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From the Headmaster’s pen
On 12 February 1959, just 59 boys and five staff made up the St Paul’s Collegiate School community on that first school day. In 2019, 29,229 students have passed through the main gate and have earnt the right to call themselves Collegians of St Paul’s.
This year we have the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate sixty years of memories, milestones and friendships that have been fostered as a result of each of us, at some point, being an active member of the St Paul’s community.
The school, in 1959, was a very different place than what it is today, barely converted from “the Great Oaks” farmland the Green family had farmed dairy cows on since 1954; with just a few classrooms, staffroom, dining room, kitchen and a dormitory for the ‘School House’ boarding boys. These rooms are now currently used for the teaching of mathematics, English and digital technology, on the side of the main quad closest to Hukanui Road. I wonder how the first Headmaster, Walter Ford, must have felt on that first day or if he had any idea of the legacy that he was about to create.
The vision of the original founding trustees has developed into the school that we know and enjoy. Each and every Collegian, former and present teacher, and staff member, every parent past or present, rightfully can claim their part of the special St Paul’s spirit and feel a connection with this place.
Something very special has gone on at this school over the past six decades. Lives have been changed, dreams fostered, friendships forged. It is fair to say that each of us are driven by our own dreams, passions, and preferences, but it would also be true to say that our St Paul’s experience has played a large part in influencing who we have become and has helped bind and guide us in a particular direction.
Those who established the school in the 1950s planted what was to be our guiding values; State in Fide or ‘Stand firm in our faith’, holding fast to your principles and beliefs, has been at the core of so many Collegians’ lives. Other values, such as: being welcoming and inclusive; striving for personal best; trying things that put us outside our comfort zone – both at the Tihoi Venture and Hamilton campuses; along with resilience, determination, passion and compassion continue to be fostered and encouraged amongst those Great Oaks and manicured grounds. Symbols have become traditions: the bumble bee sports jersey, the striped prefects’ blazer, the swords on the crest and more recently the haka, as a recognisable means of bonding the school community together.
Whatever was planted in 1959 has certainly grown and flourished, thanks to the care and cultivation of all those who have come to this place and made their mark over the past sixty years. And for each person’s contribution, be they Collegians, teachers, parents or trustees, we are truly grateful. They have played an important part in making St Paul’s Collegiate School the place it is today.
G W LANDER HEADMASTER
COVER PHOTO
To celebrate St Paul’s 60th anniversary, all students (except those at Tihoi) formed a human 60 on St Paul’s Lissette field. Photo credit, Mark Hamilton.
Message from St Paul’s Board
Last year, the Waikato Anglican College Trust (WACT) Board set a goal to ensure the school is well placed to deliver engaging and quality 21st century teaching. This includes resourcing and teaching spaces.
So there was no hesitation from the Board to approve St Paul’s most ambitious capital projects to date – to rebuild our very outdated library.
The school’s current library was built in 1968 when the roll was 360 students. It has stood the test of time and served the purpose it was intended for the number of students enrolled at the time. However, with the growing roll now at 740 students, the school has outgrown this space.
In deciding on the functionality and purpose of a new library, we have been deliberate in our work with the Headmaster and Senior Leadership Team to ensure we have a collaborative approach to the design and function. This has included work led by the Headmaster in consultation with staff to get them thinking how 1000m2 of space could work if it wasn’t built in the traditional sense of a school library.
The management team and staff have had discussions about how the new ‘Learning Hub’ might provide space for class collaboration, private tuition, small class break out areas, meeting spaces, reading spaces, teaching spaces and still provide an area for books.
These plans are taking shape and we all now eagerly await the prospect of this amazing new facility for our students and staff … a project we can all be excited about.
Construction won’t start until we have raised $1m to help fund this facility. We have raised $515,000 to date and need a further $485,000. See how you can support this project – more information is available on page 29.
ANDREW JOHNSON BOARD CHAIR – WAIKATO ANGLICAN COLLEGE TRUST
Heritage sites reveal untold stories
There’s no doubt that over the course of 60 years some amazing stories will be uncovered. This was certainly the case when researching the school’s history to identify significant historical sites on the school’s grounds for a heritage trail.
As part of the school’s 60th anniversary celebrations, research was undertaken to identify sites, either steeped in history or recognised as significant landmarks on the school grounds. These 15 sites form a selfguided heritage trail distinguishable by a sign, explaining the site’s early days and its development, through a series of images and stories.
Some interesting stories were uncovered through this process. One includes how paranormal activity in Williams House caused temperatures to drop, odd sounds to be heard and items being moved without any explanations, back in 2004. A discovery was also made about the three cypress trees that were descended from cones found in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. These trees are now planted in the school’s Garden of Remembrance on the western side of the chapel.
The heritage trail includes sites such as the Chapel of Christ the King, Mary Hornsby Music Centre, Lissette Field and tower block, Garden of Remembrance, Hornsby Library and others. The trail can be travelled by any visitor to the school. Maps will be available from the school office from September 2019 for self-guided tours.
New timeline marks school’s opening
Thetwelfth of February 2019 marked an historic event for the school.
On this same day 60 years ago, St Paul’s Collegiate School opened its doors for the first time to 59 students and five staff members.
To mark this occasion, the whole school gathered in the gym to watch the unveiling of the school’s historic timeline. As with any birthday celebration, cake was also shared.
The timeline, which stretches 25m long, is divided into decades and illustrates the school’s humble beginnings 60 years ago, its milestones, its new facilities and its highs and lows through to today.
The timeline also references national and world events so perspective can be placed on the events and activities happening at St Paul’s in the same era.
One of St Paul’s longest serving staff members, Mr Pat Plant and his wife Diana cut the cake before a slice was made available to every student as they left the gym.
Each decade of the timeline was revealed by a current staff member who were past students of the school and now teachers at St Paul’s.
These teachers are Daniel Teka (Sargood 2001-2005), Guy Johnstone (Sargood 1990-1994), Byron de Beer (School 2002-2006), Michael Rameka (Williams 1997-1999), Ryan McCarthy (Sargood 1993-1997) and Andrea Dela Rue (Harington 1985-1986) while Mr Andrew Bryant (School, Hamilton 1959-1964), one of the school’s foundation pupils, revealed the board explaining the history of the land and the 1950s era.
The timeline will remain on display in its permanent home in the school gym.
The Welcome Back reunion – celebrating 60 years
8-9 March, 2019
Collegians laughed, reminisced, exaggerated and even played a bit of cricket!
It was 60 years ago that the fields of the Great Oaks Farm were levelled to make way for a sports ground and three basic school blocks that would be the beginning of St Paul’s Collegiate School. Up to today, 29,229 students have passed through the main gate and have earned the right to call themselves Collegians of St Paul’s
Throughout the past 60 years, St Paul’s has consistently gone from strength to strength. Imagine what our Founders would think if they were sitting in the Chapel of Christ the King today. I think they would be well satisfied with the outcome, they would be impressed by the resilience and fortitude shown by the community at defining moments in past decades.
I take this opportunity to thank each of the Collegians, current students, past and present staff and trustees for your contribution to making St Paul’s what it is today. Your commitment has been greatly appreciated.
