Contents 02. Editorial Sub-Committee 03. Save the date / Editorial Team 04. President's Report
Rangi Ruru school was established in 1889 by the Gibson Sisters. Today we have approximately 8737 alumnae who contribute and add to the legacy created by the Gibson Sisters.
06. Philanthropy 08. Scholarships 11. Note from the Principal 15. Admin Report 16. Development OUR ALUMNAE
18. Worlds Apart But Friends For Life 23. Dr Patricia Te Arapo Wallace - Weft Twining and an Unforseen PhD
27. Jennifer Barrer – Dancing Through Life 30. Maria Carter – Challenges Make You Stronger 32. Sophie Devine
– Five Minutes with Sophie
34. Polly Harding
The Newsletter is published once a year by an editorial team made up of dedicated and willing committee members. It is published to showcase the ongoing philanthropy from the Association as well as record the vibrant social events throughout the past year, all of which see alumnae connecting and reconnecting from the four corners of the globe.
RROGA Editorial Sub-Committee EDITOR Felicity Williams (Walker) ART DIRECTOR Victoria Tait
36. Kendall Flutey 38. Lenore Farrelly
Editorial
– For the Love of Shoes
40. A Brief History of Rangi in Crisis 41. Snippets from COVID-19 EVENTS
45. Leavers' Ball 46. Golf Tournament 47. Gibson Girls' Whaea Ora morning tea 48. Gibson Girls' Bubbles
CONTRIBUTORS Joanna Dodgshun (Kitson) Janet McGiven Helen Tait Elizabeth Wright (Sharpe) Felicity Williams For information about this publication, to advertise, or to update or change your details for circulation, please contact the administrator, Victoria Tait at v.tait@rangiruru.school.nz
50. Reunions
GRAPHIC DESIGN Two Hats Creative
HISTORY
PRINTER Ovato
56. From The Archives - Samuel Sasai 60. Margaret Patrick 62. Margaret Dennis 64. Aldy Butcher 66. Milestones 67. Obituaries 71. Legacy
COPY EDITOR Naomi Spinsby-Wild ARCHIVAL CONSULTANT Johnann Williams PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Clarke www.cmgstudios.co.nz Kia Dirkson IBK Photography (Instagram @ibkphotography)
FRONT COVER IMAGE Jennifer Barrer BACK COVER IMAGE Richard Linton www.lintonphoto.com Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association 59 Hewitts Road, Merivale, Christchurch 8014, New Zealand Tel: +64 3 983 3700 Email: rroga@rangiruru.school.nz Web: www.rangiruru.school.nz/ alumnae/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ RangiRuruAlumnae/
RROGA Committee 2020
Save the date 2021 REUNIONS 5-6 MARCH 2021
PATRON Helen Kitson (Robilliard)
HONORARY SOLICITOR Danita Ferreira
It is your School Reunion if you were in Form 3 in 1941, 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011.
HONORARY LIFE MEMBER Helen Dunn
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE Charlotte Gray (Bashford)
Join the Rangi Ruru Alumnae Page on Facebook.
