she died in 1972. Teds wife, Harriet, grew up on Breezes Road where
Aranui High School is today. It is either a younger brother, cousin or nephew,
Colin G. Goring who is listed as the first pupil at Aranui School.

1930 - 1939 25 26 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1940 - 1949 Whole school 1946

Record of Head Teachers TEACHERS

1938-1940 Mr E. H. Cross 1940 Basil C. Arnold 1944-49 Robert H. North
1941 (acting) Miss L. M. Bowker 1941-42 Patrick S. W. Mummery 1945 Laurence W. Ford
1942-1943 Mr T. Paterson 1941-44 Lilian M. Bowlker 1945-49 Nora B. Doyle
1942 Mrs Isabella Knapp 1945-49 George K. Morrow
1944-1949 Mr R. H. North 1942 Bernard F. Andrews 1946 Lake F. Sinclair
Committee Chairman 1942-43 Thomas Paterson 1947 Maurice L. Croft
1940-1944 Mr R.T. Lisle 1942-47 Hazel McCaughern 1948 Ian Miller
1943 Flora A. Davison 1948-50 Etta J. Fowler
1945-1949 Mr E. A. Harvey 1943 Raymond W. Fox 1949 Geoffrey R. Smith
1944 John W. Milner 1949 Mrs Gladys Homersham
1944-? W. Sloane (name added)

Mr R. H. North Mr W. Sloane Miss Etta Fowler Mr T. Paterson

Below: The list above of teacher s was compiled for
the 1961 75th Jubilee. For an unknown reason the
teacher pictured in the photograph on the right, W.D.
Probably not
Sloane, has his name missing.

Above: Mr Er n Har vey:

Chairman of the School
1945-1949
Committee at a school picnic.
Mr John W. Milner

The caretakers,
Mr White,
wages for the week.
14th May 1943.

Why this check was cancelled we dont know, but if

this entry below relates to this check perhaps he was
paid in cash .

The check book with this one check in it and the pay
book have remained in the school archives.

1943 Infants. Photo: Daphne Wilke nee Harvey

1940 - 1949 27 28 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011


GREAT MEMORIES OF THE EARLY 1940S AT ARANUI PRIMARY
SCHOOL RAY PETERS - PUPIL 1944-47
Having moved from Belfast to Aranui in the Christmas of 1943 I started school at Aranui Primary in 1944. My
first day is a day I will never forget as I, like many other children, did not want to go to school. As I was born
with Club Feet and had to wear braces on each leg it made me feel different to others. My first teacher (cant
remember her name) gave me a chocolate biscuit from her lunch box if I did not cry or get upset going into the
classroom. This settled me down very quickly and from then on I was much better behaved. School at this time
was very basic learning alphabet, numbers and printing. I am most thankful to all those teachers who dedicated
their time to teach us in a great environment.
As the years progressed I believe Aranui School was blessed with
wonderful teachers who not only looked after us in the classroom but in
the playground as well. They taught us the most basic principles of life
from where I am sure we have grown to be good citizens. We were not an
affluent community but, as I remember it, everyone was always ready to
help in times of strife. This was particularly so in the 1945 snowstorm of
Canterbury with no trams running (down Pages Rd) for a number of days,
it was all helping each other with food, firewood and support.
During these years we were given a small bottle of milk each day and it
was great if you were lucky to be the milk monitor and sometimes you
got an extra bottle. One of the jobs of the milk monitor was to bring milk
from the gate to the office. This was hard work for young people however
it instilled in us a great work ethic even if we were unaware of it at the
time.
Sports days were always very popular and many parents attended those
days to see how their sons and daughters performed in the different
activities.
School photos were taken each year and these are most treasured by those
lucky enough to have saved them over the years, Treasure any photos you
can have of your school as they are precious memories. As one moves on,
the early years of schooling play a solid grounding to our future.
Ray Peters in the school fancy dress 1947. To the teachers, headmasters, etc of those years I say thank you for your
Capstan cigarette packet. leadership, discipline and love that was installed in our lives.
Times have changed!
Today with so many electronic appliances, portable phones, and comput-
ers we need to reflect regularly on the basic of a good life by looking af-
ter and loving one another for what we have, not just want we think we need and want.
Go forward Aranui Primary School and keep showing the way for us to follow as you have done so brilliantly
in the past and will continue to do in the future.
Ray Peters
December 2010
1940 - 1949 29
Hi Tim.
place.
Street, Leamington.1949
of our std 6 class,
the Police in 1993 and left most of our property with my son in Christchurch including our old photographs,
while we did a 5 yr circumnavigation, and i am still recovering my photos in dribs and drabs as he finds
them.
Aranui which in my time was like a four classroom country school surrounded in the main by Poultry farms
and lupine apart from the residences along Breezes and Pages Roads.
way.
member that Harry North was the headmaster.
played cricket for Northern Districts and also was a rep soccer player up north,.
land.
the boys up on the edge of the field and produced a rugby ball.
terms.
that, he gave the rugby ball a mighty kick back towards the class rooms.
ing a soccer ball he exclaimed in a loud commanding voice.
then gave the soccer ball a mighty boot out onto the field.
created a school soccer team and amalgamated it with the Western Club.
in the Saturday Competition under the name of Western Aranui
to the dedication of
lunchtime and he was a hard task master, demanding only the best effort.
as a was near the tallest in the class he insisted that I played goalie also.
travel up to Wellington each year to play a match against his old Team which was Seatoun.
adventure travelling up on the ferry from Lyttelton with all of us housed down in the 50 bunk bilges.
being billeted out to the Seatoun players.
the soccer team but we had less success amongst the surrounding school competition.
was his habit, he selected the top three sports boys and invited them through their parents of course, to accom-
pany him on a camping trip.
Raymond Terrace.
Hired an Austin A40 Station wagon.
Table tennis club
historic sights and places of interest on the way as far as Cape Reinga.
1940s
coast diverting back to take in the Waikato river and power station, Rotorua etc on our way home.
memorable holiday. Photo; Trevor Blewett
more like a father to us, and a strict one at that.
when I attended Moorehouse Academy in 1993 and stepped into the
tact with other class members since i left Christchurch and have no Email addresses however Last heard of
Phillip Wong Used to live in Sumner.
Waimairi Beach.
graphs and pass and relevant on to you.
thanks again.
Many Aranui children
went to Technical
Collage (Tec)
30 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
 February 21st 1942 2006
Ngaire Lean, Rita Stokes, Betty Lean, Irene Rogers, Joyce Scott, Norma Dickie, Shirley Hamhan.
Many ex-pupils as well as current pupils fathers or brothers were overseas fighting in World War Two. The
school was very much involved with fundraising for the war effort. An annual fundraiser was the Aranui
Soldiers Welfare Queen Carnival.

Betty Lean ready for school

SATURDAY 14TH JULY 1945 - IT SNOWED!

PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN
CHRISTCHURCH
CLOSED UNTIL NEXT
MONDAY
An announcement by the Canterbury
Education Board states: All Christ-
church city and suburban schools will
not reopen until Monday July 23. The
Temuka District High School will re-
open to-day. The committees of schools
elsewhere that are affected by the
snow are asked to use their discretion
about re-opening.
The Press Monday July 16th 1945.
Looking down Breezes Road, east, from the Pages Road
intersection.

Aranui and Wainoni along Photos: Phyllis Stevens (Rowse) Ex-pupil

with other suburbs in Christ-
church, got the worst of the
snow. Incredibly buses were
operating throughout the city
within two days. However the
tram to New Brighton via Pag-
es Road was the last in Christ-
church to be back in service.
Delivery vans, shop supplies
and post were delayed but
managed to deliver by Mon-
day. Graders were out clearing
the roads straight away to keep
the city running. Schools were
closed for a week and lots of
snow was thrown.
Betty Lean outside her family home (now demolished)
at 296 Pages Road. Photo: Betty Smith nee Lean

1940 - 1949 31 32 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1940 - 1949 (World events)
1940: Battle of Britain.
1941: Japanese attack Pearl Harbour, America enters W.W.2.
The Jeep is invented.
Mount Rushmore completed.
1942: Anne Frank goes into hiding. Battle of Midway. Battle of Stalingrad.
T-shirts introduced.
1943: Italy Joins the Allies. Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
1944: Ballpoint pens go on sale.
D-Day, first German V1 and V2 rockets fired. The ENIAC was the first successful
electronic digital computer, 1946.
1945: First computer built.
Germans surrender, Hitler commits suicide, U.S. drops the first
atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
World War 2 ends. United Nations founded.
1946: Bikinis introduced.
Group of Dorothy Pounsford's school mates in 2006 at the unveiling of the plaque in remembrance of her
passing in 1942. 1947: Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier.
Left to right: Alan Palermo, Shirley Mugford nee Rogers, Aline Fergusson nee Reed, Bob Pounsford Dead Sea scrolls discovered.
(Dorothys brother), W. O. Bud Lisle, Trevor Mugford (husband of Shirley), Ray Aitken, Betty Cooper nee 1948: Gandhi is assassinated.
Aitken, Dave Pattullo, Des Hardy. Policy of apartheid begins in South Africa.
State of Israel founded.
1949: China becomes communist.
First non-stop flight around the world.
Soviet Union has atomic bomb.

1940 - 1949 (New Zealand) Funeral of Joseph Savage

50th Jubilee 1961.
Group of pupils from
the 1940s
Hi to all those who attended the annual luncheon for the 1930s-1940s group held on the 26th November 2010.
Those who didnt attend missed out on a great get together. Thanks to all the committee for all your
organisation of this event. A great time was had by all. I, in particular, was most blessed to catch up with class
mates I have not seen in over 60 years. I am very pleased I was able to provide some old school photos which
brought back many memories to a lot of people.
I am now looking forward to our Centennial Celebrations next November so I encourage you all to get out,
contact ex pupils and get them enrolled and lets have a great time together on the 11/11/2011!
Ray Peters
P.S. Thanks to the students who carried out the interviews with us oldies. You are great!
(With the earthquakes disrupting the school, the filming of some of theses ex-pupils talking about their time at
school with the present pupils had been misplaced. It is hoped to be found but unfortunately is not on the d.v.d.
with this book as intended.)
1940: 27 March: New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage dies from cancer.
1941: 20 May - 1 June: Battle of Crete - New Zealand forces suffer heavy losses: 671 dead, 967 wounded,
2,180 captured. On the first day of the German invasion, Charles Upham wins the V.C.
8 October: four police officers and three civilians are shot and killed at Kowhitirangi, near Hokitika, by
Stanley Graham.
8 December New Zealand declares war on Japan in response to Japanese attack on the United States.
1943: 4 June: The Cromwell to Dunedin Express is derailed while travelling around a bend too fast near Hyde
in Central Otago. 21 people were killed and 47 injured of the 113 on board.
The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zeal-
land Parliaments 27th term. With the onset of World War 11, elections were initially postponed, but it
was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it would
normally have occurred. The election saw the governing Labour Party re-elected by a comfortable margin.
1944: 15 March: New Zealand General Freyberg orders the destruction of the monastery at Cassino using 775
aircraft, 1250 tons of bombs, and 200,000 shells. At the end of the battle, New Zealand has lost 1050 men,
one of the worst days in its history.
1945: 2 May: New Zealand 2nd Division accepts surrender of the German Army in Trieste.
15 December: Main North Line, railway linking Christchurch and Picton is completed and officially opened
over seventy years after construction began.
1947: 6 February: First annual Waitangi Day ceremony was held by the N.Z. Navy in grounds of the Treaty
House, Waitangi.
6 March: The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performs for the first time.
18 November: 41 people die in a fire in the Ballantynes department store in Christchurch.
The Aranui Camping ground opens. 1947-1975.
1949: 1 January: the status of New Zealand Citizen comes into existence.
29th January: Major of Christchurch, Mr E.H. Andrews, officially opened the Aranui Speedway.

1940 - 1949 33 34 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1950 - 1959
TEACHERS So many boys and girls passed through during my time that it is difficult to remember them all. A large number
1950 John H. Kirby did particularly well in their secondary schools. There was always a healthy, commonsense attitude about the
1950-52 Doris M. Walker children who went to the school.
Record of Head Teachers Committee Chairman 1950-56 Frederick W. S. Cutler
1950-1955 Mr F. W. Cutler 1950-1951 Mr A. W. D. Shaw 1951 Peter T. Davis The parents also played their part. Committees worked hard to make ends meet and provide the many
1951-54 Mrs Etta G. Scull amenities necessary in a modern school. The raising of the money to build the school swimming pool was a
1956-1961 Mr C. O. D. Roberts 1952-1960 Mr A. S. Lewis 1951-56 Morris Marshall
1951-57 Mrs Marjorie Dobbin notable effort. (Completed in November 1955)
1952 Peter G. Grigg Members and staff of the Education Board should be mentioned for their willing assistance at all times.
1952 Eleanor I. Forne
1952-54 Maurise Loveridge All in all, my seven years at Aranui, though strenuous, were always interesting and rewarding. Much was done
1952-54 Beverley J. Barr
1953 Maxwell G. Fitzgerald (and much of necessity left undone) but all through there was a spirit of friendship and co-operation which
1953 Arthur G. Blackmore made the task well worth while.
1953-58 Flora E. Fleming
1954-56 Miss B. M. Lynch May I congratulate the school on having reached its fiftieth birthday and express the hope that the next fifty
1954-58 Hector Clifford years will be as fruitfulbut more peaceful.
1955 Mrs Dorothy Burn
1955 Mrs Hilary J. Shagova F. W. CUTLER 27.6.61
1955 Anthony J. Turner
1955 Rita P. Cairney
1955 Johan E. Herket
1955-57 Esme J. Green
1955-58 David L. Iggo
1956 Mrs Sheila Pinkham
1956 June M. Dowling
1956 William G. De Bazin
1957 June R. Shirley
Staff 1953 1957 Alistair K. Kerr
1957 Nancy M. Fairhill
Staff 1953 - Top: Mr Marshall, Mr Clifford, ?, Mr Loveridge 1957 Mrs Marea Seymour nee Cowan
Front: Mrs Hunter, Mrs Dobbin, Mr Cutler, Miss Fleming, Mrs Skull 195758 Andrew Anderson
1957-58 Mrs Beverley Hunter
1957-58 Peter Love
LOOKING BACK by F.W. Cutler 1957-61 Charles O. D. Roberts
1958 Beryl B. Evans
Headmaster from 1950-1955 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986) 1958 Mrs Robin B. Manger
1958 Jean Walmsley
When I was appointed to Aranui at the beginning of 1950 it was a small semi- 1958 Colin McKay F 1&2 1956
country school with a roll of less than 150 and a staff of four. My immediate 1958 Allan P. Beaumont
predecessor was the late Mr R. H. North. Members of the staff when I took 1958
1959
Garth L. Langston
L. Garvey
FROM C.O.D. ROBERTS
over were Miss D. M. Walker (Infant Mistress), Miss E. C. Fowler (late Mrs 1959 C. I. McKay Headmaster from 1956-1961 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
Scull) and Mr J. Kirby (Probationer). Mr Dunbar was Chairman of the 1959 H. W. Clifford
Committee and Mr J. C. Bradley an enthusiastic and hard working Secretary 1959 B. M. Hunter THIRD PHASE OF SCHOOLS DEVELOPEMENT
who in various ways raised much money for the purchase of equipment. 1959 Mrs J. Harris nee Fleming
1959 H. B. Grub The third phase of the schools development really began in 1957. We remember well the arrival of a fleet of
At that time the school was almost in the wilderness. On one side was Pat- 1959-60 Marjorie A. Jones bulldozers and scoops, which began to level the area of sand dunes on the schools northern boundaries.
ullos poultry farm and at the back of the football ground were several acres 1959-60 L. M. Quartermain During the third term a nor-wester set in, and forgot to stop blowing till about Christmas. It was a taxing
1959-60 J. Warmsley
of pinesof no use to us at all. By dint of great effort we coaxed shrubs and 1959-61 Andrew Anderson experience to have a dense pall of sand flying through the school all day, drifting under doors and in at the
flowers to grow and the front entrance with its trees, lawn and gardens was 1959-61 David L. Iggo windows. However, such things passed, and houses began to spring up in the new areas between us and
quite a pleasant site. 1959-61 Burnett Powell Wainoni Road. By the end of 1958 the roll was 527 and whole streets of new houses, with shops and other
1959-61 Miss Flora E. Fleming community facilities were taking shape.
Before the end of 1950 the deluge began. Houses were being erected all
over the district and a steady influx of new pupils made for difficulties of The year 1959 gave us the most rapid rise of more than 200. The roll at the end of the year was 707, and our
staffing and accommodation which continued for the remainder of my seven pre-fabs rose to seven. 1960 saw the peak reached, with 837 in August, and pre-fabs up to nine, making twenty-
years at the school. On one occasion, when the housing block on the other two classrooms.
side of Pages Road was opened the roll rose by nearly 80 in a month. At one
time four prefabs were in use while later there were eight permanent and four temporary rooms. By the end of Fortunately the new school at Wainoni had four rooms ready for use by September. On the last day of the
1956 the roll had risen to almost 450 and the staff 13. second term we said goodbye to more than a hundred children who would not be back with us. We began the
third term with about 740, which rose to 758 by the end of the year. About fifty more children living in the
Looking back, it is possible to recall a few interesting incidents. I can remember incurring the wrath of the Wainoni area, who had completed the year with us, then transferred, so that with losing more than seventy F. 2
Board for closing the school when the septic tank system developed alarming symptoms. Heating in the old pupils we began 1961 with approximately 650. This has again grown to 700.
building was always a problem, and one morning, stoking up the main furnace with pine wood cut up by the
committee because coke was not obtainable I had the misfortune to set fire to the roof when the chimney A P.T.A. was formed in 1957, and with their help three Fairs have been held. A Sound Film Projector was
proved defective. The arrival of the fire brigade was a red letter occasion. bought and has been a feature of our work ever since. A new broadcast and inter-communication system has
been installed, a filter plant is in at the learners pool, and such items as a record player, a tape recorder,
Many excellent teachers helped to make a difficult task easier. Miss F. Fleming was a conscientious and pains- several sewing machines, units of playground equipment, two new basketball courts, additions to the library,
taking infant mistress, Mr M. Marshall brought enthusiasm and energy to the position of first assistant and to etc. have all gone to making the school one of the most modern and well-equipped in the city. (See page 45)
Mrs Scull I was often indebted during the first few months at the school. Others I remember were Messrs H.
W. Clifford, M. S. Loveridge and D. L. Iggo, Mrs M. Dobbin and Mrs B. Hunter. They and many others Five new permanent classrooms, an administration block, and dental clinic, have given the school a new look,
worked hard for the welfare of the children, doing much to secure for Aranui a good name, in the Christchurch particularly as they are set off so attractively by grass plots which have been remarkably successful.
educational world. (Continue next page) C.O.D. ROBERTS, Headmaster 1961