GRANT LANDER
HEADMASTER
1959 Foundation students with Headmaster Walter Ford and Housemaster Mr H Bruton
Remembering the beginnings service
“My Father sold this land to St Paul’s Collegiate School’s founding trustees. Seeing the Caterpillar tractor and carryall carving into the front paddock as I biked by, is etched in my memory. As the carryall dug deep, the paddocks, fences and water troughs were going or gone. Even as the farm life I knew and valued was disappearing, I realised an exciting and bigger community life was being created. I’m delighted to see my sister’s son, David Jefferis, is here with his sons, Sam and Adam. Adam is St Paul’s Head Boy this year.”
BRIAN
GREEN FAMILY (OWNERS OF THE GREAT OAKS FARM)
“We arrived at Frankton Junction at 6am on July 4, 1961, and went to a ‘farm’ with four new school buildings in it and with the flock of sheep still present. The school had already had two board chairmen, two headmasters and a complete change of teaching staff. In the first five years, we had five headmasters and the major sport for boarders seemed to be running away. For a time, there was a joke that there were more old teachers than old boys. Considering the difficulties, the school was remarkably successful and the boys turned out incredibly well. The school could not have succeeded without tremendous support from the parents. There was a glue that held us together.”
PAT PLANT, STAFF 1961-1998
“I am proud of my father, Walter Ford, our first headmaster, and I am honoured to be asked to dedicate a tree marking the first sixty years of St Paul’s. Although I was only a boy, I was lucky enough to meet most of the trustees and my recollection is that they were men with passion and they had a dream. We plant these trees not only to mark St Paul’s first 60 years, but to trust that these trees will stand as a silent witness to St Paul’s centenary, bi-centenary and beyond.”
RALPH FORD, SON OF FIRST HEADMASTER, WALTER FORD
GREEN ON BEHALF OF THE
Three generations of the Mckay family unveil the board of the first three years of students
St Paul’s staff reunited
Past and current staff gathered on the evening of Thursday 7 March and were treated to some behindthe-scenes teacher stories from Vic Matthews, Judy Shaw and Michael Lawrence.
“We had a readymade community of families around us. Entertainment was simple ... we were invited to Sargood where Pat and Diana Plant packed us into their living room to watch the movie … staff families got together for Guy Fawkes night which was fun, except the time Jim Eveleigh dropped a lighted something into the chilly bin containing the night’s supply. Whoosh! Spectacular, then it was all over.”
JUDY SHAW, STAFF 1976-2002
Vic shared the shock he had when arriving to a ‘farm’ as a school after leaving a school in England that was hundreds of years old and well established. He was shown to his ‘temporary’ makeshift workspace that he then worked in for many years.
VIC MATTHEWS, STAFF 1964-1984
“A visiting preacher at Sunday chapel told the students a story about a missionary and stated: ‘do you know he was stoned in the streets of New Plymouth’. The boys started laughing and it continued for a short while. The preacher was non-plussed so I got up and told him the boys had misunderstood … He was quiet for a moment and then repeated forcefully, ‘do you know that the missionary was stoned in the streets of New Plymouth.’ A further outburst of laughter.”
MICHAEL LAWRENCE, HEADMASTER 1980-1991
C Hardman, P Hudson, J Hay, G Schofield, A Robson, G Lander, A Gibbs, R Bell, R Hamel, S Pene, R Don, A Dela Rue, M Simmons S Miller, H Yorke, C Nicolass, D Smith, T Brooker, G Littlejohn, T Smithells, M Smith, C Morton, P Wilson, N Muirhead, E Pullar, P Hampton, J Coley, J Lander R Baikey, K Johnson, E Johl, M Shaw, G Johnson, D Parr, D Parr, B Summerfield, G Judkins, C Coates, C Furminger, E Pitu, G Fountain P Rickman, B Chamberlain, P Chamerlain, D Williams, J Williams, C Foot, J Shaw, P Plant, M Hill, N Austin, G Baillie R Morris, P Gilbert, K Etheridge, S Waddell, R Robertshaw, G Thompson, D Plant, M Bruce, J Lloyd, J Oehley, R McMorron, R Caldersood, M Lawrence D Robertshawe, A Botting, E Botting, V Matthews, J Furminger G Parton, B Johnson, S Lawrence, L Elliot, C Elliott
The number crunching
Staff reunion 300 Saturday activities (approx.)
Attendees by era
Remembering the beginnings service
Friday mix and mingle
Assembly including the students
International attendees (including people from UK, USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore) over 20
There were many highlights over the weekend; the choir (singing Luminous Night of the Soul), the orchestra, the speakers and the spine-tingling haka performed for us. It was very emotional and especially sad to realise how many of our fellow Collegians are no longer with us. So nice to acknowledge them in the way we did. CHRIS GARDNER (SCHOOL 1959-1962)
Reunion gets underway
On the afternoon of Friday 8 March –the official opening of the Welcome Back Reunion – Collegians witnessed a rousing haka from current students, a spine-tingling choir item and Tihoi anecdotes from Mike Shaw (staff, 1970-2002). Tours of the school followed and in the evening, they mixed and mingled in the gymnasium.
“I’m sure we are here for the same reasons; to celebrate friendships, encourage new ones, look at past ones and be thankful we were involved in the school life. Whether it is six days, six weeks, six years or six decades since you came through the gates, we are not here to mark time but have a good time.”
BRENT MEXTED, PRESIDENT OF THE ST PAUL’S COLLEGIANS (INC) (SARGOOD 1982-1986)
Daytime fun
On Saturday 9 March, hundreds of people milled around the school taking tours, eating, mingling, playing tennis and enjoying the Collegians vs Collegians cricket match. Those who woke up on time, made it to the era photos. This is only a sample of the era photos, all can be viewed online at stpaulscollegians.nz/page/welcome-back-reunion-2019
1959 Foundation
Back row: Sandy Yarndley, Alan Bethell, Chris Gardner, John Porter, John Calder, Duncan Laird, John Davies, Andrew Bryant, Richard Clark, Roger Clark, Peter Lorimer
Front row: Dave Mackay, Murray Illston, Walter Smaill, Neil Sing, Don Murray, Geoff Croad, Warren Croad, Graham Dodd, Craig Potter, John Bradshaw, John Rennie 1961
Back row: Barry Galpin, John Sanford, Alastair Porter, Warwick Wiles, David Hurst, Tracey Mackay
Front row: David Heron, John Sefton, Pat Plant, Rob Cumming, Geoff Maber, Nicholas Bowling, Michael Smales
1970-1974
Back row: Mark Duncan, David Gilligan, Petera Hudson, Lex de Jong, John Pope, Graham Lindasy, Paul Rennie, Mark Batchelow, Graeme Tait
Front row: Stuart Sinclair, Stuart Wise, Greg Thompson, Gregory Beach, Rod Carr, Deidree Parr, David Kidd, Nigel Heard, Richard Calderwood, Donald McCorquindale
1980-1985
Back row: Brett Turnwald, Stuart Baker, Brent Mexted, Baz Templer, Richard Riddell, Craig Spence
Middle row: Mark Turnwald, Mark Storey, Steve Downey, Derek Goodisson, Greg Harbutt, Brian Wadman, John Newman, Mary Graham, Paul Robinson
Front row: Alastair Pettitt, Ross Parker, David Reid, Tom Dinwiddie, Brian Sinclair, Steve Zingel, Mark Bayly, Guy Lethbridge
1995-1999
Back row: Adam Bradstreet, Andrew Fitchett, Gary Judkins, Kevin MacDonald
Middle row: Andrew Bindon, Ryan McCarthy, Nathan Darke, Dan Spencer, Richard Small, Geoff Booth, James Whetu
Front row: Natalie Swart, Kara Gerrard, Amy Whetu, Jemma Brooking, Kate Brown, Olivia Gibbons, Fiona McBryde, Alex Young
A recap of the cricket
Collegians from all eras (including foundation student, Murray Illston) were involved in this monumental match. The Black Strip first XI scored a defendable total of 239, with three of their batsmen retiring with the maximum of 30 runs. Undaunted by this large total, the opening White Strip first XI pair of Owen Williams and Jonty Peacocke went on to make 30 runs to retire to be replaced by Graeme Tait and Paul Rennie. However, the Whites trailed at the end of their allocated overs by nine runs but on examination of the scorebook by the umpire, it was discovered that two bowlers from the Blacks had been used three times (the allocated overs were two). The Blacks were fined 4.5 runs each, nine runs. The match was drawn.