PRESIDENT Felicity Williams (Walker)
ADMINISTRATOR Victoria Tait
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Joanna Dodgshun (Kitson)
COMMITTEE Amanda Dick Helen Tait Elizabeth Wright (Sharpe) Robyn Cartwright (Good) Abby Thomas-Hiddleston Mandy Brazier (Dowling) Steph Withell (Brown) Nikki Harkerrs Janet McGiven Aleisha Chadderton Devanshi Gandhi
VICE PRESIDENTS Rebekah ThomasHiddleston Cindi Crooks (Hunt) HONORARY ACCOUNTANT Zoe Goodwin
Please get in touch! SAVE THE DATES Up and coming dates for your diary. AGM 19th October 2020 Gibson Girls' and Whaea Ora Afternoon Tea 22nd November 2020 Leavers’ Ball 4th December 2020 Annual Golf Tournament March 2021 - date tbc Gibson Girls’ Luncheon 23rd March 2021 Annual Bridge Tournament May 2021 - date tbc
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President's Report Tena koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome everyone! There was a meme circulating a while back in lockdown. It said something to the effect that if you’d been asked in 2010 where you’d be in ten years’ time what might you have answered? It’s a typical job interview question by the way, and the internet is full of ghastly sample responses, very few would fool an interview panel. But none of those responses ever suggested the possibility that one might be hunkering down in a Level 4 lockdown during a global pandemic, hemmed in by something that wasn’t alive and that you couldn’t see. ‘How are you?’ said the surgeon about to perform a smallish procedure on my finger once we’d moved to Level 2. ‘Fine,’ I replied. ‘I loved Level 4, the world stopping from its ceaseless angry activity – He raised an eyebrow. – the fact that Papatūānuku gave us the flick,’ I continued earnestly. The surgeon was concentrating on the ultra sound image. ‘Papatūānuku,’ I explained. ‘Earth mother and wife of Rangi-nui from whom all living things originate.’ He plunged a large blunt needle into my finger, I yelped, and the conversation dwindled away. I acknowledge the huge irreversible hardships COVID-19 has caused many New Zealanders. But here’s the thing. Because. Just for a few brief weeks, our pressing concerns to one side, the planet was allowed to be. ‘India’s coasts witness bumper hatching of rare turtles’ Millions of endangered Olive Ridley turtles were seen hatching near India’s beaches, amid nationwide lockdown. Recently, Odisha’s Gahirmatha Beach and Rushikulya Rookery, the most preferred nesting grounds of the Olive Ridley sea turtles, witnessed lakhs* of them. According to a news report published in The New Indian Express, around 3.7 lakh Olive Ridleys have laid eggs at Rushikulya Rookery till now, while 4.2 lakh Olive Ridleys have turned up at Gahirmatha Beach for laying eggs. The report added that over six crore** eggs will be laid this year. How exciting is that? And it’s only one of many such stories. Who was in your bubble? Probably not a turtle. How did you
spend your lockdown? Probably not on a beach in India. Thank goodness the Olive Ridley mama turtles had it all to themselves for once. You were reading, gardening, relaxing, working remotely, working. Fortunately for RROGA, after a highly successful reunion weekend with record attendances, this time coincided with writing articles for our magazine. For compelling COVID-19 related reasons it was decided the delivery would be via digital means this year, with a very small number being printed for Gibson Girls and archival records. From a sustainability point of view, the committee thinks it’s good progressive step. Our meetings became digital; once again, sustainable and efficient, both time and energy wise; we intend to keep doing it as much as we can. You can read about everything we did over the past year in the magazine. Philanthropy, fostering social connections and more. It’s a great hardworking committee. I thank them all. But back to Papatūānuku. Last year I spoke about interconnectedness. This year I’m talking about the need and value of isolation. Because regeneration happens when we allow space. Space for questions. What is our place on the earth? What are our responsibilities? To the turtles. To trees, to butterflies. To other humans. To this school we love. How do we morally respond to our privilege?
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
This year I’m talking about the need and value of isolation. Because regeneration happens when we allow space. Space for questions. I remembered a book during lockdown, that I’d read many years ago. I couldn’t remember the title, but after some searching I tracked it down and I’m going to read you the extract which had such a profound effect on me both then and now. In this extract of ‘Six Clever Girls Who Became Clever Women’ by Fiona Farrell, a Christchurch author, Margie’s story as a mountain climber is continued in middle age. She had climbed up carefully enough, with due respect, with absolute attention. A steady ascent, along ridges where the slopes dropped off on either side thousands of feet down to the glaciers, through loose snow and across walls of blue ice, pitch by pitch, inch by inch, kicking in hard, finding the places where she could take hold, fix the screw, the snow stake, breathe, concentrate. Then the slog along the summit ridge, six breaths to each step up here in the thin air and the dub dub of the oxygen balloon and then the summit beneath a high pennant of wind-driven snow and the other mountains – peaks seracs and glaciers stretching away on all sides below them to India, to China, sea-wrack and billow. She was being careful. But midway down a delicate traverse, heart pounding lungs burning, their tents three tiny bright balloons a few hundred metres below, she had reached to her left and there was a butterfly. A tiny blue butterfly, its wings trembling as it stood tiptoe on the ice and it was so astonishing, so beautiful, so unlikely at 7800 metres that she had paused, just for a second. Held her hand back, just for a second, and in that second, she had slipped. “I’m sorry,” she tries to say to the black bird flying with her, the two of them linked by a red rope which swings between them in loops and tangles. Like skipping, she thinks. Like skipping at school when we were little. All in together, girls. Never mind the weather, girls. Jump and clap, jump and clap, plaits bobbing and the rope swinging over and under. “Sorry,” she calls to the black bird but she has fallen away and the sun catches in Margie’s eyes, a brilliant dazzle as she feels herself fall and rise into that golden eye. She flies up and up through that little round hole and looks down on it all: on the frozen press of mountains, at the tiny pinpricks of scarlet and yellow which are their tents where the others lie in soft downy bags, sip their sweet milky tea, read, eat mint cake and macaroni, chat, squabble, laugh, all funny lovely little humans with their warm skin and their framework of bone and their soft hair, doing funny little human things in this fearsome place where only a scattering of holy rice holds back the avalanche.