1950 - 1959 35 36 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 GARDEN COMPETITION
It may be as far back as the 1930s that the school garden competition started. This was New Zealand wide in
schools who wished to partake and was very popular. There was a choice of vegetable or flower garden. The
seeds and information on growing the plants were purchased through the school. With the guidance of a parent
the pupil would prepare the plot, propagate and plant the seeds, care for and finally when the judging day
came would have the judge come to their home and examine their produce. The judge was organised by the
Education Board but in later days was a teacher or the Headmaster/Principal. The competition was amongst
the same year pupils of the school. Jillians certificate on the left is when she entered the Christchurch schools
competition winning her category. I myself grew flowers in the mid 1970s. Aranui School continued this
competition until the mid 1980s.

1951 Staff

FORM II SHIELDS
From 1950 to 1967 shields were made, probably by the pupils, with the names of the Form 2 pupils burnt on.

1957-63 school camping trip with Mr Anderson.

Only boys on this occasion.

Whole school 1950

50th Jubilee 1961. Group of pupils from the 1950s 1957 Choir

1950 - 1959 37 38 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 FROM ANDY ANDERSON *A TRIBUTE* by Alan K. Grant
Teacher from 1956-1963 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986) Pupil 1953 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
I first joined the staff in September 1956. I came from a small West Coast school to be I had only one year at Aranui Primary: my Standard Six year in 1953. It was memorable for me because up till
First Assistant to Mr Fred Cutler. He gave me 30 Standard Four pupils and 10 from then I had been taught by my own father in the schools he taught at: Bushside (Mid-Canterbury) and Ahaura
Standard Three, housed in an old prefab. (West Coast). Being taught by Fred Cutler was very different, and not just because he was not my father.
Fred described them as an excellent class. They really were a wonderful bunch and I I remember him with great affection. He valued intelligence, but was more than adept at preventing any pupil
had good cause to be grateful to my predecessor, Morris Marshall for the way he had who was intelligent from developing a swelled head. He was able to be interested, sardonic and friendly all at
brought them on. The standard throughout the school was very high indeed. With a the same time. He was devoted to soccer, and I spent many miserable hours on the soccer field playing for
capable staff, co-operative Committee and, best of all, pupils keen to learn, there was Western because of this devotion. He was devoted to cricket, and I shall always remember listening in his
an excellent school spirit. Mr Cutler had every reason to be proud of his school. room, one afternoon after school, to New Zealand making 26 against England, while Freds normally benign
features were overcome by a black cloud. He was devoted to auction bridge, and I can recall agreeable
Mr Cutler made life as pleasant as possible for everyone concerned. Everyone liked
evenings in the company of other protgs in his lodgings in Breezes Road, while Fred taught us the rudiments
him. He had some amusing and novel ways of disciplining his charges. Delinquents
of this game, alternatively scornful and encouraging while we mastered or failed to master the art of bidding.
requiring treatment would be lined up outside his office. A couple of Form 2 boys
would be ushered into his office while Fred emitted loud (and fake) bellows of wrath. The door would be shut He made a practice of taking some of his ex-pupils around the North Island with him in the Christmas hol-
with a bang and a savage onslaught made on the desk-top with the strap. A few more roars and the Form 2 boys idays. I was privileged to be invited on one such trip. We say the myriad wonders of the North Island and lis-
would emerge wringing their hands in feigned agony and, perhaps, even dropping the odd crocodile tears. As tened to Fred, trundling along in his old Austin van at about 35 m.p.h. accusing all who passed him of being
for the treatment of the offenders: a few words from the Head and they departed, properly chastened. road hogs hell-bent on their own destruction.
Another bright idea of Freds was also unusual. At five minutes past three on Friday afternoons, a couple of We remember our teachers, no doubt because schooling occurs at a time when the powers of memory are at
Form 2 pupils would be waiting outside every classroom door, keys in their hands. All children and teachers their freshest. I remember no teacher with more admiration and affection than Fred Cutler.
were required to be clear of their rooms and outside the gates by 3.30 p.m. The Head reckoned teachers would
have plenty to do at home and he was usually right. Alan K. Grant from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Mr Cutler left for Hastings at the end of that term to be succeeded by Mr Digby Roberts, another excellent
headmaster. The school roll was exploding, the number rising from the 300s to a peak of 837 in six years. New Alan Keith Grant (1941 - 8 April 2000), generally known by his initials as A. K. Grant, was a New Zealand
buildings sprang up, including those drab pre-fabs; they didnt look much but were very warm in winter. The writer, historian, critic and humorist.
street between the rows was named after the General Manager of the Education Board, Mr Spencer.
A HIGHLIGHT Grant was born in Wanganui, and in 1964 he received his LL.B from the University of Canterbury and moved
In 1958, after the first trans-Antarctic traverse had been completed, its leader the newly-knighted, Sir Vivian to London for a few years. On his return to New Zealand in 1976, he began writing, and released his mon-
Fuchs, accompanied by Lady Fuchs, paid a morning visit to our schoolthe only primary school to be so umental history of New Zealand letters, The Paua and the Glory, in 1982. At the same time he wrote a regular
honoured. (See the d.v.d.) with this book to watch film footage of this occasion.) column for the New Zealand Listener.
TRIPS
In 1957 and 1958 I taught Forms 1 and 2, about 45 in all but, from 1959 until 1963 I had second-formers only He also wrote for television, particularly in partnership with David McPhail and Jon Gadsby. Credits include A
with numbers in excess of 50 at times. My Standard 4 of 1956 were with me in Forms 1 and 2 and so were my Week of It, McPhail and Gadsby and Letters to Blanchy.
ten Standard 3 pupils. These were the children I came to know best. In 1957 I began taking groups to Arthurs
Pass for week-ends and kept this up during my whole stay at Aranui. There were usually 30 or more plus a few The A.K. Memorial Trophy was established in October 2000 and is awarded to the best speaker in celebrity
adults. Saturdays and Sundays would be spent scrambling among the mountains or frolicking in the snow. The debates held alternatively at Christchurch and Otago Arts Festivals.
object was relaxation; the trips were unofficial and I had to carry full responsibility, even though I had blessing
of the Board. I took 30 trips in all, some children turning up several times. There were no accidents or mishaps.
Later, some ex-pupils attending high school came to help. I am grateful to Josepha and Beverley Cox, Natasha
Huband, Jane and Charles Fulford, Jennifer Gracie, Ann Bradford. Mace Ramsay, Susan Scott and Evan
Maxwell, to name just a few. Many of the children climbed some of the lesser peaks with me and I was pleased
to have Beverley and Susan accompany me to the top of Mt Rolleston.
For the last few trips, the School Committee, on its own volition, took out an insurance policy to cover these
trips, which took a weight of my mind. Some years later the Education Board bought a hostel at the Pass and
now, all its schools can take part officially in mountain activities.
FINAL COMMENT
Yes, they were happy years, in a happy school, among many of the finest children I have ever taught. Each
year I came to dread the approach of the Christmas holidays for it meant saying goodbye to those Form 2s, all
about to scatter to their respective high schools and make their own ways through life. I look back on those
seven years as the best of my long teaching career. Nor can I close without further reference to Digby Roberts,
our splendid Headmaster. He was a great help professionally to us all. That several of us soon moved on to
headships and senior positions in other city schools was in no small measure due to him.
It has been said that, of all professions, teaching is the most poorly paid and the most richly rewarded. The
second part is most definitely true: the first no longer applies. Of my early Standard 3, Jane, Jennifer and
Natasha became teachers. Not long ago they came together and took me to dinner at Cookers Hotel. Yes, richly
rewarded. I shall always retain happy memories of Aranui. May its high ideals continue to endure.

1950 - 1959 39 40 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 GLIMPSES FROM SCHOOLDAYS by Mr Bob Ealam
Pupil from 1945-1953 (Written in 2010) 1950 - 1959 (World events)
I consider myself fortunate to have been a pupil at Aranui which in my time was like a four classroom country 1950: First modern credit card introduced.
school surrounded in the main by Poultry farms and lupine apart from the residences along Breezes and Pages First organ transplant.
Roads. And of course we had the speedway. I am not certain but I think my sister Dawn (Deceased) and I Korean War begins.
started at Aranui in about 1948. I remember that Harry North was the headmaster. 1951: Colour T.V. introduced.
Then Fred Cutler arrived. He was legend. I believe he played cricket for Northern Districts and also was a rep South Africans are forced to carry I.D. cards identifying
soccer player up north and possible New Zealand. When he arrived on the scene, the school had previously their race.
played rugby. Mr. Cutler however lined all the boys up on the edge of the field and produced a rugby ball. He 1952: Polio Vaccine created.
then stated in no uncertain terms. Right now listen to me and hard. There will be no more rugby played in my
school.!!!! With that, he gave the rugby ball a mighty kick back towards the class rooms. He then went to a 1953: Princess Elizabeth becomes queen at the age of 25 years.
bag and producing a soccer ball he exclaimed in a loud commanding voice. From now on, you will all play D.N.A. discovered.
soccer. He then gave the soccer ball a mighty boot out onto the field. He was a bachelor and was mad on his 1954: Report says cigarettes cause cancer.
sport. He created a school soccer team and amalgamated it with the Western Club. Our school soccer team also The coronation of Her Majesty Queen
Segregation ruled illegal in U.S.
played in the Saturday Competition under the name of Western Aranui. We won the competition every year Elizabeth on June 2nd 1953.
thanks to the dedication of Mr Cutler. He would be out on the playing field with us before and after school and 1955: Disneyland opens.
lunchtime and he was a hard task master, demanding only the best effort. He had played goalie himself and as McDonalds Corporation founded (McDonalds restaurants)
I was near the tallest in the class he insisted that I played goalie also. He also organized for our team to travel 1956: U.S. aircraft lands at the South Pole. They are the first people there since Scott and his team in 1912.
up to Wellington each year to play a match against his old Team which was Seatoun. It was a great adventure T.V. remote control invented.
travelling up on the ferry from Lyttelton with all of us housed down in the 50 bunk bilges. Then being billeted
out to the Seatoun players. 1958: Soviet satellite Sputnik launches into space. Laika, a Russian canine, becomes the first living animal
into orbit.
He also tutored the school cricket team the same way as he coached the soccer team but we had less success Lego childrens building bricks are introduced.
amongst the surrounding school competition. At the end of 1952, as was his habit, he selected the top three N.A.S.A. founded.
sports boys and invited them through their parents of course, to accompany him on a camping trip. The three
selected were myself, then known as George, Gavin Secker, and Raymond Terrace. It cost us 20 pounds each
and Mr. Cutler took us to Wellington on the Ferry where he hired an Austin A40 Station wagon. We then Knocking some
travelled up the east coast of the North Island visiting all the historic sights and places of interest on the way as
far as Cape Reinga. We then travelled down the West coast diverting back to take in the Waikato river and 1950 - 1959 (New Zealand) bugger off.

power station, Rotorua etc on our way home. A truly memorable holiday. I must say that if that happened 1950: New Zealand Naval and Ground forces sent to Korean War
today, people would be looking sideways but he was more like a father to us, and a strict one at that. Needless Aranui celebrates 150 years of European occupation.
to say, I made sure that I got out of the goalmouth when I attended Moorehouse Academy in 1993 and stepped
into the Right Fullback position. 1951: ANZUS Treaty signed between U.S.A., Australia and N. Z.
Bob Ealam. 1952: The N.Z. population reaches over 2 million.
18th October was the last day the tram went down Pages
Road from the City to New Brighton ending 65
years of service.
Aranui Worsted and Woollen Mills Ltd (Millers) opened on Pages Road. At its peak there were 200
employees. The mill closed in the early 1970s.
1953: The first tour by a Reigning MonarchQueen Elizabeth the 2nd.
Sir Edmond Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay are first equal to climb Mt Everest.
Railway disaster at Tangiwai, 151 people die.
1954: The Aranui Block was developed - Merrington Crescent, Doreen Street and Betty Place
Fred Cutler and the 1956: New Zealand troops sent to Malaya.
Western Soccer Aranui Seventh Day Adventist Church and Iona Presbyterian Church open. St Ambrose Anglican
Team 1950. Church has the new Church built.
The Wainoni Block, Hampshire Street area, is developed.
1957: 17 February: Last hanging in New Zealand - Walter James Bolton.
Bickerton Street and surrounding area developed. For housing and industry.
N.Z. general election - Walter Nash leads the second Labour Party Government.
The first successful land crossing via the South Pole is led by British geologist Vivian Fuchs with New
Zealander Sir Edmond Hillary leading the back up party, over 40 years after Shackletons expedition
set out with the same aim. (See the d.v.d. with this book of film footage of Vivian Fuchs visit to the
school.)
1958: PAYE tax introduced.
First air-lung machine used in New Zealand - at Greenlane Hospital.
1959: The Aranui Speedway closed.
The Canadian Blocks streets are named: Vancouver Crescent, Niagara Street etc.
Auckland Harbour Bridge opened.