PETERA HUDSON (SCHOOL 1970-1976)
Back row: Paul Gilmore, Grant Catchpole, Geoff Booth, Kev MacDonald, Andrew Fitchett, Giles Bailey, Guy Coleman
Middle row: Murray Illston, Fred Wellacott, Mark Billington, Richard Small, Ryan McCarthy, Jamie Paterson, Jonty Peacocke
Front row: Duncan Bayes, Brett Sargent, Andrew Bindon, Graeme Tait, Owen Williams, Callum Donaldson, Paul Rennie, Logan Payne, Petera Hudson, David Kidd
Words cannot explain my immense gratitude and appreciation for the pleasures this reunion gave to me … some very emotional moments, recalled in our special, unique chapel. I actually “tear up”, thinking about the impact Mr and Mrs Hornsby had on my total life, including those times at school under his stewardship.
HARRY GUITRY (SCHOOL AND CLARK 1965-1968)
The grand finale
In the evening of Saturday 9 March, we met in the transformed gymnasium for a beautiful dinner and brilliant entertainment from MC Benny Castles (Williams 1997-2001) who interviewed some Collegians on the couch.
Introducing Benny Castles
“Sorry I’m not Dan Vettori or Lance Hohaia, I’m a bit of an unusual choice. So here’s how I found my way to St Paul’s. My parents forgot to enrol me into high school and I was dragged down to school the December before school started on the proviso we were watching my brother play cricket. I was lynched into Mr Cole’s office who asked a pitter patter of irrelevant questions until he got to the only question that mattered, ‘Are you as good at cricket as your brother’? My mother leaned back in her chair out of Mr Cole’s view and nodded her head. Being the uppity man I am, I answered, ‘I’m better’ and Mr Cole promptly said, ‘We’ll have a bed for you’ – so someone missed out and I came to St Paul’s.”
BENNY CASTLES (WILLIAMS 1997-2001, HEAD BOY 2001)
“One of the most memorable times I have would have been after I left, I returned to celebrate my 21st at my mate’s place on the school grounds. They were living there and helping as coaches. It was a good party with plenty to eat and drink, loud music and, a stripper. I made great friends at school and school was about the people and the values.”
JIMMY ORMSBY (WILLIAMS 1986-1990)
“Naughty or notable stuff I recall include, the firing of a high powered rifle round through the wall of the Cadet Armoury; the digging of a tunnel to Dio; using the lab gas system as a means of broadcasting pop music during class; putting an H2S gas generator under the teacher’s desk and asphyxiating ourselves rather than him; cold showers on winter mornings … Pat Plant’s inspiration as a housemaster and rugby coach; and Evan McCulloch’s ability to interest a bunch of young philistines in literature and music.”
When Guy Johnstone (Sargood 1990-1994) left his high school boarding home in the early nineties, he didn’t think he’d be back. Fast-forward 25 years, and he’s been appointed the new housemaster of Sargood House.
Taking over from fellow Sargood Collegian, Ryan McCarthy (19931997), Guy is excited to be back living and working onsite as both housemaster and maths teacher.
“When I saw the position come up, I knew how much of a commitment it would be, it’s certainly not a decision you go into lightly.”
“But after talking with various people, what really piqued my interest was the real sense of community here. I was also drawn by the family side of it – that we (my wife and daughters) could all live here as a family.”
Guy has fond memories of his student years at St Paul’s, “it is the characters of the school – the Mike Shaws and the Pat Plants – the teaching side, as well as the students. This unique sense of character is a really special part of the school.”
After leaving St Paul’s, Guy worked for a year as a tutor at Tihoi. For him, the Tihoi experience had brought out a passion for the outdoors and sports such as kayaking and snowboarding. “I grew up on a farm in Whatawhata, so Tihoi was a nice match for my love of the outdoors.”
Going on to gain a Bachelor of Sport
This unique sense of character is a really special part of the
school.
able to travel the world working in the outdoors using the skills I developed at Tihoi.”
From working for Hillary Outdoors (then known as OPC) to instructing in Canada, Guy’s outdoor career flourished. “These were dream jobs – guiding groups through the Rockies or down a river in Jasper, trekking and climbing through some of the most amazing places, the whole time thinking –I’m getting paid for this!”
On his return to New Zealand, Guy taught briefly at Mt Maunganui College and Waitaki Boys before relocating back to the Waikato where he took on the role of Head of Outdoor Education and maths teacher at Hamilton Boys’ High School – a role he held for ten years, during which time he met his wife and they had two daughters.
While the outdoors and mathematics might not seem like they go hand in hand, as a teacher, Guy excels in both. “In my degree there was a maths component and over the years this is something I have continued to build on. I think it’s really important for boys to see you can do more than just one type of thing.”
Now settled into his Sargood residence, Guy is looking forward to continuing to grow the bond that lives within the house. “The boys are so passionate about their house, but the brotherhood goes deeper than just their peers living in the house right now. I’m keen to keep reinforcing to them that their dads, uncles, people they don’t know who have come before them, are all joined by Sargood. It’s quite powerful getting them to realise and link to that.”
“It’s also great to take over from Ryan and work alongside Michael Rameka (Williams 1997-1999) as deputy housemaster – we were all once St Paul’s boarders and we’re all passionate about Sargood House.”
REBECCA ROBINSON
Leading the way in agribusiness
Last year, St Paul’s was the winner of a Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award – the ‘Excellence in Leading – Atakura Award’, for their collaboration with primary sector businesses in devising an innovative and ground-breaking agribusiness programme for Year 12 and 13 students.
At a gala function held in the Beehive, the award was presented by Acting Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Education Hon Chris Hipkins, Associate Ministers of Education Hon Jenny Salesa and Hon Tracey Martin and Associate Minister of Māori Education Hon Kelvin Davis.
“Taking the lead in this area has enabled the building of strong relationships with other educational institutions, and as a result has increased the opportunities for student learning and student success,” says St Paul’s Deputy Headmaster and Director of the Agribusiness programme, Mr Peter Hampton.