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And she calls out to them too: “Sorry, I’m sorry.” But maybe it’s pointless to apologise. Maybe it wasn’t her fault entirely. Maybe Parbat simply shrugged her cold shoulder and flicked aside the mildly irritating little insect that was Margie. Off you go, she had said. That’s enough.*** Like Mount Parbat, Papatūānuku also gave us the flick, but unlike Margie, our flick was temporary, we got to start over. Will you start over? Can we attempt to tread more carefully and respectfully, wedged between Papatūānuku and Rangi-nui. Might we have a clearer sense of the bigness of them, and the smallness of us? The richness they allow us? Might we, no matter our age or stage, might we just try? *A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. **A crore denotes ten million and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local style of digit groups eparators. ***Reprinted with permission from Penguin Random House. © Fiona Farrell, Six Clever Girls Who Became Famous Women, Penguin Books, Auckland, 1996. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/india-s-coasts-witness-bumper-hatchingof-rare-turtles/1842200
RROGA Branches: Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay Bindy Headifen p.headifen@outlook.co.nz Waikato/ Bay of Plenty Sue Milner randsmilner@gmail.com Nelson/Tasman/West Coast Barb Hay haybarbaraann@gmail.com Auckland Annette McGrevy aamcgrevy@icloud.com
South/Mid Canterbury Denise Kenny kennydl@xtra.co.nz Wendy Cookson colinandwendycookson@ gmail.com Mid Canterbury Philippa Yates yates_family@xtra.co.nz Jenny Williams tricroft2@gmail.com
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
Philanthropy
1940s Boarders
The Committee of the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association has always been a strong advocate of supporting the school, its pupils and alumnae in the most generous way it can. Our first committee set it out very clearly in the Constitution. 3.1 The primary objects of the Association shall be: 3.1.1 to promote the interests of the School; 3.1.2 to leave a lasting and permanent legacy for Old Girls; 3.1.3 to promote good fellowship amongst Old Girls of the School by reunions, sports, educational events, social functions or any other form of activity the Association sees fit; 3.1.4 to offer such scholarships, bursaries or exhibition to girls at the School or Old Girls, as funds permit; 3.1.5 to make donations towards School activities, and improvements of the buildings and grounds of the School as the Association sees fit; Over the 95 years of its existence, through prudent and wise investments from our treasurers and accountants, the capital base of Life Membership funds, legacies, fund-raising and donations has been built up to enable the Association to grant a variety of scholarships, bursaries, exhibitions and donations to a large number of recipients, both in the School and community. Two very special funds are named for their benefactors – The Gibson Webb Exhibitions and the Alison Kay Sports Awards. Rather than a donation to one cause, the Association chose to invest and grow these bequests using the interest to
benefit many girls. This way, we are also able to honour and remember the donors every year. The Gibson/Webb Exhibitions are named after the Gibson sisters who founded Rangi Ruru, and Betty Webb, a past President and Patron of the Old Girls’ Association. These are awarded each year by the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association to direct descendants of Old Girls in their senior year at Rangi who show outstanding endeavour and citizenship. These are girls who have maintained a sound level of academic achievement, and also demonstrated qualities that make the school and the community a better place in which to live. These qualities might include courtesy, reliability, persistence, sensitivity to the needs of others, as well as strengths in academic, sporting or cultural areas. Alison Kay Sports Award Alison Margaret Kay attended Rangi Ruru from 1930 to 1939 as a boarder from Little Akaloa. She was very much a sportswoman enjoying netball, lifesaving and tennis while at school and continuing to play tennis for many years afterwards. Alison served on the committee of the Old Girls’ Association from 1957 until 1962. The Association was indeed honoured to receive a generous legacy after her death in 2016. After consultation with Alison’s brother, David, the committee at the time decided to invest the legacy and to use the proceeds to assist present or past girls in their sporting pursuits at an elite level. This assistance would be offered annually, upon application to the committee of the Old Girls’ Association. Since 2017, awards have been given to several individuals and also to the school’s SOAR programme.
