DEIRDRE TOHILL: LANDMARK BUILDINGS
Richmond Road school
> RICHMOND ROAD SCHOOL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE HISTORIC PLACES REGISTER BUT nevertheless it’s a building that deserves recognition for the way its evolution from a small chapel in Brown Street to what it is today reflects the district’s changing character over more than a hundred years. What’s more, the school has the distinction of having Auckland’s first woman head teacher when Miss Emma M Fletcher took on the role back in 1884. In the previous decade less than 60% of New Zealand’s children attended school but Auckland’s population doubled during the 1880s and school rolls increased. Miss Emma had assistance from two young trainee teachers and the Education Board supplied the new “Brown Street School” with furniture, blinds, tanks and closets as acknowledgement it was relieving the general overcrowding of Ponsonby schools. When the school buildings expanded round the corner on to Richmond Road it was named after Mr James Richmond, who when he arrived here in the 1860s from London, found the houses ‘rather cockney’ in appearance and the settlers to have boorish ‘Yankee’ manners. He also described Auckland as filthy, dirty and squalid. His initial negativity must have changed because this gentleman colonist found plenty of opportunity in New Zealand and in spite of having only modest abilities, played quite a major part in the country’s politics becoming colonial secretary in Frederick Weld’s administration. By the late 1880s prosperity started to wane and Ponsonby became a dormitory suburb for the working class where many families existed on deplorably low wages and lived in poor conditions. Houses were built close together, not because there was a lack of space but as an attempt to have the secure neighbourly contact they had enjoyed in the old country. Cattle wandered in the streets and children played outside on land that one day would become major highways. Richmond Road petered out into a muddy track leading to a tidal creek and Surrey Hills was open grassland devoid of habitation. Despite the depression, people remained confident the economy would improve, a view that was indicated by progressive legislation such as franchise reform, women’s emancipation and the free secular and compulsory education chartered in 1877. The mid 1890s saw an upsurge in export prices and a vigorous building programme at Richmond Road School commenced. In 1903 a manual training centre was erected on the Douglas Street side of the school. For over 60 years girls and boys, throughout the district, attended classes there in cooking and carpentry. A committee oversaw other schools in the area and among its members, the renowned William Leys, established recreational facilities for Ponsonby’s youngsters. By the time the school celebrated its 25th anniversary it had several high-roofed barn -like rooms with platform galleries where tiers of children were packed in ascending academic order. Autocracy reigned supreme so even though the roll numbers were large, and there was a serious lack of space, there were no administrative problems. By 1919 the school roll numbered 782, which was 153 more than the permissible 12 square feet per pupil. After the First World War’s devastating effect on families who had lost their sons, residents began campaigning for action to improve Ponsonby’s grossly overcrowded schools. A meeting was held at All Saints School to uplift the “scandalous, unsanitary conditions” in the three schools covered by the committee.
PONSONBY U3A: APRIL 2014 COMPUTER CLASSES FOR BEGINNERS TO THE FUTURE OF INTERNET TECHNOLOGY, were topics covered at Ponsonby U3A’s April meeting. The speakers were U3A member Noeline Creighton, who is active in SeniorNet and Adam Dodds, Research Manager for IT Services at International Data Corporation New Zealand. Noeline had retired from her career as a health professional, knowing only what she needed to use the computer at her work. She didn’t have a home computer. She joined a group held in the home of fellow U3A member Rod Melville, where he explained the basics of computers. When Eden-Roskill SeniorNet started shortly afterwards, Noeline and Rod and others in the group joined - and 11 years later they are still members. Rod is a current tutor and Noeline has tutored but now attends as a member. SeniorNet offers computer tuition to people over the age of 50 in groups of no more than six with a tutor for every three people. It teaches basic computer skills and other new computer based technology skills. Eden Roskill SeniorNet is holding an Open Day on Monday 5 May from 10am-3pm at the Mt Eden Senior Citizens Club Rooms, 487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden. Adam Dodds introduced his address - “The Changing Role of Technology in our Lives” - by asking for a show of hands by computer owners, which was most of us. He then asked for tablet and smart phone users - still many of us. He pointed out that everyone is becoming more and more connected, that we are living in a new environment where people sometimes have three or four devices to connect with other people. His role with IDC, an international data company started 50 years ago to see where technology is going to take us, is to look at technology trends globally and the ways they are going to change New Zealand. “People can now be connected anywhere, any time, any place, or you can find the information you want,” he said. “Within ourselves we are creating so much information that it’s not possible to keep it in our heads. What we can now access is unlimited.” With the world population exploding, the infrastructure we take for granted is changing. We need to track the need and the only answer we have, he said, is to leverage technology. In the first world environment everything is speeding up. He touched on future uses of technology in areas like health, wearable technology such as Google Glass coming on the market now, and the Intel baby body suit with very small sensors to monitor babies’ temperature and vital signs. He finished with a word of warning - “Err on the side of caution when putting your information on the internet. Use your common sense when it comes to your credit card and pin number, and know what to turn on and to turn off on your computer.” Among the special interest group reports was the Ramblers Group visit to Ayrlies Gardens at Whitford, where the autumn colours were starting to appear. Ponsonby U3A has 13 special interest groups covering a wide range of interests as well as leisure activities. Ponsonby U3A meets on the morning of the second Friday of the month. Guests and new members are welcome at all our meetings. Speaker for the May meeting will be art agent Jane Sanders - “An Unstructured Career PN in the Arts”. (PHILIPPA TAIT) F NEXT MEETING:
9.45am, Friday 9 May, First Floor, Leys Institute, St Marys Bay Road.
ENQUIRIES:
Jane Jones, President, Ponsonby U3A. T: 09 378 7628.
Finally in 1926 the board responded to parental concern with a proposal to build a two-storied, 11-classroom building which was soundly rejected by the authorities. The scheme was repeatedly deferred and the children’s home across the road was used to relieve the school’s congestion. Finally, in 1929 the Honourable Harry Atmore, Minister of Education promised “It will be the first school in New Zealand to be rebuilt.” Things started to happen when in 1930 a large Morton Bay fig tree in the centre of the playground was removed to create more space, light and air for children who spent hours being schooled in cramped unsanitary conditions and in 1934 the Honourable Michael Savage and the then Minister of Education, Peter Fraser opened the main part of the current school. The school flourished from then on, so much so that in the 1960s it gained international recognition for its innovative developments in literary education, and those teaching methods have since become standard practice in New Zealand schools. PN (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F
24 PONSONBY NEWS+ May 2014
Members of the Ponsonby U3A Ramblers group enjoyed a visit to the world renowned Ayrlies Gardens at Whitford. PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)