Students find beauty in the slums
Having seen how beauty can come from ugliness and how happiness can transpire from bleakness, I now find it easier to see the beauty in life,” – is just one of the many reflections made by the students who embarked on the 2018 Cambodia service trip.
“It has been a complex process to implement a new curriculum for New Zealand schools,” says Mr Hampton, “but the end result has been stimulating and rewarding. This award reinforces the national significance of this programme.”
The programme was also announced as a finalist in the 2019 International School Awards. Selected from over 200 applications, St Paul’s was shortlisted in the ‘teaching initiative’ award category. While St Paul’s was not named as the winner – with the award going to Dulwich College Seoul – it was an honour and privilege to be chosen as a finalist.
The trip does much more than provide an opportunity for St Paul’s students to work with slum-living children in Cambodia – it teaches them many valuable lessons about their own lives.
“Coming here and experiencing life through the eyes of the children has taught me to appreciate and accept every chance I am given. I honestly believe I have learnt more from them than I could ever teach them myself,” says Year 13 student Isabel Mallett.
As part of the school’s service programme, selected students accompanied by staff, fly to Cambodia in December each year where they join forces with charitable organisation FLAME, helping to provide educational opportunities for children in Phnom Penh.
For two weeks, the travelling group assisted FLAME staff in their learning centres and via a book tuk tuk (mobile classroom) that travels into the slums. They helped teach English to the children, practised arts and crafts with them, as well as created new signage for the FLAME centres.
Bright future ahead for top achiever
With his sights set on Cambridge University, Simon Han will get to experience a taste of Cambridge life these July school holidays having been accepted for the Cambridge Summer School.
The programme will see Simon spend two weeks living and studying economics at one of the University of Cambridge’s prestigious colleges – St Catharine’s College.
For the Year 13 student, this is an exciting opportunity. “My goal is to attend Cambridge next year and study economics through to masters level. I would like to one day work as either a government official advising in economics or to teach economics at Cambridge.”
Hard word and determination has put Simon on this path. A top achiever, Simon’s academic results are nothing short of impressive.
His NCEA level 1 grade point average (GPA) was 92% and 100% for level 2. As a Year 12 student, he gained passes for New Zealand Scholarship exams in Chinese, Calculus and Geography.
Simon came to St Paul’s from China as a Year 11 boarding student. A keen tennis player of 10 years, Simon is also the tennis captain and a member of the concert band and school choir.
“I have benefited so much from my time here in New Zealand and at St Paul’s. I feel I fit the values better here as I can excel in not just academics, but also other areas like my sport and music. I have set high goals for myself and by coming here and studying NCEA, I have more confidence in myself to reach those goals, and for that I am extremely grateful.”
Life’s work on the ice
I was pretty clear about what I wanted, which was to work on the Antarctic.
Professor Gary Wilson (Hamilton 1980-1984) has studied and worked at some of the world’s top universities, and last year returned to Hamilton for a three-month sabbatical at Waikato University.
Gary, a professor in Marine Science at Otago University, is one of the world’s leading experts on Antarctica. In a career spanning 30 years, he was one of the early specialists in climate change science. Along the way, he has been awarded some of the world’s top academic scholarships.
“If you warm the planet and melt the ice, then it goes into the ocean and sea level rises. So, I really got interested in trying to understand what makes that happen.”
He spoke to Network before embarking on yet another research trip to Antarctica – his 30th. More than four years of his life have been spent on the ice continent.
He will be leading the mission, sleeping in a tent, on the edge of the Ross Ice shelf in West Antarctica, 800km from Scott Base. While in Hamilton for three months, Gary’s youngest son Adam, 12, attended Southwell and Jacob, 14, is enrolled at St Paul’s.
After leaving St Paul’s in the mid-1980s Gary, now 51, went to Wellington’s Victoria University, to complete his undergraduate study.
It was the beginning of academic life, which has seen him study and teach at leading universities in New Zealand, the United States and England.
As a school leaver, he enrolled in a science degree, majoring in maths and physics. But he didn’t enjoy the physics, so dropped science after the first year and instead enrolled in a music degree, building on his interest from St Paul’s where he was a top clarinet player.
In those days, students had to enrol in four science subjects for that degree, “so I enrolled in maths, physics and chemistry, and the only other thing that fitted my timetable was geology. I enjoyed the geology and kept it going and ended up completing both degrees – a Bachelor of Science in Geology; and a Bachelor of Music.”
It was geology that came out tops in terms of career choice. “There came a point where I had to actually choose something that would pay a wage – and music is not one of them!”
He was invited to do honours in geology, which he did and was then offered a scholarship to Cambridge University, although he soon changed direction. “I was pretty clear about what I wanted, which was to work on the Antarctic and the problem of melting ice and rising sea levels, and they weren’t really familiar with it.”
Instead, after a few months in the UK, he took up another scholarship opportunity, through the New Zealand University Grants Committee, to return to Victoria University in 1990.
In what was to be a long stint in the United States, Gary took up a Fulbright scholarship at the University of Nebraska, where he undertook both research and teaching. That was followed by a stint at The Ohio State University on a Byrd Fellowship (named after the famous Antarctic explorer Admiral Byrd) at the Byrd Polar Research Centre, considered the home of polar science in the US.
He then got a Foundation for Research, Science and Technology Fellowship (equivalent these days to the country’s top early career science award, the Rutherford Fellowship) which took him to GNS Science in Wellington researching what drives ice to melt and sea levels to rise, and vise versa.
Then came a call from the University of Oxford. He flew over for an interview a week later and got offered a lectureship in Earth Sciences at Oxford where he worked for four years. It was at Oxford where he met his wife, Kate.
Next was a move to Otago University partly because it gave him the opportunity to get his ‘hands dirty’ with research, which was harder to do from the UK.
He started as a lecturer in Geology, then took up a professorship in Marine Science. He has been in that role since, aside from a five-year secondment, at the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute; and to be the Chief Science Advisor at Antarctica New Zealand in Christchurch.
During his sabbatical at Waikato University, Gary has worked with fellow “Antarcticans” developing a paleothermometer, to measure past temperature.
“If you are trying to build a sophisticated climate model to work out what causes Antarctica to melt you need temperature. So, what we are trying to do, is develop that ability to work out the temperature using the different assemblages of ancient bacteria frozen into the ground.”
He says the scale of the impact of global warming is enormous. “If you were to melt all of the ice in Antarctica, you are looking at global sea levels rising by about 60 metres.”
Gary firmly believes individuals can do their bit, to reduce carbon emissions, which he says we “absolutely need to do” to tackle global warming.
“When you look at your own carbon footprint, the majority of it is split three ways – a third of it comes from the food we eat, a third of it is transport, and a third of it is heating and running your home.”
“If we each reduce carbon emissions by 2% per year then it becomes a tractable problem.”
Gary is a trustee of the Sir Peter Blake Trust, and this year was appointed Vice President of the global organisation, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
The family, who live in Dunedin, enjoy spending time at their crib in Naseby in Central Otago and all that is on offer in the outdoors there – mountain biking, hiking, and winter sports. They are also setting out to complete the great New Zealand walks.