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RROGA SCHOL ARSHIPS
The Gibson Webb Exhibitions
The Gibson Webb Exhibitions The Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association offers the Gibson Webb Exhibitions to direct descendants of Rangi Ruru Old Girls who are currently attending the school in Years 12 and 13. Nominations are made by staff during Term 1 and final selection is made for the awards by the Old Girls’ Committee. Three Exhibitions are made annually. The Exhibitions are awarded to those girls who demonstrate endeavour, good citizenship and make positive contributions to the school. At least one of the three awards will be made to a boarder.
Gibson Webb Exhibitions 2019 On June 10th 2019, Rebekah Thomas-Hiddleston, Vice President of the RROGA, had the privilege of presenting this year’s Gibson Webb Exhibitions to the following students: 1. Hazel White 2. Isabel Newman 3. Skye Calder ‘I was thrilled to hear that these girls uphold the Rangi Ruru values highly, so it was with great delight that the RROGA is able to fund scholarships to reward such values. We wish the girls all the best with their future endeavours.’ Rebekah Thomas-Hiddleston
Gibson Webb 2019
Gibson Webb Exhibitions 2020 On June 15th 2020 the Gibson Webb Exhibitions were awarded to the following students: 1. Reilly Moore 2. Franny Ullrich 3. Georgia Walker 4. Mia Roadley
Franny Ullrich
How did you feel when you found out you’d been awarded a Gibson Webb? I felt super excited. I felt quite proud because my Grandma is part of the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association. What are your plans for next year? Next year I plan to study at Lincoln University and do a Diploma in Agriculture. This involves study and a lot of practice farm work. I'm really looking forward to it. Even though I have grown up in town I have always wanted to be a farmer. What do you enjoy about your studies at Rangi? I’ve enjoyed support I've received from all the teachers. Sometimes I find learning difficult and the support that the teachers provide makes school and learning a lot easier. They really want us to do well so that we are prepared when we leave school. What will your lasting memories be about your years at Rangi? Memories that will last forever will be all the friends that I have made, and these friendships will last for years after we've left Rangi. I'll always be proud to be a 'Rangi Girl'. There have been fun times that we've been allowed to organise, run and enjoy. For example, Love Weeks, Sports Days and School Dances. These make the school days more enjoyable and gives all year groups the chance to get to know each other better outside of the classroom. Your favourite quote? "Success isn't about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in peoples’ lives." Michelle Obama
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RROGA SCHOL ARSHIPS
How did you feel when you found out you’d been awarded a Gibson Webb? I was surprised at first because I was not aware that I had been considered for a Gibson Webb Exhibition, but shortly after I was filled with gratitude. I felt grateful for the Rangi Ruru Old Girls' Association for continuing to recognise the importance of supporting current students. The acknowledgement of our character and endeavours through the Gibson Webb, is something so special. I now feel I have a stronger connection to the Rangi Ruru Old Girls' Association and would like to sincerely thank the committee for this honour.
Georgia Walker
What are your plans for next year? Next year I am looking at doing a double degree with a Bachelor of Commerce and either a Bachelor of Arts in Film or a Bachelor of Communications. What do you enjoy about your studies at Rangi? The people I've met through my years at Rangi have contributed positively to my experience at this school. I've had the opportunity to make friendships filled with years of laughter, memories and true sisterhood. It is also significant to mention that the teachers at Rangi have offered me so much support and helped inspire the lifelong learner within me. The people I've been lucky enough to cross paths with are what made my years at Rangi most enjoyable. What will your lasting memories be about your years at Rangi? Through my years at Rangi, I've been able to appreciate the impact of quality education and learn how to maintain balance between my social and academic life. Your favourite quote? My favourite quote is “Everything happens for a reason.” Where I am now is where I am supposed to be, everything simply happens for a reason.