1950 - 1959 41 42 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1960 - 1969
TEACHERS until 1961 As described on page 36 by the Headmaster, C.O.D. Roberts, the school was growing and growing.
1960 T. W. Lambert
1960 B. M. Hunter
In Particular the development of the Wainoni and Aranui Blocks brought 1000s of people into the district in a
Record of Head Teachers Committee Chairpersons 1960 D. V. M. Hoban short time period, 1956-1962. Wainoni school opened in September 1960 with their first four classrooms and
1956-1961 Mr C. O. D. Roberts 1952-1960 Mr A. S. Lewis 1960 F. Tooley in 1960 was complete. Avondale Primary School in 1963 then Chisnallwood Intermediate School in 1967.
1960 Mary J. Paton
1964-1968 Mr K. Wood 1961-1962 Mr P. Joyce 1960- Miss Marjorie A. Jones
1969 Mr L. Barry 1962-1966 Mr D. King 1960- Allan Shirtcliffe
1967-1969 Mrs B. Searle 1960- Miss Margaret Hall
1969-1973 Mr B. McKay 1960- Mrs Margaret Brookes
1960- Miss Fay Brown
1960- Miss Margaret Clark
1960- Miss Marion Rae
1961- John Leversedge
1961- Douglas McKillop
1961- Mrs Norma Kerr
1961- David L. Langon
1961- Mrs Patricia King
1961- Miss Lois Brown
1961- Miss Patricia Newman

Aranui Staff 1960

Back Row: Fay Brown, Margaret Clark,
Dave Lanyon, Marion Rae?, Nurse ? ,
.. ?
Middle Row: Nurse ?????, Trish King,
Norma Kerr, Bert Powell, Mr McKillop,
Trish Newman ?, Margaret Hall [Now
Hatton ], .. ? , Nurse -Neville Ross
Front Row: John Leversedge, Mrs Lew-
is, Mr Anderson, Miss Jones, Mr Rob-
erts, Miss Flemming, Mr Iggo, Lois
Brown, Mr Shirtcliff.

MEMORIES OF ARANUI by Huia Moore

First assistant from 1964-1978 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
I joined the Staff in early 1964, as First-Assistant. I enjoyed the School so much that I taught there until
retirement in 1978. I found Aranui pupils as lovable, considerate and co-operative as you would find anywhere
and the parents were friendly and interested. We had our characters, of course, but teaching would be dull
indeed without them.
Joining the Staff at the same time was a new Headmaster, Mr Ken Wood from Otago, a popular and competent
leader, who retired in 1968. his wife, Vi was clerical assistant for much of the time, the Infant Mistress was
Miss Flora Fleming and the Senior Woman was Joyce Kennedy who had started at Aranui in 1964. during this
period the Staff was a very happy team. After his retirement and a short spell in Dunedin, Ken Wood returned
to Christchurch and became a regular and valuable reliever for many years.
The opening of Chisnallwood Intermediate in 1967 was hard on Aranui. In the first year, only Form 1 classes
were taken from contributing schools but, in 1968, Aranui was completely decapitated. The loss of all the
senior pupils was a severe blow at the time.
Mr Lyall Barry, from Queenstown, was Head for 1969 but left us to join the Inspectorate. The era, 1970 to
1978, could well be labelled Aranuis Golden Years. Mr Ian McKay became Principal and, under his
guidance and leadership, the school became a large, happy family with Staff relationships and co-operation
reaching the very highest standard. Ian was a leader par excellence, a father-figure, compassionate and
considerate to all and, a master of delegation. So trusted and trustworthy was he that everyone wanted to
remain in the happy and stable environment he created. A most practical person, he enjoyed attending to
malfunctionsa broken shoe, a mechanical fault in a car, etc. On one occasion a parent mistook him for the
caretaker. When required to relieve a classroom teacher he always took with him his violin and a stock of
stories from history. One of his favourites was Hannibal Crossing The Alps and I am still not certain if he
ever completed the crossing. His violin was used frequently in the staffroom to mark the birthday of a Staff
member.
My memories of Aranui School, the hundreds of children there, and the large numbers of dedicated teachers
will always be precious to me.

1960 - 1969 43 44 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 PARENT 50TH JUBILEE 1961
TEACHER The decade photographs have been displayed in this book in the chapters that the pupils were at school as well
ASSOCIATION as on the d.v.d with this book.
P.T.A. What is exciting to me is that the d.v.d. also has film footage of this event filmed by an ex-pupil, Eric Rhodes.
To think that the first pupil registered on the school roll, Colin Goring, was filmed on this day for all of us to
see along with other first decade pupil, along with the photos he took, are in colour.
Eric took a lot of film footage
as well as 1000s of photo-
graphs from the late 1950s
until the 1970s capturing a lot
of history of Aranui as well as
other paces. My book Aranui
and Wainoni History has
many of his photographs as
well as other film footage of
the district.
When Erics son Peter was at

School Parent Teacher

Associations were very
popular all over New
Zealand. Aranui was no
exception. You can see
from just this one page of
minutes that many mothers school from 1956, Eric filmed
were involved. Making different events and made a
clothing was profitable and short movie of this. Included
in demand. Remember the is Peters first day, Vivian
Warehouse didnt open, Fuchs visit to the school and a
and cheap imports werent sports day. This movie is also
available until the 1980s. on the d.v.d. in this book.

A P.T.A. was formed in 1957, and with their help three Fairs have been held. A Sound Film Projector was
bought and has been a feature of our work ever since. A new broadcast and inter-communication system has
been installed, a filter plant is in at the learners pool, and such items as a record player, a tape recorder,
several sewing machines, units of playground equipment, two new basketball courts, additions to the library,
etc. have all gone to making the school one of the most modern and well-equipped in the city.
C.O.D. ROBERTS, Headmaster 1961

Current teachers Ex-Committee members

1960 - 1969 45 46 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

These photographs were taken by Eric Rhodes as well as somebody else unknown, possibly his brother Cyril.
They are on the d.v.d. with this book.

Saturday 4th
November 1961 at
1.30pm. Assembly at
School 50 years and
three days after it first
opened.

The toilet block can

be seen behind the
trees.
This flag pole remained in place for almost
The flag pole in the fifty more years. It was in 2007 when the
back ground remained caretaker Mike Bowers was doing a safety
on this site until 2002 check, leaned on the pole and it came crash-
when the caretaker ing to the ground. It was luck that the bell had
was checking build- just gone and the children had gone to class.
ings, playground etc It had gone rotten at the very bottom where
for health and safely bolts anchored it to the ground.
issues and thought he
would give the flag- For many years up until 2007, the school
pole a push and to raised the Zealand flag each morning.
everyones surprise it
snapped offit was
rotten at the bottom.
A steel pole is being
arranged to take its These two seats were purchased
place. (08/12/11) as a memorial to the Golden
Jubilee. In 2002 Zoe and Phil
Claridge began to restore them.
Because they shifted out of
Christchurch, Tim Baker finished
them in time for the centennial.
Eric with his movie camera. See the 2000-2011 chapter.

Reminiscing over their class photographs. Eric Rhodes photographing old friends.

1960 - 1969 47 48 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 WATERSHED by Robyn Searle
Pupil from 1959-1966 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
The last twenty-five years must have been as eventful for Aranui Primary as all of the first fifty years put
together. They have seen the event of new and often rapidly-changing teaching methods, and of a new breed of
teachers who went into what they thought was a profession ended up feeling it was just a job. They have seen
the character of the district change into what is now a multi-cultural area with the pupils coming from a wide
variety of ethnic backgrounds. And they have seen the onset of a technological age, reaching its height in the
1980s, and having a far-reaching effect on what the pupils of today will need to learn in order to prepare them
for the work-force of tomorrow.
I was lucky enough to attend Aranui in the 1960s before all these changes began to take effect. But the pupils
who started with me in 1959 were really the last class of the old era. We were taught to read and spell by
syllables, and later when the time came we learnt our times-table by recitation. But by the time we left in 1966
things were changing rapidly.
We were the last class to go through to Standard 6 before the school was de-capitated to accommodate the
new Intermediate Schools. We were one of the last classes to experience the traditional way of teaching
mathematics before the arrival of New Maths. We were the last class to deal in Pounds, Shillings and Pence
because decimalisation arrived on 10 July 1967. We must have been one of the last classes to have been driven
all the way to Phillipstown by bus for Cooking classes (for the girls) and Woodwork classes (for the boys). Miss F. Fleming
And last, but not least, we were one of the last classes to experience the unique flavour of a warm bottle of
milk on a hot summers morning.
As for the future; no one knows what will bring, but one thing is for fairly certain and that is that Aranui will
still be there in another twenty-five years to celebrate its Centenary.

Tim Baker adds (2010):

And they have seen the onset of a technological age, reaching its height in the 1980s, and having a far
-reaching effect on what the pupils of today will need to learn in order to prepare them for the work-force of
tomorrow.
1980s!!!!!!! Robyn must have been shocked to see what has become common place in the 25 year since he
wrote this in 1986. Computers (p.c.s) work a 1000 times better and faster now and are half the size, laptops are
even smaller. c.d.s and d.v.d.s! Floppy disks are a thing of the past. Did I mention the internet or digital still
and video cameras, kids making I-movies, home movie projectors, cell phones and texting and i-pods. Did we
have microwave ovens in 1986? The Choir of 1963 in front of the Peace tree planted Primers 1&2 Room 11 1963 What I love about this
in 1919 by a pupil Effie Snook. (See page 11) photo is it shows the house across the street clearly.
What on earth will the school be like in 2036. Three dimensional movies have just been released (2010), will
teaching be done in a holo-deck like on Star Trek? Will our phones and intercom be a badge worn on our
shirts? The internet on a watch that we talk to? How quiet will our cars be with electric engines? Or will they
fly? Will kids know how to swim? Will we be allowed to play bull rush? Is climate change and global warm- Free milk in schools 1937-1967
ing for real? Will the rich take trips into space? Will there be a cure for cancer? Will all our food and medi-
cines be genetically modified?
I will have to wait until I am 66 years young to find out. I bet the answer is yes!

Aranui Primary
School children
Form 2 1964 drinking milk
on the last day
of free milk in
schools, 1967.

Free milk in schools started in 1937. this was part of the first Labour Governments plans to boost the health
Ken Wood and welfare of young New Zealanders. The scheme was a world first. Each day milk monitors supplied half a
Head Teacher from pint of milk to each pupil. By 1940 the milk was available to 80% of school children. For a few years during
1964-1968 W.W.2, pupils also received an apple a day. Milk in schools finished in 1967.

1960 - 1969 49 50 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 ARANUI COMMITTEE CHAIRMANS REPORT 1963
MR D. King 1960 - 1969 (World events)
During the Committees time term in office the school held its 50th Jubilee. The committee wish to thank the 1960: The Laser is invented
Jubilee Committee for the gift to the school of several garden seats for use outside.
The school playing fields were transformed and sown and we now have one of the best Primary playing fields 1961: The Berlin Wall is built.
in the Christchurch area. Sprinkler system extensions were purchased with money raised by means of a raffle, The Soviets launch the first man into space.
keep the area green. 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis.
For the first time the school received an environment certificate credit. Mr Roberts. Marilyn Munro found dead.
Last year the school had the doubtful privilege of having the largest school roll in Canterbury. At one stage the
roll number was almost 800. (This peaked at 837 in 1960) With the opening of the Avondale School the roll 1963: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.
dropped considerably, but is slowly building up again. Martin Luther King Junior makes his I have a dream speech.
We have had three permanent caretakers over the last two years, and several assistants. However, now all 1964: The Beatles become popular in the U.S. Berlin Wall
parties appear to be satisfactory and the school has never been cleaner. Three working bees have been held by Civil Rights Act passed in U.S.
this committee, 2 to clean the school between changes of caretakers, and 1 to paint and clean the baths. Nelson Mandela sentenced to life in prison.
Over the last 12 months the committee has sent three newsletters home telling parents what has been Cassius Clay (A.K.A. Mohammad Ali) becomes the world heavy weight champion of the world.
happening at school. All of these reminded parents about donations to the school funds, in accordance with the
motion passed at the last House Holders meeting. The first of these appeals, 1961-62, resulted in 73 families 1965: Japanese bullet train introduced.
contributing and the 2nd appeal was answered by 120 families. At this time there were over 425 + families Malcolm X is assassinated.
represented at the school. This year some of the 340 families have already sent donations to the school. The U.S. sends troops to Vietnam.
committee is very grateful for this response. 1966: Mao Zedong launches the Cultural Revolution in China.
Recent reports in the newspapers may lead some people to believe that funds are no longer needed, but please Star Trek, the T.V. series airs.
note that as far as the Committee can ascertain, existing schools are not provided for, we still have to pay for
replacements and new equipment. 1967: First heart transplant.
During last year the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company ran a competition in the schools and two of our pupils Six Day War in the middle East.
won 1st and 2nd prizes, amounting to 40, which money came to the School Committee under the rules Three U.S. astronauts are killed during a simulated launch.
governing the competition. 1968: Martin Luther King Junior is assassinated.
The School Committee with the able assistance of Mr Anderson organised the giving of a recital by the Robert F. Kennedy assassinated.
Shirley Thompson School of Dancing in the Aranui High School Hall. This raised 31 for school funds.
Through the generosity of local businessmen who donated the prizes, the Committee ran a Xmas raffle 1969: ARPANET, the precursor of the internet is created.
resulting in 56 for school funds. Neil Armstrong becomes the first man on the moon.
The Parent Teacher Association gave to the School Committee 240 to be spent at the discretion of the
Headmaster. Neil Armstrong
Without these amounts your children would not have had the benefit of the various articles purchased with the
money.
The school syllabus covers such a wide variety of subjects these days that the more money the committee has
to spend the more interesting school work becomes for the children and teachers.
1960 - 1969 (New Zealand)
The Education Board has allowed us the use of a prefab as a library and the equipping of that will be the first 1960: Auckland gets Television. The rest of N.Z. soon follows.
task of the new Committee. Treasury leases New Zealands first computer from IBM.
1961: Capital Punishment abolished in New Zealand.
1962: New Zealand troops sent to Malaysia during confrontation with Indonesia.
Western Samoa becomes independent.
Cook Strait rail ferry service begins.
Taranaki gas well opens.
1964: Marsden Point oil refinery opens at Whangarei.
Cook Strait power cables laid.
Aucklands population reaches half a million.
1965: New Zealand sends combat forces to Vietnam.
Cook Islands become self-governing.
1966: Auckland International Airport opens.
National Library of New Zealand was created.
Te Atairangi Kaahu becomes the first Maori Queen.
1967: 10th July - decimal currency introduced. Wahine sinks
Breath and blood tests introduced for suspected drink drivers.
1968: 10th April: Inter-island ferry, Wahine, sinks in a severe storm in Wellington Harbour.
Three die in Inangahua earthquake.
1969: The vote is extended to the age of 20 years.
National Party win the general election - 4th in a row.
Standard 1 Room 16 1969
Photo Margaret Hunt