Gary’s father Albert lives in Waingaro, near Ngaruawahia, and the time in the Waikato this year allowed the family to spend more time with him.
MONICA HOLT
Gary with Senator John Kerry US Secretary of State in front of Scott Base
Gary in Shackleton’s hut at Cape Royds
Wired for beer
To stay ahead of the game, we’re always thinking of new innovative products.
Venture past the big smoke to the Northland town of Warkworth and you’ll find a microbrewery producing a taste bud-popping array of hoppy IPAs, Saisons, Porters, Stouts and barrel aged beer.
This is the award winning ‘8 Wired’ brewery –described as “new world interpretations of old world styles” – owned and operated by Soren and Monique Eriksen (nee Aves, Harington 1999-2000).
What began as dabbling with a home brew kit, purchased by Monique for Soren as a Christmas gift in 2005, led the couple to start up their brewery business in September 2009.
They currently export to around 15 countries worldwide and are widely available at many New Zealand stockists of beer.
“Ten years ago there weren’t many people focused on the craft beer world, it was the beginning of the boom of the industry, so we entered at a really good time,” says Monique.
“To stay ahead of the game, we’re always thinking of new innovative products. This is becoming more challenging as the industry continues to grow – so we’re constantly kept on our toes.”
And in such a demanding market, they have certainly made their mark.
In 2011, 8 Wired received the highest brewing honour in New Zealand when crowned champion brewery at the Brewers Guild awards. For the past four years, they have featured in the prestigious ratebeer.com list of ‘100 best brewers in the world’ as the only Southern Hemisphere brewery.
Owners of 8 Wired brewery, Soren and Monique Eriksen
Last year, their ‘Cucumber Hippy Berlina’ – produced by pushing beer through cucumbers – won both the New World Award and New Zealand Food Award for ‘best in its class’ and their collaboration drop with Sacred Hill wines – the ‘Lokomotiv Merlot’ – was a winning brew at the Brewers Guild awards.
So what is it that makes this Northland brewery stand out?
“We barrel age our beer. We have around 200 ex-Marlborough pinot noir wine barrels (225 litre) that we age the beer in – it’s just a different style of fermentation. The beer can be sitting in the barrels for anything from two to three years before we release it.”
“Barrel age beers are predominantly sour beers. The wild yeasts acting within the barrel impart a variety of, sometimes very funky, flavours. Then we add in fruits such as cherries, blackcurrants, fejoas, etc.”
Operating the biggest barrelaging programme in the Southern Hemisphere, they’ve also acquired seven ‘foedres’, which are essentially large barrels, ranging from 1500 to 4000 litres each. “It takes a long time to make beers like these, but they are worth the commitment.”
Brewing beer wasn’t always something Monique thought she would end up doing.
Although born in Te Aroha, Monique grew up living abroad in Indonesia and Bangladesh, due to her father’s career as a civil engineer. The family would return every few years to New Zealand, including for her and brother Logan Aves (Hamilton 1998) to complete their secondary school education at St Paul’s. “St Paul’s was a fantastic school; it instilled in me a lot of independence, self-drive and motivation.”
With a growing interest in health, Monique went on to pursue physiotherapy, completing a Bachelor of Health Science in physiotherapy at Auckland’s AUT. She met husband Soren – who was working for the Danish embassy in Bangladesh – during one of her university holiday trips to visit her parents.
“Once I finished studying, to be closer to one another, Soren relocated to Perth to study a masters in biochemistry and I took up my first job as a qualified physio at Perth’s Fremantle Hospital.”
The pair often made social visits to Fremantle’s ‘Little Creatures’ brewery. That, combined with Soren’s interest in beer, led to the purchase of a home brew kit that “would bubble away in the shower of our one bedroom apartment” and a dream of one day owning their own brewing business.
After a year in Perth, the couple relocated back to New Zealand and while Monique continued her physio practice, Soren offered his skills – for free – to work in a brewery.
“We didn’t have the experience yet to brew on a commercial scale. Soren took up work with ‘Renaissance’ brewery in Blenheim, to be able to get some base knowledge in commercial brewing.”
It was while working for Renaissance that ‘8 Wired’ was born – named in the spirit of the ‘number 8 wire’ kiwi ingenuity mentality.
Initially 8 Wired operated as a contract brewery, with Soren, as brewer, using Renaissance’s equipment and facilities. After five years of contract brewing at four different breweries across the country, the time came to find their own location.
“By then, we were exporting about 50% of our product, so we needed to be close to a port for logistical reasons. Wellington was already quite saturated with the beer market and we weren’t too keen to live in Auckland, so we chose to buy a home in Matakana and have our brewery in Warkworth.”
With the brewery dream now a reality, Monique put her physio work on hold to focus on the business. “I loved my time as a physio and having a background in health crosses into many areas of our business and day-to-day lives. I might return one day, once I get out of the day-to-day running of 8 Wired, but for now that’s the priority.”
With the business continuing to grow, as well as raising two young children –Mia, 9, and Finn, 7 – Monique and Soren certainly have their hands full.
They recently purchased a canning line to be able to focus on regular seasonal release brews in cans for their contracted company Foodstuffs, and they have plans in the coming months to open a barrel hall pub in Matakana.
“It’s becoming more important to have a physical home where people can come in and see the brewing process taking place and taste the beers, rather than just seeing them on the shelves in the supermarket or liquor store.”
They are also looking into making their own spirits such as gin and whiskey. “We are always looking to push boundaries, take a risk and give something new a go – because if you don’t try, you’ll never know!”
Keen to try an 8 Wired brew? Visit your local New World or Liquorland – or check out their website 8wired.co.nz. Cheers!
REBECCA ROBINSON
Snippets
Thomas Brown
Thomas Brown (Clark 2014-2018) was one of eight outstanding students presented with an inaugural forestry scholarship by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Forestry Minister Shane Jones at a special awards ceremony at the University of Canterbury. The Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau scholarships were developed to encourage young and talented individuals into New Zealand’s growing forestry industry.
Blake Richardson
Blake Richardson (Hall 1999-2003) showed us that hard work is rewarding. He recently graduated from the Trinity College in Dublin with his MBA and was named student of the year.
Daniel Ammann
Daniel Ammann (Sargood 19851989) has been appointed as the CEO of General Motors’ Cruise SelfDriving Car unit.
Wilson Owen
Warwick Armstrong
Warwick Armstrong (Sargood 1961-1965) returned to St Paul’s from the USA to attend the 60th reunion. His return was nostalgic and resulted in him writing some reflections of St Paul’s. We have included a snippet of the ‘tunnel to Dio’ story for you to enjoy.
I believe Dio was a mile and a half away, and enterprising lotharios had discovered they could get themselves down to the outskirts of Dio’s grounds in relatively short measure. There was however a space of travel at the St Paul’s end, where intrepid travellers were exposed. The solution to this problem was to build a tunnel to get beyond this vulnerability… Much of the digging occurred after ‘lights out’, when all of us were meant to be sleeping in preparation for the next day. But it was also an around-the-clock operation, outside of class-time. One night, no doubt due to inadequate scaffolding, there was a fall, where the roof caved in. They dragged the poor fella, who had been scraping away at the head of the tunnel, out of there, more dead-than-alive, scared he wasn’t going to survive. So scared in fact, that they didn’t even bother to wash him up in the showers, which in itself would have risked exposure. So filthy, barely alive in his dormitory bed, the jig was up. The ‘Rarcs’, likely with some technical assistance, blew it up. I’m not sure what punishment was meted out for this, but it had to be short of expulsion, because if it was the latter, I would have heard about it. Perhaps this was the nail in the coffin for the “outland empire”.