Reilly Moore
How did you feel when you found out you’d been awarded a Gibson Webb? I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that I had been chosen to receive a Gibson Webb Exhibition. I didn't exactly know what the award was for at first, but once I found out what it was awarded for I felt very proud. I felt grateful to the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association for this award and honoured by this acknowledgement. What are your plans for next year? I'm planning to study health sciences down at Otago University. What do you enjoy about your studies at Rangi? I really enjoy the great learning environment. All the teachers are so helpful, and the classroom environment always makes me feel comfortable. The people I've met during my time at Rangi have most definitely positively affected my studies. The support network at Rangi is so amazing, so I always know that I can get help when I need it. What will your lasting memories be about your years at Rangi? All the amazing friends I've made at my time at Rangi and the great quality of education I've received. Not only has Rangi allowed me to push myself academically, but also in my chosen sports and socially. Your favourite quote? My favourite quote is “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr Seuss
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RROGA SCHOL ARSHIPS
How did you feel when you found out you’d been awarded a Gibson Webb? I felt quite surprised and honoured that a received the Gibson Webb Exhibition.
Mia Roadley
What are your plans for next year? Next year I plan to stay at Rangi for Year 13 in preparation for going to university to study agricultural science. What do you enjoy about your studies at Rangi? I love the environment that each teacher creates in their classroom. I enjoy how all the girls are like minded but all bring a different opinions and views to each class. What will your lasting memories be about your years at Rangi? All my memories in the Boarding House. I love boarding with all the girls and staff members who I have gotten to know over the past four years. Your favourite quote? One of my favourite quotes at the moment is one to do with my sport. “ The only bad work out is the one that didn’t happen.”
Year 7/8 Scholarship This is awarded to Year 7 entry for two years. An academically able girl will be supported to continue her journey. This year we were very pleased to award this to Sisi Wiseman.
Sisi Wiseman
A quick chat with Sisi Wiseman about her recent scholarship. What was your reaction when you were awarded a scholarship? I was very happy and surprised. I always wanted to come here. It is a great school and I am having so much fun. What do you enjoy studying the most? Art. I love how free you can be with it and how you can put what is in your brain on to paper. What’s the last book you’ve read? ‘Secret Key’ by Lena Jones. It’s about a young girl who dreams of being a detective. What fun things do you do in your spare time? I love swimming, dancing and hanging out with friends and family because it makes me feel happy.
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RROGA PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
A note from the Principal
Tēnā tātou katoa. Koutou kua ikapahi mai, tēnā koutou. Nau mai ki tēnei hui.
Principal Dr Sandra Hastie, shares her AGM report with us. For the full report including all the school’s success, please follow the below link or find a copy on the Rangi website Alumnae Page. FULL REPORT The Senior Leaders came up with the theme “Flourish” and this proved to resonate strongly with our girls. They encouraged each of them to try something new - “plant a seed” - and then commit to it and see it through to completion - the idea being that, like a plant coping with the setbacks but still being able to reflect back and acknowledge the growth, they too will be able to look back, acknowledge their growth and celebrate. Enrolments: • 2019 January first day Roll: 657 with 138 Boarders • End of year Roll: 662 with 135 Boarders 2019 New Staff: Melissa Brooks – Assistant Director of Sport Richard Collins – Fixed term 1-year English (relief for Mark Cotham) Lucile Fontaine-Berger – Fixed Term 1-year French Brinley McIntosh – School Psychologist (PT – job share) Isabel Milward – PT Library Manager Melanie Patterson – School Psychologist (PT – job share) Julia Newman – PE/Health Returning: Maaka Kahukuranui – Kapa Haka Appointments during 2019: Carl Hogan – Head of IT Olivia Ling – Rowing Manager Reverend Charissa Nicol – PT Maths Allan Pahl – Building and Site Manager
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Academically: NCEA Results 2019: We were very proud of our girls’ outstanding 2019 NCEA results, some of our strongest ever results. • NCEA (Level 1): 100% (93.7% Merit or Excellence) • NCEA (Level 2): 99.1% (85.2% Merit or Excellence) • NCEA (Level 3): 100% (80.7% Merit or Excellence) • University Entrance: 100% (National school average in 2019 - 46.8%) Scholarship Results 2019 • Scholarship acknowledges high level critical and analytical thinking and we were delighted with our results. • These are awarded at two levels, the subject with Scholarship and with Outstanding Performance. • Outstanding Performance is for the very top performers (around 3% of the Level 3 cohort in that subject). • Overall results: 21 Scholarships including five at Outstanding Performance. • Rosetta Brown was named ‘Top Subject Scholar’ in Printmaking and Sarah Lawrence was ‘Top Subject Scholar’ in Music. • Topping New Zealand in these subjects is a tremendous tribute to the commitment and dedication of the girls and their teachers. • Sarah, with Outstanding Performance Scholarships in Music and English, and Scholarships in Drama and Geography, has seen her named as a 2019 ‘Outstanding Scholar’ (one of 58 in New Zealand). • Rosetta was awarded an overall ‘Scholarship Award’. • These awards carry a value of $2000 for three years and Sarah’s ‘Outstanding Scholar’ awards her $5000 for three years.