1960 - 1969 51 52 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011

 1970 - 1979
Record of Head Teachers
Headmasters
1970-1978 Mr Ian McKay
1978-1987 Mr William Billing
1970 - 1979
Committee Chairman
1969-1973 Mr B. McKay
1973-1979 Mr R. Minhinnick
1979-1981 Mr R. Unwin

William Billing

Other
Ian McKay
1976 Staff names
Back Row (4) Row (2)
Barbara Harnett Esme Claxton
? ?
? ?
? Bev Breward
?
Row (3) June Clarkson
Val Wihapi Shirley Sinclair
Fay Julian (D.N) ?

book
Hilary Moore
Annette Car- Front Row (1)
ruthers Joyce Iggo
? Lake Sinclair
Budge Hundleby Hugh Brown
? Joyce Kennedy
Ian McKay
Huia Moore
Joyce Barry
Tom Rangi
Maud Williams

ARANUI by Ian McKay

Headmaster from 1970-1978 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
My memories of my years at Aranui are, perhaps, the happiest of my teaching career. First thoughts are of the
complete integrity of the staff and their stability and dedication to duty from within themselves, without the
need for any external pressure. Their lives were devoted to the welfare of the children under their care with
love and effort. Actually, there were very few changes during my time there and I feel that this was due to the
trust they had in each other and the affection that made them feel like a family. The school was organised into
class units with a teacher responsible for each. Problems were generally resolved in the group discussions they
had regularly. This made the full staff meetings, which were held often, more relaxed, pleasant, and less onerous.
All of the staff members had complete trust in each other and thus they were able to discuss problems freely
together without any qualms or suspicion. This trust engendered a similar feeling in the children who were
loyal to their teachers and gave then full co-operation.
I feel like writing down the names of every staff member and adding thanks and recognition. I must mention
the fine work and lasting influence of my First-Assistant, Huia Moore and my Senior Woman, Joyce Kennedy.
I am indebted also to the Heads of the Infant Department, the much-loved late Nance King, Hugh Brown, and
Norine Collett. We all seemed to work together as a team. Each teacher could have free and uninhibited
discussions with any other staff member without consideration of rank. The excellence of Joyce Iggo, our cler-
ical assistant and the ready co-operation of others outside the actual teaching staff were additional bonuses. I
have fond memories of the great work and personality of the late Ed Carter, visiting teacher, who has been
sorely missed. A wonderful contribution was made by teacher-aide June Clarkson, and by Mrs Bess
Minhinnick whose expert organisation of the library benefited the whole school.
Charlie Truscott worked faithfully to keep the school in first-class condition and Ray Frost was always ready
to carry out any sort of repair work at short notice. Under the aegis of the late Roger Minhinnick, our school
committees worked diligently and in harmony. Rogers death was a great blow to all of us all.
These groups worked closely with us and were thus part of a cohesive team for the benefit of all. Nothing is
perfect. I recall having lots of trouble with stray dogs which would sneak in and devour lunches in the cloak-
rooms. From my farming days I still had a stock-whip which I kept in my office. This whip was not used for
hitting the animals; it was employed to make a loud cracking noise which sent them scampering.
PTO

1970 - 1979 53 1970 - 1979 53

We also had some troubles with items being stolen from the tool shed. I wired the area with scientific-looking Tim Baker1977, a year worth remembering
bits and piece which were intended to give the impression of a burglar alarm. We had very few further losses. Mr Wood was relieving our teacher Mr Morris this day.
I remember having numerous arguments with Joyce Kennedy regarding my Methven origins. I had a feeling Darren Gilbertson, Darren ?, Elle Maat, ??, Kelvin Jones,
that she was rather jealous as it was a bigger and more influential area than the place of her upbringing. The Brent Shanks,
situation would be even worse now that there is a fine ski-field near my birthplace. I am sure there is not one at
LOBURN! Andrew McClure, Tim Baker, Willy Martin, Esrom
Lafituanai, Edward Van Den bos, Lindsay Shatford,
The staff family used to meet regularly on a social basis away from the school. They still do, and we look Mark ?, David Taylor
forward each year to a call from Hilary Moore to come together once again, to keep in touch and discuss old
times. Some come from far away to share the occasion. Janet Lawson, Debbie ?, Lara Rutherford, Tracey??,
Tracey??, Leah Hurst, ?? Donna Platt, Heather McKay
Many practical advances occurred during my time at Aranui. A solar-heating plant was installed in the
swimming pools; a large adventure playground was set up and new relocatables replaced old wooden
buildings. The administration block was enlarged and refurbished, complete with a large concrete block sun
patio dedicated to Beverly Breward. Many other minor works were carried out with one large classroom being
converted and furnished as a library. 1977 was a year when life long friends were made. Lindsay and I are still best of mates. Quite regularly I see
I thus look back on the excellent school of Aranui with the pleasure which arose from being able to work with some of these people in everyday life and others I wander what they are doing. We had the best of teachers,
a fine team of teachers, energetic helpers, co-operative parents, highly-efficient committees and lovable Mr Morris who drove to school in a Morris Oxford car. The first words he said to us when we sat down on the
children. mat on the first day of the new year, was If I am grumpy it is because I had a late night. How to scare your
Ian McKay 1986 pupils. With that out of the road it was all good.
There was one sad occasions during the year when one of our class mates, David, drowned at the Estuary. A
Morris car full of pupils from our class went to his funeral. David was missed by all. Our classroom was the
old prefab, the only one left and still is.
There was a pot belly stove in the corner and Mr Morris would regularly load coal into it. It was great for
drying clothes too. There was a cloak room as you entered and Lindsay and I put on a puppet show in there for
the class, Little Red Riding Hood. The class had made papier-mch puppets and we were so proud of ours.
We had a 5 minute rehearsal and made everybody laugh, probably because it was ridiculous. Maths was start-
ed with King and Queen of the table. The champion, usually Lindsay would be challenged by different pupils
and Mr Morris would call out, 4x6=, immediately the answer was shouted. Usually both had the correct
answer and usually Lindsay was first. A small prize was given at the end of each week - Lindsay won many
prizes that year. Today we owe it to Mr Morris in particular for the quick multiplication skills we have.
All the years at school are memorable, sports days, swimming in the cold pool, going to two movies - Water-
ship down and Pelican boy, watching a movie in the library especially the Australian one where the kids find a
cave. I have joked with my daughter about the day my brothers and sister dared me to wear my sisters dress to
school, of course I did and when Mrs Barry thought I was a new girl at school and I was going into the wrong
toilet and I explained who I was, I was later told that she thought my parents must have been nuts.
Before I started school when I was about 4 (1973), my father rode to school with me on the crossbar on
Saturday mornings to help other fathers to make the junior playground. I remember playing at the side out of
the way and the huge concrete trucks pouring the concrete around the outside to make a running/cycling track.
Pea stones were shov-
elled in as the soft fall
which worked well
except the running
track now became a
walking track as every-
one must have scraped
their knees at some
time.
Great photo thanks
Hugh Brown.

A class had studied American Indians and dressed up as Indians making their clothing from flour sacks and
other material. Photo: Dave Tieleman.

54 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1970 - 1979 55

 ARANUI IN THE SEVENTIES.
by Hugh Brown
Infant Mistress (yes Mistressnot a typo)
I was very lucky to be appointed to Aranui because it
was the most friendly and efficient staff that I have
known, knitted together by a very humane and
understanding principal, Ian McKay. Under his
guidance and through his efforts a wonderful
family atmosphere emerged in an area which need-
ed just that. The children, parents and staff enjoyed
and responded to this very well. I was a rarity at that
time, a male Infant Mistress, and a very large one,
at that.
Hugh Brown and the teachers playing basketball in 1974
Although I was only at Aranui for
seven years I count my time there
as a perfect training ground for my
future teaching. Ian's leadership
brought great stability at that time,
with at least ten members of the
staff spending more than ten years
together. Even now, we meet
annually for a meal together more
than thirty years later. Tena koutou katoa
Some memorable highlights during
My name is Tania Kaa and I went to Aranui Primary from 1976 to 1981
this time were the building of a
My 1st teacher was Mrs Newton in new entrants and it was a very scary day having to leave my Mum.
solar-powered swimming pool,
I remember the classrooms being so big and was fascinated how the big windows opened up like doors in the
through public subscription of a
summer.
small amount by each parent, and
Day 3 into being at school I fell off the big fort and broke my wrist and this giant man called Mr Brown helped
the building of a learners' pool with
me to the sick bay.
the depth of water graduated from
I also remember how we used to jump out of our classroom windows in practice for a fire. This was in standard
18 inches 24 inches to 30 inches in
3 with Mr Holbrooke.
steps. A new library and staff room
I joined the Maori Group with Mr Rangi and used to have to stand on a desk and swing my poi, and I recall him
were also developed in his time.
crippling a lot of boys with his massive hand shake that used to make their eyes water.
Often I am stopped by ex-Aranui
I remember how we could order fish n chips and it came wrapped in newspaper and we could also order
people (both parents and past pupils) and greeted - a sign that I was part of a great time in their life. To be rec-
flavored milk that was a Friday highlight for our family.
ognised in such a way is a wonderful thing for a teacher. Thank you Ian, for helping me learn more about peo-
I learnt to swim in the school pool when I was 4 and if you remember the smaller pool used to have steps well
ple, but more for just being there.
I thought the steps continued to the very end of the pool and I sunk and went under and came up spluttering a
Hugh Brown
dear old lady by the name of Mrs Clarkson (who used to bike everywhere) panicked and nearly dived in to save
me.
I have very fond memories of my schooling at Aranui and feel privileged that this can be continued with my 3
children who are current stu-
dents of the school.
In 2006 I was voted onto the
Board of Trustees and in 2008
I was elected Chairperson.
I am proud to be associated
with a school that carries great
Mana in our Community. I am
pleased that I can give back
something to the school that
gave me a great start in my
education.

Nga Mihi
Tania Kaa

Photographs:
Hugh Brown
1974

56 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1970 - 1979 57

 1970 - 1979 (World events) 1980 - 1989
1970: Computer floppy disk was introduced
1971: United Kingdom changed to decimal currency Principals
VCRs introduced 1978 - 1987 Mr William Billing
1972: M.A.S.H. the T.V. show premieres 1987 Mr Len Garvey
The pocket calculator is introduced 1988 - 1990 Mr John Girdler
1973: U.S. pulled out of Vietnam
Committee Chairman
1974: Terracotta Army was discovered in China
Philips N1500 video cassette recorder, with a 1981 - 1984 Mr R. Unwin
1975: Arthur Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon wooden cabinet 1984 - 1985 Mr P. Mischewski
Microsoft was founded 1985 - Mrs A. Regan
1976: North and South Vietnam join to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 1985 - Mr K. de Roo
The Tangshan earthquake killed over 240,000 people
Because the records of the
1977: Elvis Presley was found dead Committee are not easily obtained,
The first Star Wars movie was released not all are recorded in this book.
1978: The worlds first test tube baby was born
1979: Margaret Thatcher was the first Women Prime Minister of Great Britain
Sony introduced the walkman

First hand-held HP35 calculator THE PRINCIPAL COMMENTS by William Billing

Principal from 1978 1987 (from the 75th jubilee booklet 1986)
1970-1979 (New Zealand) Although my association with Aranui School began only a little more than eight years ago, I have learned a
great deal in that short span of time. On looking around the densely-populated suburb, one finds difficulty in
1970: The supply of natural Gas from Kapuni to Auckland began visualising the sand-dunes, the acres of lupins and the areas of swamp of seventy years ago, with the embryo
in the midst of those lupins. Todays events help us to recall that history. After very heavy rains, the lake
1971: The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter begins operating now the sports field, fills up again and prevents our using the fields for some days.
Warkworth satellite station begun operating
The concerted effort of School Committee and Education Board have eliminated the Sea of Aranui and the
1972: Values Party was formed Aranui River on Breezes Road. Within school, children will have heard of the difficulties of early settlers
Equal Pay Act passed and the hardships of school life in the early twentieth century. Many will be surprised to learn that the front
Norman Kirks Labour Government wins general election fence has a foundation constructed of bricks from the old brick school that so many earlier pupils will
Mount Erebus crash 1979
1973: A naval frigate was dispatched in protest against the French nuclear tests remember.
in the Pacific When one reads and learns of the rapid progress in scientific and technological knowledge, greater in the last
New Zealands population reaches 3 million ten years than in the previous five hundred, one understands the difficulties which beset the child of today,
Colour T.V. was introduced faced with the mastering of complicated modern apparatus and a changing curriculum.
Oil price hike brought the worst terms of trade in 30 years
The immediate future is uncertain, associated as it is with accelerated changes practically those associated
1974: 31st August - Prime Minister Norman Kirk died with social and political issues. But, I
The Commonwealth Games were held at Q.E.2, Christchurch feel sure that whatever lies ahead, our
The New World Supermarket opened in Aranui. Closed in 2006 present pupils will remember that they
1975: The Waitangi Tribunal was established were part of the seventy-fifth jubilee
N.Z.'s 2nd T.V. station begins broadcasting and that the taking part may, in some
National become new government small way, contribute to the inheritance
which is their right.
1976: The metric system for weights and measures was introduced Congratulations to those of the past
1977: The National Superannuation scheme begins seventy-five years, and the very best
Big Norm (Norman Kirk) in 1972
The 200 nautical mile (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) wishes to those of the future.
is established
1978: Registered unemployed reaches 25,000 W. Billing (Principal) 1986
25th May - The army and police remove protesters from Bastion Point, 218 arrests were made
1979: The Air N.Z. flight 901 crashed into Mt Erebus, Antarctica, killing all 257 people on board
Car-less days were introduced
7th November - M.P. Matiu Rata resigns from the Labour Party join the Mana Motuhake Party
Nambassa - 3 day music and alternatives festival was held in Waihi and is still the largest event of its
kind in New Zealand

1983 Rangers Soccer

58 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1980 - 1989 59

 Mr Len Garvey was Principal
in 1987.

Mr John Girdler was Principal

from 1988-1990.

ARANUI REFLECTIONS
John Girdler- PRINCIPAL 1988 - 1990
I was appointed as Principal in 1988 during the introduction of the Tomorrows Schools reforms. This move
to self management provided exciting opportunities and some challenges to the leadership and management of
New Zealand schools. The first self managing Board of Trustees did their best to embrace the changes and put
energy into developing the Charter and starting on policy writing. During this time of change I was fortunate
enough to have friends working for the Canterbury Education Board so when they were winding down Aranui
school benefited from free carpet for the infant block and art supplies from the Art Advisers.

I would like to acknowledge the high quality of the teaching staff. We were blessed with a professional team
possessing a child centred approach to teaching and learning. Some challenging pupils were supported by
relevant learning programmes and behaviour management strategies. During this time a privilege system was
introduced to reward acceptable behaviour by allowing pupils to choose doing a range of enjoyable activities.

The sporting abilities of the Aranui children were a real strength. The pupils had a warmth and an appreciation
of having a caring school environment providing them with consistent value and beliefs. It was with mixed
feelings when I left to take up a position as School Leadership and Management Adviser with the Christchurch
College of Education. This period in my career was a challenging yet rewarding time.

60 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1980 - 1989 61

 75th JUBILEE
October 31st, November 1st & 2nd 1986

A school jubilee is a good time, and very common, for schools to have landscaping and painting up-dated.
Aranui School is no exception. Built in 1956, this block was painted for the first time. They are great photo-
graphs of the brick fence too. When the Brick School (See page 10) was demolished in about 1937, the
bricks were used to make this fence. It was replaced in 2001.