Jonathan Ring Jim Galloway
Jim Galloway (Clark 1968-1972) was elected as the President of Hawke’s Bay Federated Farmers. He has exciting ideas and is a huge help to the farming community.
Jonathan Ring (Williams 2009-2013) who is a Process Engineering Masters’ student and Dr Aaron Marshall won the Innovation Jumpstart award 2019. The inventive process enables 100kgs of zinc and 150kgs of iron per tonne of waste acid to be removed and recycled instead of the current process, which sees this waste join the landfills. The research won them $20,000 to transform their idea and turn research to reality.
Wilson Owen (Williams 1963-1966) is proof that you are never too old to chase your dreams. Wilson (nicknamed ‘Tubby’ Owen at St Paul’s) was a Television New Zealand journalist throughout the 1970s who moved to Australia to work for commercial networks. As a senior manager running major news operations, he used to travel the world annually and would take a little time to explore one of his passions –modern art. Three years ago, retired and living in Orewa and looking for things to do, he went and had some painting lessons. “I surprised everyone, including myself, discovering I had an aptitude for modern abstract expressionist painting.” After selling a few paintings in group exhibitions over the past year, Wilson recently staged his first solo exhibition, coinciding with the third anniversary of his first painting lessons. Estuary Arts Centre Gallery Manager in Orewa, Kim Boyd, described his exhibition a few days after it opened as “high impact”, stating that it was getting “rave reviews”. Sixty per cent of his paintings sold, compared with an exhibition average of less than 20% at most gallery exhibitions. “I expect I will be turning out a few more,” says Wilson.
Greg Kirkwood and Russell Bayley
Greg Kirkwood (School 1983-1987) and Russell Bayley (Clark 1985-1987) have used their years of experience in the agriculture industry to launch an exciting new business TOFS (The Organic Food Shop). They make organic breads and cut organic meat to sell from their Frankton, Hamilton store.
Mackenzie McGougan and Brooke Richardson
We have another wonderful story of a Collegian marrying a Collegian. Mackenzie McGougan (Fitchett 2003-2007) and Brooke Richardson (Harington 20062007) are getting married in 2019.
Headmaster Grant Lander and Daniel Amman
Greg Kirkwood and Russell Bayley of TOFS
Paintings by Wilson Owen
P Langley, P Armstrong, J Armstrong, W Armstrong and Q Dive at the reunion
Thomas Brown, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Forestry Minister Shane Jones
Aaron Marshall, James Hutchinson and Jonathan Ring
Mackenzie McGougan and Brooke Richardson
Andrew Bryant
Taking clergy and their sons hiking up Mt Taranaki is becoming a tradition for foundation student Andrew Bryant (School and Hall 1959-1965). Mountaineering guide, Andrew, has a passion for the mountain and took Archbishop David Moxon, Archbishop Phillip Richardson and their families up the summit in 2000. On 12 January 2019, he guided our current St Paul’s chaplain, Rev Peter Rickman and his sons Daniel and Toby. They were part of a larger group that included Southwell Headmaster, Jason Speedy, plus former students of Hillcrest high School with their sons and Andrew’s great nephew Jack Wade. They reached the summit after 4 ½ hours and were rewarded with amazing views, a snow fight and an extended lunch before beginning their descent.
Congratulations to Collegian Daryl Mitchell (Hall 2005) for his achievement in being selected to play for the New Zealand Black Caps.
Steve Saunders and Aung Maung
Steve Saunders (Clark 1982-1986) visited the school with his family from their home in Australia. He snuck down the road to catch up with his housemaster Pat Plant. It was the second lovely visit Pat had enjoyed that month from his Clark House students. Aung Maung (1982-1983) also called in for a chat.
Condolences
We occasionally like to send you an email or write you a letter.
If we do not have your email or postal address, please update it by emailing: collegians@stpauls.school.nz or visit the website stpaulscollegians.nz
Our thoughts are with the families of our St Paul’s community who have lost a loved one recently.
Please contact us if you hear of the death of a Collegian, or if you have family members who are unwell (so our Reverend can offer prayers). Email collegians@stpauls. school.nz or phone +64 7 957 8805.
Robert Oxner (Williams 1969-1973) passed away in December 2017. He was a consultant physician at Thames Hospital.
Shriley Pieneman (staff 19771992) was a key person in the St Paul’s community. She lived in the school area for 47 years and St Paul’s was a big part of her life. She died in January at home around family.
Graham (Board member from 1979) and Reg Nicholson were supporters of the school and both passed away in April 2019.
Craig Harris (Clark 1987-1990) left this life in October 2018. He was living in Brisbane with his wife and children when he passed away. Craig attended the 2017 Clark House reunion.
Peter Laurent (Sargood 19821986). Peter was part of a united group of Sargood men who were supportive of him during his illness.
(Williams 1988-1992)
Andrew’s friends gathered for a BBQ to commemorate ten years since Andrew died on March 10, 2009. The celebration of Andrew’s life was a special way to end the reunion weekend.
Rev Peter Rickman checks for WIFI at the hut
Headmaster Jason Speedy with guide Andrew Bryant
Enjoying the views
Craig Harris with his 1980s Clark House friends at the 2017 reunion
Ian
Daryl Mitchell
Mrs P Harrison and Mrs S Pieneman working together in the 1980s
Pat Plant and Steve Saunders
Haka winners, Clark House
2019 student leaders
Our leaders – Head Boy Adam Jefferis, Head Girl Kate Healy, Deputy Head Boy Henry Mandeno and Deputy Head Girl Caroline Kolver, bring a strong set of skills and mix of talents to the student leadership portfolio in 2019.
Adam is an excellent role model who always carries a smile on his face. Academically strong, he has pursued rowing as his sporting passion while at St Paul’s. Adam has also thoroughly enjoyed boarding life at St Paul’s making many close friends. Along with being relatable and organised, he embraces everyday school life and hopes to promote the school spirit.
As someone who strives to achieve the best in everything she does, Kate’s academic and sporting performance reflects this and she embraces all aspects of St Paul’s. Confident in tricky situations, Kate’s organised, hardworking and passionate manner pays dividends. Referred to as the “mum” of the girls’ Harington boarding house, Kate’s peers consider her to be loving and caring.
Henry has a strong focus on academics, being one of the top performers in the school. A gifted tennis player, Henry has also represented St Paul’s in rugby and hockey. He is modest, kind and one of the friendliest people you will encounter. A great work ethic and organisational skills sees Henry make the most of all situations.
Caroline is committed to both her academics and sporting goals, this commitment can be shown in her achievements such as, representing New Zealand for athletics and representing the school through many athletic and netball events. Caroline is grateful for all the opportunities she has been given and intends to continue to uphold her morals and speak from her heart.