RROGA PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
The highlights of 2019 include: • Thirty-two students volunteered on 3rd March to help at Children’s Day which was held in the Red Zone, New Brighton. This continues to be a popular event with our students who really enjoy helping families to have a fun day. We continue to send the largest contingent of volunteers of all schools in Christchurch that help out on Children’s Day. • As in previous years, a large number of Years 12 and 13 students also helped out at the YMCA holiday camps during term breaks. • Many of our students took part in a variety of fundraising events organised by Ronald McDonald House and contributed in other ways such as taking home baking on a weekly basis to the House. • Staff cooked on eight Sunday afternoons from February to November at the Night Shelter for homeless men at the City Mission. Tania Morgan, Head of Community and Global Connections, continues to be very grateful for the tremendous support from our staff. • Twelve senior students volunteered at the Nurse Maude Hospital in Merivale. We have established a very good relationship with Linda Mace, the Volunteer Coordinator, who is very pleased to have our girls help on the wards and in the Second-Hand Shops. • After the February Mosque attack, one of our chefs, Philippa McIntyre, was part of a collective of local chefs who helped the local Christchurch Muslim community to provide a children’s festival to celebrate Eid, to mark the end of Ramadan. The event was hosted at the Air Force Museum
on the 9th of June. 22 of our students helped Philippa with preparing and running this event. • 30 Years 12 and Year 13 students helped out at a biannual fundraiser for Cholmondeley Home – this was the ‘Sculpture on the Peninsula’ event which is held every two years in November at Loudon Farm, Teddington, Banks Peninsula. Our students were great ambassadors for the school during this weekend. • We have continued to provide collectors for annual appeals: Child Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Women’s Refuge and the Dementia Appeal. These collections are very popular with our girls. • A Year 12 student, Sophie Pye, coordinated a large contingent of Rangi students to help with the very successful Avon River ‘Mother of all Cleanups’ on May 11. • In recognition of Rangi’s excellent 40 Hour Famine campaign last year, we were awarded the ‘World Vision Whanaungatanga Award’ celebrating new partnerships in the World Vision Whānau. In addition, two students, Emily Irvine and Holly O'Loughlin, were awarded the ‘Greatest Individual Impact’ awards for outstanding fundraising efforts. We were also awarded a Senior Leadership Scholarship for 2020, which we presented to Phoebe Sugrue. Phoebe organised a “Service Conference’ earlier in the year for a large number of Canterbury High School students. • The Years 12 and 13 students were encouraged to seek their own opportunities for doing Community Service and we were very pleased to see the breadth of activities (both in and out of school) that they were involved in. Many students got
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RROGA PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
involved in the Sustainability Council’s tree-planting events. • In 2019, 17 Year 12 girls completed over 100 hours of Community Service. During the year, a total of 2,827 hours of voluntary work were completed by Year 13 girls and Year 12 completed 4,525 hours. This is a total of 7,352 hours. We are delighted that our girls were involved in so many Community Service opportunities and gave their time so willingly to the service of others. • Fundraising: A total of $18,703.20 was raised during 2019. Farewells: During 2019 we had the following resignations: • Tim Jones – Head of IT • Lisa Johnson – Mathematics Teacher • Richard Houghton – Building and Site Manager • Dan Dennehy – Gardener • Connor Matthews – Te Reo Maori • Ella Vink – Rowing Manager • Emma Taurua – Director of Community Relationships • Reverend Kirstie McDonald – Chaplain • Carrie Hartel – Science Teacher • Allan Hawes – Learning Resource Developer Thanks: I offer my thanks to the organising committee of Steph Withells, Ali McQueen, Mandy Brazier, Helen Joblin and Victoria Tait for the Annual Combined Old Girls’ Golf Tournament. Unfortunately, I was unable to play but it was lovely to have the opportunity to join you all for afternoon tea and present prizes. Thanks also to Gill Dallison and Diana