Eric Rhodes collection from the 50th and 75th Jubilees.

These photographs as well as others on the d.v.d. were taken by Eric, except the decade photographs.
Hiring a marquee meant that all weekend was in the
one location. Friday night get together, Saturday
lunch and dinner and the Sunday morning church
service. The church service was taken by the minister
of St Johns Anglican Church in Woolston, Fraser
Flanagan. He was a pupil and past teacher of the
school growing up on Pages Road past Cowles
Stadium.
Most of the people in this photo on the left as well as
others from the 1930s and 40s decided at the jubilee
to meet for lunch twice a year. To date they missed
only once being the miserably cold winter of 2009.
0

62 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1980 - 1989 63

 This stage was made in
about 1975. Ray Frost,
was a parent and
carpenter. He was on
the P.T.A. and was
involved with the
organising and
construction of many
school projects.
Mr Percy Richards ringing the bell
Percy was the eldest pupil starting school in 1912,
the 47th pupil on the school roll.

The Mayor Sir Hamish Hay

Miss Rose Millard cutting the cake

The back of this photograph says that Rose is a first
day pupil. The school records show that the school
opened on the 1st November and that a Dolly Millard
started on the 6th November. It is probable that this is
Roses true name.
In my Aranui and Wainoni History book, chapter
16, the New Brighton Golf Links 1910-1919, there is
a newspaper article about New Zealand number one

golfer in 1908, 1909 and 1912, James Clements. The article tells of a Jack Mallard as a boy caddying at the
golf links on the corner of Cuthberts and Breezes Road and learning from the best. As a result Millard became
a pro golfer. It is very likely that his true name was John, not Jack as this was common to do so and that Rose
was his sister.

64 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1980 - 1989 65

 1980 - 1989 (New Zealand) 1990 - 1999
1980: Saturday trading partially legalised.
1981: South African rugby teams tour brings widespread disruption.
1982: First Kohanga Reo established.
Year-long wage, price and rent freeze imposed that lasts until 1984.
First N.Z. football (soccer) team to compete at FIFA World Cup Finals.
1983: Visit by nuclear-powered United States Navy frigate Texas sparks protests.
1984: Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march and disruption of Waitangi Day celebrations.
Aucklands population exceeds that of the South Island.
Government devalues the N.Z. dollar by 20%. Hikoi returning from Waitangi
Finance Minister Roger Douglas begins deregulating the economy.
N.Z. ratifies the U.N.s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
1985: Anti-nuclear policy leads to refusal of a visiting American warship, the USS Buchanan.
10th July: Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk by French DGSE agents in
Auckland Harbour.
N.Z. dollar was floated.
First case of locally-contracted AIDS is reported.
Waitangi Tribunal was given power to hear grievances arising since 1840.
1986: Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 passed.
Soviet cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov, sinks in the Marlborough Sounds.
Goods and services (GST) tax introduced.
First visit to N.Z. by a Pope
The constitutional Act ends the right of the British Parliament to pass laws
for N.Z. Rainbow Warrior RONA FISHER - PRINCIPAL 1990 - 2002
1987: Share prices plummet by 59 percent in four months. I took up the Principalship of Aranui Primary School in September 1990 at a time when schools were just
Maori Language Act is passed making Maori an official N.Z. language. taking their initial steps into the great change called Tomorrows Schools. Not only did the community have
Anti-nuclear legislation enacted. to come to grips with their first female Principal and throughout my time there I was delighted to be referred
First Lotto draw. to as the Headmaster more often than not - but we all had to find out what it meant to be part of Tomorrows
N.Z.s first heart transplant is performed. Schools.
N.Z. wins rugby World Cup.
Significant earthquake in the Bay of Plenty. At first it meant not enough money to do what was needed as, predictably, the funds provided to run schools
were significantly less than required. We soon realised that being a self-managing school meant that we could
1988: Unemployment exceeds 100,000. define our pupils needs (and that I needed to do my best to find supplementary funds to fill those needs). We
Bastion Point land returned to Maori ownership. were able to establish some wonderful programmes and watch our students making excellent progress.
Cyclone Bola strike northern North Island.
N.Z. Post closes 432 Post Offices. I found our pupils delightful. They were warm and affectionate, mostly eager to learn, and full of pride when
Fisheries quota package announced for Maori Iwi. their achievements were recognised. Early on we recapitated the school bringing back Year 7 and 8 and thus
giving those pupils a familiar and supportive environment and enabling them to assume leadership roles which
1989: First annual balance of payments surplus since 1973. most were delighted to do.
First School Board elections under Tomorrows Schools.
What can I say about our wonderful staff? This was (and is) a school which attracted some very fine teachers.
Sunday trading begins.
They were and are dedicated, innovative and creative and their pupil-management skills were and are superb.
Third TV channel begins.
It is a source of great pride to me that two of our young teachers have since become highly successful
Maori Fisheries Act passed.
Principals at this school.
One major development was the growth of our IT programme. It is odd to remember that we installed our first
1980-1989 (World events) computer in 1991 - yes, ONE computer for the whole school! - but thanks to highly skilled staff members, by
the millennium we had a superb computer education programme equal to that of any primary school in Christ-
church and certainly better than many. The other development of which I am particularly proud was that I was
1980: John Lennon was assassinated. Mt St Helens erupted. Rubiks cube becomes popular. able to facilitate the building of a hall which I am sure continues to be a huge asset to
1981: Assassination attempts on the Pope and US President Ronald Regan. 1st women appointed to US the school.
Supreme Court. Millions watch Royal wedding (Charles and Dianne). New plague identified as AIDS. I do not have space to acknowledge properly the work of The Boards of Trustees, the
Personal computers (PC) introduced by IBM. PTA and the staff and parents involved in the Bilingual classes or to talk about the
1982: King Henry 8s ship the Mary Rose was raised after 437 years. Falkland Islands invaded by Argentina. wonderful Culture Groups. What a lot of talent there is in Aranui!
1985: The hole in the ozone layer discovered. Wreck of the Titanic found. My twelve years at this school were an exciting and rewarding time.
1986: Challenger space shuttle explodes. Chernobyl nuclear accident. U.S.S.R. launches Mir space station. Rona Fisher
1987: DNA first used to convict criminals. New York Stock Exchange suffers huge drop on Black Monday.
1989: The Berlin Wall falls! Students massacred in Chinas Tiananmen Square.

66 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1990 - 1999 67

 Pearl Speyer - READING RECOVERY TEACHER 1990 - TODAY
What a privilege it is to be part of Aranui Primary School. I started as a teacher aide in January 1991.
After leaving school I worked in Whitcoulls in the Educational Books Department, 1963 - 1974, in Cashel
Street, then 2 years as manager of the department in Wellington. I returned to Christchurch for another period
1988 - 1990. I have also taught for a while at Kip McGrath and as a private E.S.O.L. tutor. My association with
the school started in 1980 when my son started as a new entrant, then my daughter in 1983. They both had Tash
Newton as their classroom teacher. During those years the school decapitated so both went to Chisnallwood
Intermediate School and then Aranui High school. While they were at Aranui Primary School, I was a parent
help and also did some Community Pre-school work for the Canterbury Education Board from September 1982
Chris Nord was young once!
- March 1985 then again for a term in 1986. My base was the school in the room which is now used by Tash
(Principal 20052011)
Newton for reading recovery.
So I have always been involved with education and have seen many changes through the years in education and
also in the position of Teacher Aide. Requirements, strategies and accountability have changed a lot in the past
20 years, so one has to be very flexible.
Although I have many other responsibilities, I have worked mostly in the Learning Support area helping
children with literacy, writing, maths, speech and E.S.O.L. There are many facets to these areas especially as
each child is an individual with different learning styles and needs. Each day has its own challenges and
satisfactions. To work with children and see them grow and learn new concepts is so rewarding. I also have
great pleasure in supporting the teachers, they are amazing as the responsibility and workload for them is huge.
I have a personal saying, making a difference is energising. In my years I hope I have made a difference in
Willie Manual not only taught at Aranui both the lives of the children and the teachers and therefore benefiting the school and the wider community.
School but grew up in Tomrich Street and I have many memories, have learnt a lot myself and cant think of a better place to work, I guess that is why I
attended here as a pupil. He was the eldest am still at Aranui School 20 years on.
of 5 boys in his family.
Pearl Speyer

Junior Playground - 1996 A class trip to the estuary 1996 Senior playground

68 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1990 - 1999 69

 DUFFY BOOKS - BOOKS IN SCHOOLS
Alan Duff at Aranui school.
The Alan Duff Charitable
Foundation Duffy Books in Maori Cultural Group performing at
Homes programme is a literacy Linwood City Mall (Eastgate) 1996.
programme aimed at breaking the
cycle of booklessness amongst
children at low decile schools From time to time the school would
throughout New Zealand. showcase the pupils talents at the mall.
The programme was initiated in
Camberley School in 1992.
Christine Fernyhough set up an
office sponsored by Mainfreight
(this arrangement continues
today) and in 1995 The Alan
Duff Charitable Foundation
Books in Homes programme
began.

Since the official launch in 1995 with 80 schools, 16,000

students and 14 sponsors, the programme has grown to
encompass almost 550 schools, around 100,000 students
and more than 200 sponsors in 2011. By October 1999,
more than 1,000,000 books had been distributed. The
2,000,000th book milestone was reached in June 2002.

Now that figure has reached well over 7,000,000 and the
Duffy Books in Homes programme has inspired offshoot
programmes in the Pacific Islands, Australia and the USA.

CRICKET AND PRIZES

Richard Hadley presenting a signed
cricket bat to Aidan Hazel in 1997
In 1997 schools in Christchurch were asked to participate in a International Day 1996
fundraising effort to help support the Christchurch City Mission.
The children who took part were given a cardboard money box to put
loose change into.
Many of our Aranui Primary School children helped and every child
in Christchurch that participated went into a draw to win one of three
prizes.
By chance a pupils name from our school was drawn, Aidan Hazel.
He won a cricket bat that was signed by both the New Zealand and
the Sri Lankan teams.
Richard Hadley who is New Zealand's all time best player presented
the cricket bat to Aidan and was told not to use it as it was valuable.
Because he was keen to play he was given a second bat without
signatures to hit balls with.
Aidan still has the bat and treasures it.
On the first of February 2012 Aidans mum Helen phoned me (Tim
Baker) to ask if I had seen the original photo of this article as she
thought it was at school somewhere. It was to be Aidans 21st
birthday shortly and she wanted to display this photograph.
I had this photograph in this centennial book on this page with space
for a write up about it when I found the correct information. I was
thinking that I wouldnt find any information and have a simple Samoan Culture Group 1996
heading only. Thanks Helen. In the 1980s two classrooms that were joined had the walls removed to make one big room. This was the
school hall until 2000 when the new hall was built. It is still one room and has been used as a media room,
library and classroom.

70 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 1990 - 1999 71

1990 - 1999 - (World) 2000 - 2012 THE NEW MILLENNIUM
1990: Hubble telescope is launched into space. Nelson Mandela is freed from prison.
Principals Before the hall was built
1991: A bronze age man is found frozen in a glacier. The collapse of the Soviet Union.
South Africa repeals apartheid laws ending segregation. 1990-2002 Mrs Rona Fisher
1992: The official end of the Cold War. Riots in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict. 2002-2005 Ms Ginnie Warren
2005-2011 Mr Chris Nord
1993: The use of the internet grows exponentially. The World Trade Centre is bombed. 2012 Mr Mike Allen
1994: The Channel Tunnel is opened connecting England with France. Nelson Mandela is elected the Board of Trustees
President of South Africa. Chairperson
1996: Mad cow disease hits Britain. 2002 - 2004 Mrs Z. Claridge
1997: Hong Kong is returned to China. Pathfinder sends back images of Mars. Princess Dianna is killed 2004 - 2006 Miss J. Rogers
in a car crash. Scientists clone sheep. The tallest building in the world in Kuala Lumpur is built. 2006 - 2008 Mrs L. Farrant
2008 - 2011 Mrs T. Kaa
1998: India and Pakistan test nuclear weapons. 2011 - Mr T. Baker
1999: The Euro becomes the European currency. FEAR of the Y2K Bug

1990 - 1999 (New Zealand)

1990: Dame Catherine Tizard became N.Z.s first woman Governor-General. Telecom sold for $4.25 billion.
1 and 2 cent pieces are withdrawn as N.Z. currency. Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland.
Pay television network Sky T.V. began broadcasting. Big earthquake in Hawkes Bay.
13-14 November: David Gray killed 13 at Aramoana, before the police shot him dead.
1991: The Resource Management Act 1991 is enacted, rewriting planning law. Employment Contracts Act is
passed. Number of unemployed exceeds 200,000 for the first time. An avalanche on Aoraki/Mount
Cook reduces its height by 10.5 metres.
1992: Government and Maori interests negotiate the Sealord deal. N.Z. gets a seat on the United Nations
Security Council.
1993: Centennial of the Womens Suffrage is celebrated.
1994: N.Z.s first casino opens in Christchurch. First fast-ferry service begins crossing the Cook Strait.
1995: Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Auckland, Nelson Mandela visits. Team New Zealand
wins the Americas Cup.
1996: Imported pest, the Mediterranean fruit fly and white spotted tussock moths cause disruption to the export
trade and Aucklanders. The 13th National Park, Kahurangi, is opened in North West Nelson.
The Waitangi Tribunal recommends a generous settlement of Taranaki land claims. The first legal sports
betting at the T.A.B.
12th October: first M.M.P. election brings a National/New Zealand First coalition Government.
1997: T.V. 4 began daily broadcasts. Aucklands Sky Tower was opened. Jim Bolger resigns as Prime Minister
after losing support of the National Party caucus, and replaced by N.Z.s first woman Prime Minister,
Jenny Shipley.
1998: N.Z.s women rugby team, the Black Ferns, become the world champions. Prime T.V. is launched.
1999: 27th November: Labour win the Government. N.Z.s first elected woman Prime Minister - Helen Clark.

Bottom left: Te Rewi Tamihana (Head Boy), Detroit Matiana (Student Council Chairman), Chelsea Morrell
(Head Girl), Mahalia Hobson (Head Girl), Alex Zorn (Head Boy).