Scholarships for top achievers
Three St Paul’s 2018 leavers, Anna Hamilton, Sasha Patil and Alice Cao, were the recipients of the University of Auckland top achievers scholarship. This prestigious scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional levels of academic excellence, all-round ability and leadership.
Last year, the University of Auckland received over 1,900 applications and only 250 were granted throughout the country. The scholarship is worth up to $20,000 and includes a guaranteed place in a hall of residence.
For Anna, who is enrolled to study a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance – Voice), Auckland was a top tertiary choice.
“I was pretty stoked to receive the scholarship. I am really excited at being able to explore study areas that intrigue me, plus Auckland is such a beautiful city to live in,” she says.
“I think what helped me stand out was my ability to balance my academic pursuits alongside my cultural endeavours. Throughout my time at St Paul’s, my teachers have consistently gone above and beyond to help in not only my academic work but also in culture and pastoral support.”
Cellist to perform in NYC
Year 9 student Matthew Chanwai will be en route to New York in June to perform as a solo cellist at the world famous Carnegie Hall.
This prestigious opportunity has come about as Matthew was named a second place winner of the 2019 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. The competition is open to students and adults of all nationalities and countries and a record number of musicians from 17 countries applied for this year’s competition.
Gaining the opportunity to perform at Carnegie is something Matthew has been working towards for a couple of years. He is extremely excited he has succeeded and will be performing in one of the world’s most famous concert halls where world-renowned musicians such as Tchaikovsky and Yo-Yo Ma have performed
Adam Jefferis, Kate Healy, Henry Mandeno and Caroline Kolver
Matthew Chanwai
Anna Hamilton, Alice Cao and Sasha Patil
Making a splash in Wellington
St Paul’s swimmers certainly made a splash at the recent 2019 Aon National Age Group Championship held in Wellington. During the five-day event, five of our swimmers – Kaitlyn Sosa, Tom Griffin (both Year 13), Ben Littlejohn (Year 12), Sam Peoples (Year 10) and Boston Tordoff (Year 9) – took to the water coming away with some impressive results.
Fundraising helps local primary schools
Notably, Ben, who swam in nine events and recorded five personal best times, won gold in the 17 to 18 year old 50m and 100m butterfly; and silver in the 200m freestyle. At the end of the competition, Ben was again named in the New Zealand junior swim team to compete in the Australian State championship this October.
Through the fundraising efforts from the school’s student-led community gala last year, a total of $11,000 was raised.
At a special morning tea in March, St Paul’s presented Bankwood and Fairfield primary schools with a cheque of $5,000 each to help these schools fund chrome books for their classrooms.
Kaitlyn swam in eight events. She took away bronze in the 1500m freestyle in the 17 to 18 year age group. Her other best results included coming seventh in the 200m freestyle and fifth in the 400m freestyle. Boston made it to six finals of his seven events and recorded personal bests in each. He claimed silver in the 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m breaststroke for the 14-year age group.
The St Paul’s Swimming Club came away from the event as a top club in New Zealand, ranking sixth overall.
Each child also received a lunchbox thanks to
As part of the school’s service programme ‘Over the Fence Ministry’, St Paul’s senior students spend their lunchtimes reading stories, playing games and teaching music to students at both schools.
Sistema Plastics.
Celebrating 40 years of Tihoi Venture School
…and the stories you didn’t tell your Mum!
You may have heard some of the great stories of Tihoi Venture School – students boiling hot chocolate or eggs in the jug or using tinfoil and a toaster to warm the house – not to mention the frozen toilets!
The stories told make the pre-1979 Collegians jealous and the Harington Collegians sigh and say, “here we go again”. The truth is, Tihoi graduates are proud of their stories – and the more extreme the better.
In 2019, we celebrate 40 years of Tihoi, and we want to hear the ‘Tihoi stories you didn’t tell your Mum’. If you have a story to share, please email collegians@stpauls.school.nz
“I was part of a small group that went to Tihoi on a weekend trip to cull the rabbit population not long after the school had purchased the land. Mr Kirman led the trip with just a car load of us and our guns. I remember arriving that afternoon and seeing the odd bunny around the old house we camped in.
The next morning, as we peeked out the broken windows of the decrepit house, we were amazed at the sight of hundreds of bunnies nearly ‘holding hands’ and as far as the eye could see, crawling over the barren landscape. Needless to say, it was all on, like we had never seen before, kneeling by the window barely able to count the tallies, and continually reloading as fast as our cold fingers would work.”
CAMERON HOLMES (SCHOOL 1974-1977)
The aims of Tihoi when established
(a) to develop initiative, stamina, determination, self-reliance, and an awareness of the natural surroundings of New Zealand
(b) to give a chance to those less gifted in ball sports and who nevertheless have qualities to develop on other schemes
“I was part of a sixth form accredited group who went to Tihoi before it opened to help clean it. I remember Kingi and I tramping through a stream with an instruction to find our way back to camp without using the roads. Being strict followers of rules (yeah right), Kingi and I found a road in under ten minutes and hitchhiked back to the camp road. We dossed down for half a day in the sun and then wandered back into camp just before dinner looking extremely exhausted.”
PETERA HUDSON (SCHOOL 1971-1976)
(c) to integrate day boy and boarder more closely in conditions of hardship
(d) to enable a boy to find his own strength and weaknesses matched against natural forces and so help him to reach a balanced view of himself.
The rough beginnings
Mike and Judy Shaw moved to Tihoi as soon as school finished in December 1978.
The scene was one of utter desolation. Rubbish, broken glass and windows, vandalised houses, rotten floors, stoves full of soot and missing parts, no spouting on most houses, rusted pipes, smashed toilets and basins, disintegrating septic tank soak holes, the remains of a cow in the large water tank and plenty of blackberry – even after a gang of sixth form accreditees had attacked it.
The water supply came from the reservoir behind the mill to the village by a very old and temperamental pump in very rusty leaking pipes, all of which had to be replaced.
Mike and Bill Holden were still digging trenches to lay the ring water main on the Saturday before the first intake were due to arrive on Monday. Tim Thorrold, a member of the board, arrived to look at progress and realised it would be impossible to finish in time, so went straight to Taupo and hired a trencher. “By the light of our car headlights we completed the water system on Sunday with a ring main round the whole camp.”
Mike Shaw’s Tihoi stories
“About 10pm, I found sitting on the back door step a boy incapable of standing but very lucid. On trying to find out what he had taken from the other members of the house, who were very reluctant to tell me, I was a little too forceful and held the biggest lad up to the wall to get him to tell me. Unfortunately, the wall was rotten and he went through it and landed in the bath, where he hastily informed me what the poison was.
A very uncomfortable student arrived at our door about 9pm clutching at his private parts. He had torn open his scrotum and of course was in much pain. His explanation was that he had fallen out of his bunk and on the way down had caught his scrotum on some possum traps, which had been hanging on his bunk. Fortunately, we had visiting with us a young man who just happened to have an old-fashioned jock strap, which Judy had to figure out how to use on the injury. All was well in the end and his doctor father assured us that no real damage had been done to his manhood, thank goodness.”