72 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 2000 - 2012 73

 GINNIE WARREN - PRINCIPAL 2002 - 2005
Aranui Days
My first association with Aranui started in 1989 when I was offered a job at the primary school under the
guidance of the then Principal, John Girdler. I have vivid memories of my first day as I overcame my fears of
setting up my very first classroom as a trained teacher. Laughter, curiosity, question and hugs greeted me as I
met my first ever group of students. Those first two years were some of the best of my teaching career. I had
the privilege to work with great colleagues and fabulous kids.
Then came what I fondly refer to as the boomerang years. Over the next ten years I left and returned to the
school having gained experience teaching at a private girls school and lecturing at the College of Education.
Each time I returned it was in a new role, as I became the: Assistant Principal, Deputy Principal, Acting
Principal and finally Principal.
I led the school from October 2002 until the end of 2005. Making the decision to further my career and leave
the school was a difficult one. Throughout the years the community had faced challenges and adversity, and
yet there was also hope and connectedness. The agencies our school worked with, the parents, staff and
children all contributed to this. The collegial relationships formed during these years continue to be the most
special of my life. I always said it took a special type of teacher to make a real difference in the lives of our
kids and I had the privilege of working with a large number of these people.
With only a few weeks between accepting the role of Principal at St Albans School and my final day at Aranui
I am still dumbfounded by the intimacy and personalisation of my farewell. Having been farewelled by the
children, families and community members I went on to be farewelled by a large group of people who played a
major part in my personal development as a teacher and Principal. Rona Fisher, the immediate past Principal,
past teachers, John Girdler, Ministry of Education staff were but to name a few gathered together to help send
me off. This illustrates the very essence that makes Aranui so special its people!
I wear the taonga the children and staff gave me with pride (and at times misty eyes).
Arohanui and thank you for letting me share in celebrating Aranui and its people.
30 YEARS AT ARANUI SCHOOL by Lois Mossop
In 2008 I retired from Aranui School after 30 years.
My time at the school saw many changes. Tomorrows Schools would be the biggest challenge as it changed
my office duties completely, we went over night from being a school to being a business. I shouldve thrown
the typewriter out of the window and concentrated on my computer - frightened I would lose everything. It
took me ages to get my confidence.
I started at Aranui School as a Teacher Aide and after a short time I relieved Joyce Iggo in the office where I
started, I stayed until I retired.
During my 30 years at Aranui School I met many wonderful staff, children and parents and have many
wonderful memories.
I must pay tribute to the previous and present staff members who have contributed to the growth of Aranui
school. No school can operate without the goodwill of staff and 100 years of education is a great achievement
and has seen the growth and development of a lot of children.
A school hall was built on the ground where the swimming pools were. It has made a point of focus for the
school. Rona Fisher - Principal, did all the hard work and planning that made this possible.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Aranui School on reaching this
milestone and wish them every success in the future.
To present and past staff I would like to send my love and best wishes for the future
and hope all have enjoyable 100th celebrations.
Regards
Lois Mossop
1978 - 2008

Ginnie Warren

Variety Club
Bikes for kids
2010 outside the
Cathedral in the
Cathedral Square.

Sharna Williams
Tamara Bamford
Morgan Verbitsky
Frances Havea
Jordon Hyde

The annual Variety Bikes for Kids Tour is part of the Variety Kids on the Move mobility programme, which
provides life-enriching assistance to Kiwi kids. Each year Variety Club provides around 450 children with their
very own bike. Aranui School nominates about 5 children each year.

Back row: Lyn Alcock, Sheila Russell, Lynette Clifford, Marilyn Knowles, Pearl Speyer, Tania Ward
3rd row: Debbie-Lee Barrett, Tash Newton, Lee Taylor Burt, Miriam Foulds, Marie Graham, April Winiata
2nd row: Sally/Missy Kinghazel, Karen Robins, Pania Tipene, Rhonda Mason, Carole Bibby, Francis
Ganderson, Diane Mason, Lynmarie Ariki, Karen Van Dorn
Front row: Lois Mossop, Keryn Wilson, Michelle Stock, Ginnie Warren, Chris Nord, Peter Davis, Julie Perelini.
- Aged between 7 and 9 years (between 111 cm and 135 cm tall)
- A role model to other children OR
- A child who has consistently made a difference within their school and community environments and has
shown an outstanding ability to assist those around them OR
- Socio-economically disadvantaged, with their family not in a position to purchase a bike OR
- Have recently overcome some adverse circumstances.

74 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 2000 - 2012 75


H1N1 VIRUS - JUNE
2009
In June 2008, I, Tim Baker, had a discussion/disagreement with a woman from the Christchurch City Council
about why the Aranui Community Hall should have air towels in the toilets to dry hands with. The council at
this time had the opinion that in a pandemic the air from the dryers could spread the virus. It was finally
decided that the modern dryers would be safe and the toilets ended up with them.
I commented to her that we should be more worried about the earthquake that is overdue. Who knew that both
a pandemic and an earthquake would effect Christchurch within the next 2 years? The Aranui Community
Hall on Breezes Road was used for a week in June for people to come to if they suspected they might have
symptoms of the virus. The following week one big consulting building was set up in the city.
The school was closed in 1918 with the
flue pandemic. For modern time this was
the first time a serious outbreak has
occurred. With population growth, cramped
living conditions for poultry and the 1000s
of plane flights round the world everyday
this undoubtedly will be the first of many.
The class numbers were low and many
people had flue like symptoms so it was
decided that the school will close for an
extra long weekend, 5 days in all.
76 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
ARANUI PRIMARY SCHOOLS LONGEST ASSOCIATE
Tash Newtonnee Huband
My family lived in Marlow Road.
My Mum and her two older brothers attended Aranui School for a short time in the 1920s and 1930s. My broth-
er and I also went to Aranui. I began as a five year old with Miss Fleming, back in 1952 and continued until
1959 as a Std 6 pupil.
Looking back at class photos, the same group of children were together for eight years. Most of us went on to
Aranui High School when it opened in 1960, and a small group of us went on to Christchurch Teachers
College.
I taught at Aranui in 1966-67 and then returned in 1977 when my two sons were at school here.
As a pupil I remember the friendships we had, the large classes, the teachers and their varied strengths and
interests, the warm school milk we had to drink, cycling to sports on cold winter afternoons, the daily
swimming lessons in the freezing pool, and weekend trips to Arthurs Pass led by our then class teacher Andy
Anderson.
As a teacher, the memories are of great kids and the richness of being part of the multicultural school Aranui
has become. The wonderful teaching and support staff over the years the faces may have changed, but the
friendship and collegial support has not, as staff continue
to work to provide the best for our pupils.
I feel privileged to have been a part of this school for so
long.
I wish the school and everyone associated with it all the
best for the future.
May the school flourish for the next 100 years!
[in spite of the earthquakes]
Patricia Newton (Tash) Tash Newton helping Jordon Anderson
More information about Tashs family from Tim Bakers book Aranui and Wainoni History.
The Denson family came out to N.Z. from Cambridgeshire, England in the 1870s, and settled in Christchurch.
They lived in England Street. Arthur Denson was one of three children in this family, each of whom was given
property in Christchurch.
His block of 16 acres was purchased in August 1905 from George Hawker. The land in question stretched
along the western side of Marlow Road from Pages Road, along the back boundary of Aranui School towards
Wainoni Road, finishing approximately half way across what is now Wainoni Park. Here a small house known
as the worry was built.
In 1913-14 Arthur Frank Denson (known as Frank) built a house (98 Marlow Road) near Pages Road, on a
sand hill. It was a wooden house with a steep corrugated iron roof and lath and plaster walls. A windmill on the
tank stand near the back door drew water from the artesian well. It was one of only two houses in Marlow
Road, north of Pages Road at that time. Frank and Beatrice had three children - Frank [1914] Bob [1916] and
Ngaire [1923]. In 1924, the balance of the block of land in Marlow Road passed from Arthur to his son Frank
Denson.
Over the years some of the land was subdivided into sections and sold off. When the war was over, the
government wanted land for the returning servicemen. All the land along the Pages Road and Marlow Road
frontages was subdivided for sections for this purpose at 95 &100 Pounds each. When Beatrice died in 1952,
the remaining land passed to her three children, Frank, Bob and Ngaire. It was subdivided into 8 sections.
These were gradually sold, except for two behind the original family house, which became the home of Ngaire
and her husband, Ron Huband. This gave their children, Tash and Ken a huge area in which to play and when
they grew up and married they both built on the last remaining sections behind their Mum and Dad, and with
the arrival of their children the fifth generation of the original Denson/Lovett family played on the land.
(They loved the name Frank.)
Tashs mother Ngaire Huband, nee Denson remained living here until she moved to a retirement home. The
property was sold in February 2005, just 6 months short of a century from the time Arthur Denson first
purchased the land.
2000 - 2012 77
 Aranui Affirm Day 2010 3 photos THE MURDER HOUSE CLOSES
55 YEARS OF OPEN WIDE

Nga mihi mahanga kia koutou katoa.

Ko Ngati-Parou, Ngati-Awa ki Tuhoe oku iwi.
Ko Maraea Taueki KingHazel taku ingoa.
Tena koutou Tena koutou Katoa.
Kia ora my name is Whaea Missy. I have an awesome husband Eugene and two beautiful daughters, Amanda
and Ngahuia. I have been working here at Aranui Primary School since 2000. I started here as a support staff
worker alongside Whaea Julie Perelini, tautoko Te Reo Maori me ona Tikanga within the Whanau Class in
Room 12.
The following year we moved to Room 13. The teacher there was Tuahine Kylie Dayle who I worked with for
two terms before she headed off to Australia. Whaea April Winiata took over the Whanau Class. Within that
time our tamariki role started getting bigger, so we had to open another class. That was exciting. Matua Tipene
Walker taught Room 14. I also got to be part of the Kapahaka group. I worked alongside and observed a
legendary man whose songs still live in the school today, Matua Tuu Pouwhare. He sadly passed away in 2002,
his songs will continue to live on. Whaea April and myself took over the Kapahaka group with the awesome
support of our whanau and wider school community, everyone was tumeke. We also have a Samoan culture
group that was run by Mrs Lynmaree Ariki with the tautoko from Natu and Mele Tangiaso and the massive
whanau that embraced their children. Many thanks to you all.
Last year some of our past students were part of our cultural groups as tutors. I was fortunate once again to be
part of organising these young talented students for leadership and their commitments in this area. Our children
felt comfortable having them at practices and their performances. It was a special time for them and their tutors
to reflect on how well their performances went. Monday 28th March 2011 was the beginning of the last week before the dental clinic closed for good. A new
building had been built at Aranui High School to accommodate 6 dental rooms servicing pre-school and school
Many thanks goes out to our past students Amanda Taueki (Kapahaka), Asovali Luma, Junior Filifili, Krystal children from the east of Christchurch.
Samuelu, Christina Manava and Lucy Moevoe (Samoan Culture) for their wonderful work. Id like to take this
time to acknowledge Mr Mark Tulia, Mrs Jessie Kakoi and myself who do an awesome job working with Kimberley Baker received her first filling and her tooth was the last to be drilled and filled at Aranui School.
Kapahaka and Pacific students, getting them ready for performances at the Christchurch Cultural festival, Kids The clinic was built in 1956 and would have seen 1000s of childrens mouths open wide.
in Town and our local community Affirm Day held at Wainoni Park.
The staff are always warm and friendly, our children are awesome to work with. Aranui Primary School will
always have a special place in my heart.
Kua mutu taku korero mo tenei wa. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou katoa
Naku noa Whaea Missy Taueki Kinghazel.

On the 6th April 2011 the main sponsor of the Rugby World Cup, D.H.L. Couriers, invited Tana Umaga to
visit different school in Christchurch as a good will to the children of Christchurch after the 22nd February
earthquake. 99 boxes of groceries were given to deserving families along with 99 rugby balls. One was signed
by Tana, he also signed a lot of childrens clothing.

78 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 2000 - 2012 79

 ARANUI SCHOOL COMMUNITY GARDEN
You can read on page 37 about the school garden competition. This long running and successful annual event
ended in the 1980s. Perhaps it will be resurrected again some time.
In 2009 a teacher Marie Graham acted on an idea of a school community garden. The following year with
funding from the Canterbury District Health Board, timber was bought, the ground scraped and gardens
prepared. A fence was erected by the caretaker, Craig Youngman, some of the year eight children and myself.
One boy, Hoani was a bit of a handful in class but give him the nail gun and he was in his element. The pickets
were nailed on at first by a nail into the top rail and a second on the bottom rail. Hoani then went around and
shot in the 3rd and 4th nails required. He was getting tired when an hour later he had shot over 1000 nails.
SCHOOL CAMPS
The first school camp I went on was when I was 10 years old in standard 4. Three classes went to Leigh Camp
in Loburn. Mr Ufton lit the boiler to heat the water for the 2 minute showers. 2 minutes goes quickly and there
were no exceptions, some kids were still soapy when they were told to finish. We went on a long walk along
the river bed. One teacher, I dont remember who, found a large piece of petrified wood and later that day
organised a local and their helicopter to pick it up for him to take home. It was a time I will always remember
as will my brother Steve who helped as an adult (young adult) trying to get Kelvin Jones and others to sleep.
16 years later I helped on 3 school camps one after another. At this time there were three aged groups that
went on camps. The 7 and 8 year olds went to Spencer park for one night, the 9 and 10 years went to Blue
Skies in Kaiapoi or Hanmer and the seniors to Wainui Y.M.C.A. or Mt Vernon in Akaroa.
By 2012 I had helped on at least 10 camps. More recently it is just the seniors who attend camps that are
usually at Wainui Y.M.C.A. This camp is fantastic. The activities range from kayaking, ropes course,
abseiling, orienteering, ball games, walking, archery and other activities. My favourite on a sunny day is coast-
eering. Push your way into a tight wetsuit, drive to the coast. Climb down a steep wet clay path, crossing the
water to an island and jumping off high ledges into the moving water, kelp surfing, and just having a great
time. Come back covered in mud and having a warm shower. GREAT FUN!
Volunteer parents as well as friends to the school did all the cooking and food preparation. Diane Mason was
one of these and was at most of the camps I have been on as well as many others. (Tim Baker)

An official opening was conducted in mid 2010. Kaumatua Wharekura Kaa (Sandy) blessed the garden. There
were guests from Super Grans who hoped to help with the organisation of the garden. When the earthquakes
struck, plans were changed as they became very busy with other projects in the area.
What a great way to teach children the forgotten skills of growing your own food. It also teaches about bugs/
pests, soil, compost recycling, seasons, measuring/maths, patience and much more.
The intention is to involve pre-schools in the area to participate in growing their own veggies here as well.
Coasteering - Get muddy, get wet, have fun in the swell, jump off ledges, feel comfortable in the deep & get clean.

Community Garden 8th February 2012

At this time there are just 3
families using the garden. With the
on-going quakes it hadnt become a
desire to participate to most people.
It is expected that it will be used by
many families in the near future.
Photographed there is corn, carrots,
broccoli, cabbages, potatoes,
lettuce (over rated, how much
lettuce can one family really eat?),
pumpkin and strawberries.
Over the school holidays my Overcoming the fear of heights. There are small pieces of
daughter and I must have picked wood nailed to the tree as well as large metal u shaped nails.
over 150 strawberries and more The rope is looped around a pulley at the top and a belay and
today. an anchor person are the safety team at the other end of the
rope on the ground. At the top you change ropes and abseil to
There are also blackberries, feijoa, the ground.
apples and pear trees.
Other high rope courses are also used. At dinner time everyone
is in a buzz talking about how they did so well. Not everyone
gets to the top but every one gives it a good go even some of
It is hoped in the next few years that the garden will be well used and expanded with more raised garden plots the teachers and parents. They play it down but you can see the
and a large orchard. buzz on their faces.

80 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 2000 - 2012 81

 FAREWELL TO CHRIS NORD 1st NOVEMBER 2011
PRINCIPAL 2005 - 2011 SCHOOL CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY

When Mt Pleasant Primary Schools principal gave his notice the school approached Chris Nord to be
interviewed for the position. This was the last thing on Chris mind but after careful consideration he decided
to be interviewed and being the great leader he is, was offered the position.
7th October 2011 was his last day. There were many cheers and tears as we bid him farewell but not goodbye.
A korowai (Maori cloak) was presented to him as a thank you gift from the school. Kia ora Chris, tino pai to
mahi ki Aranui Kura!
You will be missed.
Photo: Terry Bennett
The school had postponed the centennial celebration for ex-pupils but for the present pupils and staff the 1st
November 2011 was 100 years to the day that the pupils of our school were enrolled with classes starting on the
6th November. By the end of 1911 there were 28 pupils at school, in 1960 - 837 and 2011 - 160. Remembering
that in 1960 before Wainoni school opened Aranui was the only primary school in the district and today there
are four plus Chisnallwood intermediate.
This day there was an assembly, traditional games and work as usual.