Tony Hart’s vision for Tihoi
“A residential venture school offered what, as a boy (and later as an overgrown boy), I had longed for. A sort of desert island where you could build your house, cut your own wood, cook your own food and see how you really could survive on your own two feet; to sleep out in a tent, paddle a canoe, climb a hill and lie exhausted in grass at the top. On long summer days, the classroom seemed claustrophobic. Surely, one could let a boy spread his wings for a spell and live ... it was a sort of longing within me and by a stroke of luck a man in many ways much more effective than I responded. John Mortimer … chairman of the Board, loved the idea …”
TONY HART, HEADMASTER,
1970-1980
Pioneers of Tihoi reunion
We invite the students who enrolled at Tihoi in 1979, 1980 and 1981 to celebrate at Tihoi along with directors and original staff. Visit stpaulscollegians.nz for more information and tickets.
14 September 2019
On the farm start-up for school friends
Conversations that began ‘over a beer’ have evolved into an IT start-up venture for four St Paul’s Collegians.
Richard Wildman (Williams 1997-2001), Marcus Graham (Sargood 1997-2001), Mike Jenkins (School 1997-2001) and Scott Townshend (Clark 1999-2001) own Knode, a farm monitoring system, which uses the latest technology to help farmers remotely monitor their assets, through the installation of sensors.
Sensor data is transmitted direct to ‘cloud’ storage; then processed, analysed, and presented through dashboards on the farmer’s own phone, tablet or computer.
Richard, 35, who started the venture in 2016, works as managing director in the business.
Marcus is farming in Ohaupo; Mike runs the cloud services business The Instillery in Hamilton; and Scott owns a consultancy business in Ngatea.
Together they bring varying skills and years of commercial experience to the business.
“So, we looked at ways to make that more visible without having to run around the farm, and that is when we put different sensors into the water tanks and distribution lines.”
Knode allows the data to be transmitted back to the cloud, and then is presented on a ‘dashboard’ on the app.
So far, there has been strong interest in the Knode technology for farmers wanting to find efficiencies in their business. As well as water management, the application can be used in other areas, from managing effluent spread to milk temperature monitoring.
We have all been exposed to what was happening in technology outside ag, and outside New Zealand.
“We have all been exposed to what was happening in technology outside ag, and outside New Zealand, and we are looking at how we can essentially give farmers in New Zealand easier access to some of that stuff.”
When he left school, Richard studied mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury. He then spent several years overseas, working in the oil and gas industry.
He specialised in sensor technology and travelled extensively from his Perth base to places including Kazakhstan, Egypt, Papua New Guinea and the US. He then worked for a commercial business insurance firm in Sydney, and later Auckland.
“It was around that time I started talking to some old school mates about the different applications of technology in the ag-tech space in New Zealand.”
The Knode concept was first developed on Richard’s family farm in Te Kuiti. “My old man was having problems managing water, essentially running out of water and having lots of water leaks and chasing his tail all day trying to find out where the problems were.”
“It turned out that farmers were not the only ones who wanted the technology, so we are now working with vehicle tracking and in industrial plants, to drive business insights.”
Knode will be at the Fieldays for a second year, sharing a stand with a business owned by Scott called Trev, another ag-tech company which assists farmers to benchmark farm performance.
Richard, who spoke to Network on behalf of the group, lives in Auckland. He and partner Sarah have a son Ralph, 2, and another child due in August.
MONICA HOLT
As the school roll grows, so too does the need for new infrastructure and more resource.
The next couple of years will see an exciting addition to the St Paul’s campus in the form of the Hornsby Learning Hub, located in the ‘heart’ of the school.
Although this new building will replace the Hornsby Library, it will continue to honour the name of the couple whose energy and generosity is behind the existing library.
Mr Reg Hornsby, the school’s fth
HONOURING THE HORNSBY GENEROSITY
headmaster, and his wife Mary played a signi cant role in the history of St Paul’s and its crucial formative years.
The Hornsby Library opened in 1968 and was built to cater for 360 students. It proved an immediate success, providing an oasis of warmth and quiet amid the normal rush of school life.
With a roll of 750 today, St Paul’s has outgrown this space, and the Hornsby Library no longer meets the requirements of today’s teaching and learning.
“Libraries have become collaborative learning centres, more essential for
improving student achievement. There is an urgent need for a larger modern learning space at St Paul’s,” says Headmaster Mr Grant Lander.
The new facility will o er a wide range of learning spaces and technologies where students can access support, work on a group assignment, socialise, video conference or schedule an extra lesson with a tutor. It will become an integral part of everyday life providing a welcoming, friendly and comfortable space to be enjoyed by all – something the Hornsbys would have been supportive and proud of.
“Libraries have become collaborative learning centres, more essential for improving student achievement.
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY AND SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
on, so too can yours by purchasing a
and
There are 150 chairs available for naming at the cost of $1,500 per chair. See over for payment options.
As the legacy of Reg and Mary Hornsby lives
chapel chair plaque to support the Hornsby Learning Hub
future students of St Paul’s.
Mr Grant Lander | HEADMASTER
THE HORNSBY LEARNING HUB
A CONTEMPORARY LEARNING SPACE FOR OUR FUTURE STUDENTS
University graduates
Congratulations to St Paul’s Collegians who have recently had a tertiary qualification conferred. Please note not all tertiary institutions provide us with results; we include what is provided to us.
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Travis Gunn
Bachelor of Health Science
Dylan Tindale
Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences
Vanna Long
Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Accounting
Joy Esther Rabell Kiwi
Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy)
Jasper Hankins
Bachelor of Communication Studies
Sarah Kosoof
Bachelor of Communication Studies
University of Otago
Yu-Ying Lu
Degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Rose Spence
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Olivia Thompson
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Katharina Visser
Bachelor of Oral Health
Daniel Ford
Bachelor of Science
Jamieson Madgwick
Bachelor of Commerce
University of Canterbury
Anjena Singh
Postgraduate Diploma in Science Master of Science (Merit)
Blake Wilson Bachelor of Commerce
University of Waikato
Simroop Singh-Thandi Bachelor of Management Studies
Simranjit Singh Bachelor of Business Analysis
Jiawen Yang Bachelor of Science
Christopher Fawcett Bachelor of Business Analysis
Louise Ford Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Laws with Honours
Sean Rooney Bachelor of Science
Hannah Raza
Master of Digital Business
Simon Humble Graduate Diploma of Teaching in Secondary
Christopher Fletcher Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology
Amy Keppler Bachelor of Teaching
Ryan McCarthy Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership
Rian Bovill Bachelor of Science
Jessica Lin Bachelor of Business Analysis
Moana Leilua Master of Business Administration
Jacob James Robb Bachelor of Environmental Planning
Nick Jensen Master of Education in Education
Scott Turner Master of Business Administration
Loren Morse
Bachelor of Business Analysis
Emma Walker Bachelor of Science (Technology)
Sheree Balvert
Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences
Matthew Reid
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (Clinical)
Conor Crowe
Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance
Tyrell Martin
Bachelor of Teaching
Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance
David Morgan Bachelor of Business Analysis
Alex Armstrong Bachelor of Business Analysis
Campbell Maxwell Bachelor of Science
Sophie Taylor Graduate Diploma of Teaching in Primary