Teachers dressed in the

1911 period.
The clothing was hired
from Ferrymead
Historic Park.

82 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 SCHOOL 100TH BIRTHDAY 83

 2010 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES Written by Tim Baker
Saturday the 4th September 2010. The people of Canterbury woke earlier than usual by the 7.1 magnitude
earthquake centred in Darfield. 4.35am to be exact, we all rushed for the door frames, not knowing the modern
doorframes dont have lintels and would have been useless if the roof did come down. For Aranui the damage
was minor, barely any liquefaction, minimal land damage, sewers were mostly undamaged, the roads had some
holes and our houses on a whole had cosmetic damage apart from chimneys that either came down or had to be
taken down afterward.
New Zealands power supply has trip switches that activate in about 100th of a second when there is a power
serge. So here we are in the dark looking for a radio with batteries that are not flat. I had three torches near the
bed but had to sit in the car to listen to the news. Aranui was lucky compared to our neighbours such as Avon-
dale and Bexley as well as others. Lateral spreading (land movement toward waterways) had caused a huge
amount of damage to property as well as the sewer, power and water supply.
Another problem was the damage to water pumping stations and wells. The Palmers Road pumping station had
sunk as well as other stations. This was a real supply problem for a lot of people in the east of Christchurch.
Our school and most homes in Aranui had power back on later that morning, if your hot water cylinder wasnt
Traditional games were played in rotation, hop-scotch, damaged, as some were, then you were lucky enough to have water back later that day.
croquet, skipping, quoits and others. Some games were new Around 9.30am that Saturday morning I thought to myself that the school irrigation well would be a good
to some children and others have always been and will supply of water for the wider community. While driving to school I rang our caretaker Craig Youngman to ask
always will be. Croquet was difficult on the earthquake what he was doing. He replied he had not long been at the school to check damage and to get the well going. I
bumpy grass though. drove into the school. It is important to explain something here about our school at this time; the school has a
fantastic down to earth principal, Chris Nord, a hands on practical and willing caretaker, an active Board of
At the school assembly the school song and Trustees, and excellent and committed teaching and administration staff. I have at this time been on the Board
the national anthem were sung, there were for 10 years and had in my possession keys to almost all the school locks.
speeches from staff and our local Member Craig had been meaning to fix a break in the irrigation pipe before summer and took on this small task while I
of Parliament, Lianne Dalziel. went to find containers for the water to fill to make it faster for people to fill smaller containers and so the
irrigation well could be turned off and on when needed, and to paint some signsWELL WATER AT
Slides of the first 3 buildings, the church, ARANUI SCHOOL FREE.
the tin shed and the brick school were
shown. I wonder what was going through We met again about an hour later, turned on the pump and the people with thousands of empty milk and soft
their heads; for adults to comprehend the drink bottles began to arrive. This was the only source of water for so many for the next few days. We
changes from slates to computers is one estimated about 1000 people, some more than once, used this facility. During the day some teachers came and
thing, for kids I am not so sure. had turns manning the well as did other people from our community. As shown in the photograph below we
filled the large drums then would walk or bike to the pump by the alleyway and switch it off. At night we
would make sure they were filled so people could come and get it if they wished. This was a great success and
a pleasure for the school to know that we could do our part in the time of need.

Cutting the cake is our longest serving

teacher Tash Newton, eldest pupil Amy
Palmer and newest pupil to school, Horowai Whaea Sally and Carol Bibby cut the cake for everybody to
McDonald. enjoy a piece.

84 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 85

 Left: Page 33
Houses in Avonside Drive and the south end of
Pembroke Street in Avondale were hit hard.
Photographed here is Aranui Primary School
teacher Julie Perelini and Tim Baker helping to
carry the possessions of a family whos home
was, well, munted.

It was the time of the local body elections and a

team of candidates from 2021 including Tim
Baker organised and flyers to be dropped to
houses in Avondale. Some door knocking was
also done to the more damaged streets. Our
school staff and parents played an important part
at this crucial time.

Teachers such as Julie spent a lot of time at

school helping people with the schools well
water, sausage sizzles preparing food and talking
with parents from school and the wider
community. We are truly a community school!

Left top photo: Joanna is one of our parents.

Left bottom photo: Amanda is teacher Whaea

Missy (Sallys) daughter.

Below: Missy (Sally) is a teacher.

Page 27

The September earthquake had little

physical effect on the school unlike
Halswell School. Many of their class-
rooms were unable to be fixed and had
to be demolished.
Two of Aranui Schools prefabs were
relocated to Halswell for temporary
classrooms until new rooms were built.
They had been built in the early 1970s in
front of the Junior Block.
Driving along Halswell Road soon after
I saw our classrooms on site and the next
time I passed they had been painted and
looked as if they had been there for 40
years.

86 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 87

 The following day some people stayed at the hall as they either were too scared to go back to their homes and
THEN CAME 22ND FEBRUARY 2011 needed company or their homes were munted. They stayed a second night but the following day Civil
Defence had opened Cowles Stadium Hall as a refuge centre.
For the purpose of this book I have not included the devastation caused throughout the city but primarily There was no power for 2-3 days if you were lucky, others were with out power for much longer. Analogue
focussed on the school and local community where relevant. telephones worked but most have plug in types. Water was off for 7 days in parts of the area and weeks in oth-
Tuesday the 22nd February was a lovely warm summers day in Canterbury. The children had eaten their lunch er parts. Sewers were broken, no flushing the toilet, power supply was off from 3 days to weeks depending on
in class and had just gone outside to play. 12.51pm just 2 kilometres from Lyttelton a 6.3 magnitude earth- the street. BUT WE WERE RESILIENT.
quake hit with a thump and a continuing fast vibration. This fault line fractured in a place that hadnt moved in On day three my wife needed a prescription from the Aranui Pharmacy, they were in a panic doing business
thousands of years and was an unusually rough fracture. This caused the violet vibration that took everybody manually. I asked if they would like power and they said yeah, so I fetched my generator and 20 minutes
by surprise. later they were business as usual. My street Lenton Street had got power on that day, we were the lucky ones.
By telling my story again for this second quake is not to inflate my ego but is a story that involves the Aranui That day I biked around the district to see first hand how serious the situation wasit was.
district the wider community and particularly our wonderful school. Day five with water and power working at my place I set up a small laundry mart. To start I borrowed Wayne
At breakfast time I had asked my boy David if we should got into the town centre and visit the aquarium and to Perrots spare washing machine (ex-pupil and local resident) and had two machines under my carport and in
ride on the tram. Realising he had a prior engagement and being a little disappointed, I decided to paint our the garage for people to use.
kitchen. I had finished the ceiling and thankfully had got down off the bench and was painting a wall standing Like in September the irrigation well was set up having to switch it on and off regularly. A week after the
on the floor. WHAM!!!!!!!!! quake, day 8, Craig Youngman the caretaker, Steve Reid - community worker and resident, Steves colleagues
I heard it lasted 45 seconds but I remember about 10. I ran outside onto the deck until it stopped and thinking and myself ran an irrigation pipe from the well pipe on the field to the asphalt at the end of the school drive-
that it was the Alpine Fault, I knew this was serious. Like most people in Canterbury the first thing I did was to way. My brother Steve (ex-pupil) purchased a second hand 2000 litre water tank for use to hold the water in as
knock on the neighbouring doors and ask everyone to stay outside and talk with one another as there would be to allow a longer period of time between topping it up. T.V. Ones Close Up programme filmed this being
aftershocks. This took about 15 minutes. put into place as well as the washing machines at my place. Simon Baker from the New Zealand Herald also
filmed the water and washing machines. THIS FOOTAGE IS ON THE DVD.
I then made my way to the school with two first aid kits and a pushchair. On my way I called in to St Ambrose
Church and saw everyone was uninjured, including my mum. Brian S. said he would come with me as I was Rowan Dempsey from Fisher and Paykel rang to say they would donate 4 washing machines. Craig Young-
expecting the worst. We got as far as the Breezes and Pages Roads intersection and the traffic was out of man, Chris Nord and I tried to figure out where they could go in the school where security at night wouldnt be
control, no lights and not knowing the round-about rules. After he helped at school, Brian decided to direct the a problem. After about 3 hours Craig suggested that we use a submersible pump in the 2000 litre tank and we
traffic. I didnt realise at this time but hundreds of people near the beach were leaving because of a potential decided that the Junior Block veranda would be the most suitable/practical place for them. So we did. The
tsunami. The reality was if there was to be a tsunami it would have been 5 minutes after the quake. Brian S. storm water worked well enough to satisfy Rowan from F & P and the school was in business. They gave us a
was still directing the traffic until relieved by the contractors Fulton Hogan about 9pm. Brian is one of many carton of washing powder as well. After 2 days F & P offered 4 more washing machines and one other was
who didnt receive, and didnt wish to receive any praise but deserves a medal. given to the school and one more was lent by a parent. I had 3 at home and the school had 9. Over a thousand
loads of washing were done in a period of ten days.
Well we got to school and found everybody on the back field. What a sight, the asphalt was broken, the grassed
areas up and down but the worst had just begunliquefaction. The irrigation well had shot the bung on the top
off and water was spouting 3 metres in the air. The 3 sprinklers were rotating and watering the field, all I could
think was, wow! BUT now the liquefaction was coming up on the field, I think we all thought there were
broken pipes below but why would there be pipes under the field apart from the irrigation pipes? Liquefaction
when it comes out of the ground is mostly water and because of this it takes a huge amount of water to pour out
to make a small pile of silt. We had huge piles of silt!
To this point our teachers and staff had done an excellent job with our kids, making them safe and comforting
them. The only person that needed first aid was my own daughter Kimberley who had tried running to the field,
the school designated meeting point, she fell onto the asphalt and grazed her knee. I couldnt believe our luck
that it was a sunny, warm day and everyone was at play. The only teacher to be in class was Hayley Hewitt,
Kimberleys teacher and at this time was the only class room which door wouldnt open due to the quake.
Eventually it was forced.
It gets worse, the water was now surrounding the children and teachers leaving no dry exit. I tried convincing
the adults that we needed to move to the asphalt, I guess they were thinking of their own families and for a
short time were in shock. I started piggy-backing children through the water saying dont get your feet wet
because you wont have a wash for at least a week. They didnt comprehend this thought. I took them to a high
peak and then another B.O.T. member/parent took them to the asphalt. After a few minutes everyone had no
choice but to simply walk through the water as there was no dry ground left. We then had to move from the
asphalt near the field to the higher ground on the driveway near the hall. The washing machines were set up on the Junior
One by one parents picked up their children with the last being just after 5pm. This parent walked from the Block veranda. On the 19th March the machines
airport, it was quicker to walk than drive. were moved to Cowles Stadium to allow school to
start back on the 21st March. The machines were
We advised parents that if their houses were bad that they could stay in the school hall that night. My wife
well used there and remained until October.
and kids were picked up and taken to my sister-in-laws place in Sockburn. This enabled me to stay and help.
Thanks Fisher and Paykel - you served the East
That night there were 20 people in the hall. I had a generator for lights and charging cell phones and we had a
Christchurch community well.
b.b.q. to cook on. The irrigation well worked by itself for three days before the pressure went down so it could
have the bung put back in. That first night we got about 30 minutes sleep as every 20 minutes there was the
LEFT: The washing machines at Cowles Stadium.
sound of a train then BANG AND SHAKE..

88 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 89

 THE CHRISTCHURCH WORSHIP CENTRE by Pastor Steve Hira
February 22 we experienced an earthquake which ended in tragedy for a lot of people and damage to many
parts of Christchurch. As I drove through the Aranui community where our church offices is based I saw
streets ripped up, water flooding streets and property, liquefaction (silt) built up as high as sand dunes in many
parts, people walking in disarray, their heads down sobbing in disbelief, cars fallen into broken roading, police
cars even general public directing cars away from damaged roads in search of another way home. As I
watched this I felt an urge to helphow, I wasnt sure.
On Thursday 24th February I received a phone call from a person I didnt know asking if I could distribute 192
boxes of food if they got it freighted down. This person was a teacher from Freyburg High School, Palmerston
North. I didnt hesitate and said immediately I would be more than equipped to do this.
I decided to resign from my current employment and take on the task to help the Aranui Community. I wasnt
concerned about not getting paid; I knew somehow Id be looked after.
The boxes arrived on Friday where we picked them up from Air New Cargo Depot; from here Aranui Primary
School kindly gave us permission to store and distributes food from their School Hall. Key resources like pet-
rol stations, supermarkets, diaries and pharmacies were closed due to extensive damage making it difficult for
local people to buy food supplies etc. When the community heard a Food Distribution Centre had opened at
Aranui Primary School the people started flocking.
Within days the crowds became greater and we managed to source food locally (Christchurch) with trucks
coming in with deliveries. Over the days we began to receive good media coverage from both television and
newspaper sending out clear SOS signals throughout NZ.
I was fortunate to have great connections with our Assembly of God church network where we collected most
of our food donations from outside of Christchurch. All the foods were freighted in most cases free from any-
where in the country to Christchurch. This saw a continual flow of food for the next three weeks. The Food
Distribution Centre opened at 9am 6pm every day and because of the large quantities of food coming in we
needed help and people were happy to come in and devote their time. Because of the large numbers wanting to
help we knew we had to control it better, so we split the day into two shifts with 50 people at a time at one
shift. This enabled the Centre to run smoothly without wearying out the helpers. First shift was 8.30am 1pm
and the second was 1pm 6pm. There were days where we would run out of food and it was hard to tell the
3000 or so people standing in line waiting for food that we have run out. But so often enough a miracle would
happen and a food delivery truck would turn up and fill the hall again.
Over the days we began to notice the same people coming through collecting food while others missed out and
after visiting other food centres we realised we were best to get people to fill out forms to monitor the frequen-
cies of their visit to prevent greed. This process added more work and took countless hours drawing up a data-
base for better accountability and as the days grew on we got better at it.
During these days we had the Quan Yin faith, the Hari Christnas all cooking food to many hungry people. The
Funky Monkees entertained the children on several days. Tim Baker managed to setup several washing ma-
chines along with shower cubicles to see people through. We even had Russell Smith a well-known actor based
in Wellington travel down to show his support by helping with the traffic and parking on the school premises.
We gathered support from food companies all over the country and as we became more established the local
food suppliers began to pitch in.
90 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011
M.P. Pita Sharples, Jacquline Te Wani , Pastor Peter
Hira & Principal Chris Nord. Tama Iti out of the picture
The Cheeky Monkeys entertaining the children.
The Buddhist Community giving out hot rice meals, sometimes at lunch time and sometimes later in the day.
Many of our volunteer helpers delivered food to those who could not travel and it was feedback from these
helpers which spurred us on, hearing of the many who were living in their garages in fear of their homes falling
down or sleeping in their vehicles and tents sharing the same property with their family so that they were all
together. We have to remember the area had no running water, power or sewer operating for weeks, this created
headaches but the priority was to ensure we had enough food to service our area of influence.
The need saw us stay open for three whole weeks but over the latter week, and as the roads & services started
opening the numbers began to decrease giving us an indication the community was going through a recovery period.
At this point the ministry of educations priority was to get all the schools open and back to normal which
became another indication to possibly cease operations as we were at Aranui Primary School.
The need to supply food was still there but we had to move out of the school so they could start school again.
The only likely place to continue food supply was out of our office building on Pages Rd. We had no storage
space so I had to purchase containers big enough to hold all the food. I managed to source some containers and
got them placed on the back of our property.
The volunteers who helped us at the school hall were mostly local Christ-
church people and by this time had to get back to their usual work routines.
Through our church network we were able to continue with volunteer help for
the next six months not only supplying food, but also counselling through
Chaplaincy NZ, run by Australia Chaplaincy Services and seeking employ-
ment, working with WINZ and employment agencies in the area.
During the next six months we had the continual support of food suppliers and
organisations helping us in every way they could but we also realised we
couldnt continue providing food. Through-out this time we began to see the
main keys of provision were employment and housing re-construction and
knew if we could help them in this area the need for food would be minimal.
Twelve months on we continue to provide food and services when needed.
Pastor Steve Hira
EARTHQUAKES 91
 Others that paid a part A second block of prefabs leave
Lloyd ODell - Local man spend hours every day with the water supply, security at night before the security to another home
firm turned up and general work that needed dong like loading the trailer with cardboard from food cartons,
fetching plumbing parts and much more. Although our classrooms require a lot of
attention, floors levelled, doors and
Trevs b.b.q fr om Ashbur ton - This organisation came from Ashburton everyday, for about 2-3 weeks, to windows eased, painting etc, other schools
parts of the East of Christchurch and free of charge cooked sausages and bread for anyone and everyone. buildings werent so lucky.
Wayne Porritt - Ex-pupil and local resident who lent a washing machine, helped plumb the machines, The school had an additional block of two
found a correct pump to pump the water to the machines. The first one was the wrong type and the pressure prefab classrooms which were taken to
was low. We are all experts now. Woolston School.
Steve Reid and colleagues - Helped set up the 2000 litre water container, put in stakes and cordoned off are-
as, general advise.
Thomas McNally - Tom and others were volunteers from Red Cross who devoted many days to help people
with water from the tank. They provided hand sanitizer, masks and a water stand with 6 taps on it for multi
person use. At the peak the 2000 litre tank was filled every 20 minutes.
Bella Kilkelly - The Waltham Community Collage provided hot food on some nights.
Sue and Rob Silcock - Provided a laundry service for those with a lot of washing. They would take it at 12pm
each day and return it dry and folded the next. There are more photos and film footage of
I have missed placed their names - Husband and wife brought their truck with 2 water tanks on it for drink- the classrooms being taken on the d.v.d..
ing. They came from Southbridge each day for approximately 4 days prior to the 2000 litre tank being placed. It was incredible watching the men work.
Farmers - The Farmy Army scrapped the silt on the playing field into 2 huge piles that was later removed. The neighbour had no idea that the rooms
They also helped fence of the Aranui Community Hall in Breezes Road. St Ambrose Church was about to were raised up and were half in their
have a childrens programme on about day 4 of the quake. (It is hard to remember exactly). I said that the hall property as the truck went out off the school
was too dangerous to have children going past it when it was about to full down. 9.15am I rang Bruce Pauling gates in the early hours of the morning. The
Bruce Pauling - Bruce is a fencing contractor who until recently lived in Lenton Street, Aranui. The truck was literally 30mm from touching the
conversation was brief but by 10.30am I had fetched 30 posts and Bruce dropped off a roll of deer fencing fence opposite. Talk about a tight squeeze.
wire to the hall. Some Korean students begun digging the holes and part way through the Farmy Army
appeared and within 30 minutes the fence was finished!
Farmers wives - Theres more. While the farmers were cleaning up silt, erecting a fence and everything else
in Christchurch, their wives were baking at night and delivering it in the daytime to different locations
including the school.
Express mini-loos - These bucket toilets were assembled in Rangiora by volunteers. They were given out
throughout the East as a temporary measure. They had a plastic bag to fit LEFT: Pearl Speyer picking up her
inside a lid with the hole and a second lid to seal it when finished. A san- teaching resources.
itizer was provided to stop the smell. When full or as full as you wished it
to be the bag was taken out and tidy placed into another bag and was dis-
carded into the rubbish bin. Sounds disgusting, but when the water table
was just below the surface and a hole couldnt be dug there was no hesita-
tion except for some teenagers.
Russell Smith - Count Homogenised, t.v. personality. Russell has relatives
in South Brighton and had come down from Wellington to stay with them
and to help. He turned up one day and asked what he could do. I
suggested that he direct traffic to help with congestion. Russell came every
day for about a week and did exactly that. I didnt get to say good-bye to
Russell, so if you see him then give him a pat on the back from me.
Buddhist Community - They brought beautiful hot food to feed about 100
people. They did this at least 5 times.
Cheeky Monkeys - Children's entertainment group performed at least 4 shows.
RIGHT:
Other people who paid a visit wer e Leanne Dalziel our local M.P., Sir Anand Satvanand Gover nor Gen-
Everyone was grateful that nobody
eral and his wife Lady Susan Satvanand, Robyn Malcolm - t.v. star, Tama Iti and Pita Sharples from the was in the resource room
Maori Party, Derek Fox from television, Christchurch Press and Herald newspapers. Lucky nobody was in the resource room
during the quake, it is likely they would
I apologise for those I may have missed from the list. I wish I had kept a diary. have been crushed. The replacement
shelving is a lot stronger. The shelving
dominoed leaving everything on the
floor. This was an opportunity to do a
clean out of redundant resources.

92 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 93

 FIRST DAY BACK AT SCHOOL 21ST MARCH 2011

Immediately after the quake on 22nd February many of our families left Christchurch for good or until they
were comfortable enough living back on the east of Christchurch. The re-opening of the schools, four weeks
after the event provided an opportunity for the beginning of some routine and a new norm. However the first
week back our school had just 40% attendance. By the end of May, 3 months after, we reached 65% plus an
additional 15 new entrants and enrolments. From 185 pupils on 22 February to 121 pupils at the end of May.
By the end of the year 2011 the school roll was up to 159, however, with some children choosing to attend
Chisnallwood Intermediate and the year 8s off to High School started the year with 128 pupils.
This is a drop 50 pupils or 37%. 2012 will be a tough year with a reduced staff and budget.

Room 5 Mrs Jess Bijl-Kakoi Mrs Hanka Scott getting the office going

There were a lot of adults helping at the

Amy ZornStar Pupil school but I have to mention our star pupil
Amy Zorn. Her dad Les was on the Board
of Trustees at this time and came to the
school to help when he could. Amy accom-
panied Les and stayed when Les had to
leave. She asked for something to do and
when was given a task, got stuck in and did
it.
Over the week she helped people with
filling water containers and having them
Room 7 Mrs Sandra Bain Room 6 Whaea Julie Perelini put sanitizer on their hands first, helped
people when they needed instructions with
the use of the washing machines, demon-
strated how the bucket toilets worked and
handed them out, filled the water tank,
gave out food, greeted people and tidied
up.
I watch with anticipation to see what Amy
will do with her adult life. Perhaps shell be a future Prime Minister.

Room 4 Miss Felicity Upjohn Room 2 Mr Mark Tulia

Hayley Moss. No worries here! For many people port-a-loos were part of
their every day lives, for some, particularly on back sections, still used them
into early 2012.
Room 1 Mrs Mele Togiaso Room 10 Mrs Hayley Fayhey

94 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 95

 WILLOWBANK WILDLIFE RESERVE SEWER, STORM WATER AND HEADACHES
A generous donation was made to the school and with the generosity of Willow Bank Wildlife Reserve
charging $5 per child and adults free the whole school was able to spend the day at Willow Bank. The sewer and storm water were clay
In April a lot of the families had moved either temporarily or permanent so there were less than 100 pupils pipes and were cracked in many plac-
back at school at this time. es and was no longer on the correct
levels. The complete sewer and storm
The children, teachers and parent helpers all had a fantastic day. For some it was their first time at a zoo. For water were eventually renewed.
some it was the first time to relax since February 22nd.
The makers of the New Zealand famous Buzzy Bee sent cartons of thermos flasks with a cup-of-soup sachet A 20,000 litre concrete tank was
and Buzzy Bee boxes without the bees but with a packed lunch in each. Most were given to families in the brought on site to pump the sewer
community but by coincidence there was just enough for each child at school to take for their lunch. into from the pipes to prevent it flow-
ing into the main sewer pipe in
Breezes Road.

The main was broken in some places

and was often being repaired. Sucker
trucks were in the streets sucking up
the sewage from the sewage pipes for
months, in some parts of the district
they still do so even nowDecember
2011.

Dozens of clay pipes, electrical wires

and water pipes were discovered
when digging. Some were broken,
some didnt matter but some did.

What a headache.

The pipes leading to the two front

classrooms rusted on a bend and the
quake broke it. It was decided to
install heat-pumps into these rooms
rather than renew the pipes.

The water tank feeding the boiler

became loose and leaked. A crane
was brought in to remove it to have it
repaired and reinstall it.

The diesel boiler was converted from

coal in the 1980s. The pipes though
are original and are rusty in many
places under the ground.

96 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 97

 MORE SEWER, STORM WATER AND HEADACHES THEN THERE WAS MONDAY 13TH JUNE 2011

A 20,000 litre plastic water tank was
placed at the school. Chlorine was
added to the water providing the
whole school with drinking water.
It was October before the school
supply was able to be used again and
December before the city water supply
no longer had Chlorine added to it.
People I spoke with in February com-
plained how horrible the water was
with Chlorine but by the end of the
year most of us had got used to it. It
was nice to go back to our good old
clean Christchurch water though.
It was about 10 days earlier that the government officials announced that the geologist advised that there was a
97% chance that Christchurch would experience a 5-6 magnitude aftershock and a 25 % chance of a 7 or
slightly higher. They were correct. I remember six years earlier calculating in my head that an earthquake
happening in school time - about 200 days a year, 8.30am - 3pm is 6&1/2 hours being slightly more than a
quarter of the day There was more chance out of school time but be prepared. This quake was less than 20
minutes later than the February quake and both were at lunch time. WOW. (I wonder if I will be writing about
another before finishing this centennial + one book?)
At a minute past 1pm a 5.7 magnitude quake hit. What is as crazy for me is the fact that I had just finished
writing about the February quake, a few pages back, and had stopped to make lunch in my kitchen and was
standing in the same exact spot when this quake started as I was in February when I was painting the kitchen -
bizarre. Unlike February we all are much more resilient and though it is very scary people knew what to do
and did so. What we werent prepare for was a second bigger aftershock of 6.3 at 2.20pm.

By having the schools sewage being

pumped from this tank prevented the
street sewage lines getting more full.

Port-a-loos continued to be used until

August. They stayed on site until No-
vember just in case there was a future
need for them.

The concrete block classroom blocks
had some blocks removed and one
wall will be replaced in 2012.
Lloyd ODell on the left was a
volunteer from the community and
spent many hours helping out in
February and March. He continues to
help in the community with painting
out graffiti, helping in the community
garden and lending a hand where he
can.
This time I grabbed my camera and took these photographs. The school assembles on the court now when
there are big aftershocks, the grass proved to be less desirable when there is liquefaction. To keep the
children smiling or to put a smile back onto their faces some of us played with the ball and then netball.
After about 20 minutes the children whose parents hadnt collected them yet moved to the grassed area outside
the hall and Chris Nord fetched some ice creams from the freezer. We had just started eating them when a 6.3
hit. It was incredible being outside for a big one. The ground swayed up and down and sideways. We couldnt
stay on our feet and had to crouch. Bloody scary but what an experience. The school got some liquefaction but
apart from sticky doors no significant damage. The school reopened three days later.

Craig Youngman the school caretaker

on the right was a huge asset and was
at the school on most days ensuring
the hub functioned well. He helped
getting the well working, setting up
the washing machines, securing the
school - plaining doors, talking with
people and much more.

These two photographs are on Lenton Street as I walked home from school. It takes about 15 minutes before
the majority of the liquefaction (silt and water) is forced up from the ground. The left photo is a sewage colour
because a sewage pipe was broken from the pressure of the liquefaction forced from below. It left a metre
deep crater on the lawn. The water washes or soaks away leaving the silt. We have had lots of this happen at
school just like is pictured here. Liquefaction is the process, silt along with the water is the substance. The
water drains leaving a huge amount of silt.

98 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 EARTHQUAKES 99

2000 - 2011 (World events)
2000: Scientists mapped the human Genome. The I love you virus hit thousands of computers. Microsoft
Autographs
was ordered to split the company.
2001: 11th September: Twin Towers in New York were attacked by terrorists. Hurricane Katrina hits New
Orleans killing 10,000 people and making 10s of thousands homeless.
2002: Nearly 200 tourists were killed in the Bali bombing, including 2 N.Z.ers.
2003: Space shuttle Colombia was destroyed over Texas killing all 7 crew.
2004: The biggest earthquake in 40 years strikes the Pacific Ocean near Sumatra,
triggering a massive Indian Ocean tsunami, killing as many as 266,000 in
coastal regions of Asia and Africa.
2006: President Bush uses his veto power for the first time, striking down 80% of New Orleans was flooded.
legislation that would have
expanded the number of stem cell lines available for embryonic research using federal financing.
2007: Romania and Bulgaria were admitted to the European Union, expanding it to 27 nations and a population
of about 490 million people.
2008: The price of crude oil in the U.S. reaches U.S.$100 per barrel for the first time. In London the price of
gold reaches U.S.$861.10 per ounce for the first time.
2010: The human population of the earth was estimated to be 6,883,200,000.

2000 - 2011 (New Zealand)

2000: The Y2k bug did not bite.
2001: Air New Zealand bail out, the government purchased 76.5% of the
shares in the company.
Interest accrual is removed from student loans while studying.
2002: Kiwibank is formed.
30th July: the population of Canterbury reached half a million.
2003: The population of New Zealand exceeded 4 million.
The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 was passed in Parliament.
2004: The Maori Party was formed. Maori T.V. began broadcasting.
The Foreshore and Seabed Act was passed. The Civil Union Act was passed.
2005: 17th September 2005 general election saw Labour-led government return for a third term.
2006: 5 cent coins were dropped from circulation and 10c, 20c and 50c coins were replaced with smaller ones.
The Labour-led government announced a $11.5 billion surplus, the largest in the countrys history.
The South Islands population reached 1 million people.
2007: 2 May: Freeview television was launched providing free-to-air digital television.
1st July: KiwiSaver retirement savings scheme was introduced.
2008: 11th January: Sir Edmond Hillary died.
28th Nov: XL Airways German A320 Flight 888T, an aeroplane owned by Air New Zealand crashed in
the Mediterranean Sea killing all 7 on board, 5 of whom were New Zealanders.
Helen Clark was named Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme ranking her third
in the U.N. office.
2009: 6 March: David Bains retrial began, resulting in not guilty verdicts on all 5 murder charges.
28th April: The first confirmed New Zealand case in the 2009 swine flu outbreak was discovered.
2010: 4th September: 7.2 earthquake rocks Canterburythe first of many thousands !!!!!!!!
18th November: 29 miners died at the Pike River Coal Mine in Greymouth
2011: 1st November: Aranui School had its 100th birthday!!!! BACK COVER IMAGES
TOP PHOTO:
The whole school in1960 (837 pupils at its peak)

BOTTOM PHOTO:
100 Aranui Primary School Centennial 1911 - 2011 Whole school 2005 (230 pupils) 101
 1946

Autographs

Aranui School Centennial

plus one earthquake

1960

BACK COVER IMAGES

TOP PHOTO:
Whole school in 1946.

BOTTOM PHOTO:
The whole school in1960 (837 pupils at its peak)

ISBN 978-0-473-18076-8