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Carey for their superb organisation of the annual Bridge Day which was also enjoyed by a large number with close competition between the groups of ladies. These are important events for us and the time and energy that goes into the organisation is greatly appreciated. The Reunion Weekend again proved highly popular with numbers at capacity for the events. It was lovely to join the 70 Years On luncheon and then the rest of the Reunion groups prior to their lunch, and to have the opportunity to speak about the school. Seeing the buzz of excitement, from the reconnecting of friendships and also the reminiscing of memories, warms my heart and reminds me of just how special Rangi Ruru is to so many. Again, I offer my thanks to Victoria Tait, the Committee members and the Rangi Ruru Staff team who made this event run smoothly and successfully. Once again, we enjoyed a fabulous Year 13 Leavers’ Ball. For the second year in a row the Old Girls decided to look at hiring a silk-lined marquee and having the event on site at Rangi Ruru. Holding the presentation in the Church allowed for all families to attend this part of the evening without cost and be part of this special occasion. The Church was full, and every girl was given the opportunity to walk the aisle and to be welcomed into the Old Girls’ Association. Once this was over the families moved outside Te Koraha for drinks on the lawn and then into the marquee for a lovely catered sit-down dinner. It was indeed a special evening for all and a night that I am sure will be remembered in the lives of our girls for
RROGA PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
many years to come. I offer my thanks to the committee, involving the girls in the decision-making process and working hard to keep costs down for families while still ensuring that it was a quality event was indeed a challenge, but you should feel so proud of your efforts and results. Through the generosity of RROGA we have been able to purchase the Rameau Grand Piano and also employ Johnann Williams as our Archivist. This ensures that the history of our school is preserved, celebrated and stored and we are so grateful that you support her in this way. I acknowledge the work of Mrs Felicity Williams as President. Felicity has spent many hours at Rangi Ruru and is certainly regarded as a valued part of our staff team. I thank her for her tireless commitment to her role and for her willingness to give up her time to ensure that events were run smoothly and that RROGA continued to support the work of the School. Felicity goes over and above in her role and has been instrumental in bringing change and new direction to the Alumnae. I also acknowledge the work of Victoria Tait as your administrator. Victoria is also an important part of this organisation; her warm, welcoming and friendly manner ensure that our groups, especially our Gibson Girls' continue to feel connected, remembered and cared for which is greatly appreciated. We enjoy having Victoria as part of our staff team; her love for Rangi is evident in all that she does. My thanks also to the RROGA committee who are all volunteers. You put in hours and hours of work to ensure the connections we have are maintained and events can happen. Your willingness to give back to your school is to be admired and says a lot about how special Rangi was and still is in your lives.
The school is in good heart. We have strong enrolments, a full boarding house and wonderful girls and families.
RROGA maintains a large outreach with alumnae, which gives a huge depth of community worldwide, honouring the history and vision of the Gibson sisters. This is maintained by how RROGA and the school work together sharing the responsibility of communicating and engaging with this important group. It is indeed a partnership that we treasure. As I conclude my fourth year at Rangi Ruru I can report that the school is in good heart. I thank RROGA for their ongoing commitment and interest in our School and their families and wish you all the best as a committee going forward.
“Whaia to te Rangi� Seek the Heavenly things
Dr Sandra K Hastie Principal 10 June 2020
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RROGA ADMINISTR ATOR REPORT
Administrator Report ‘Our primary aim is to build up character – it is scholarship that trains the mind and the intellect, it is drill and sport that improve the physique, but a partnership of the two is necessary if we are to hand back to you, girls who will prove strong in body, pure in mind, and cultured in intellect.’ - Helen Gibson, to parents
For 130 years, Rangi Ruru has kept this vision alive. I, as an old girl, know that these words still resonate with me today. It is truly remarkable that a school has been able to continue to achieve the vison of its founders in modern times. This has been thanks to the support of the Rangi Ruru Community and of the RROGA. Keeping the connection with old girls is the essence of our community. This is achieved through several events and social gatherings. We ended 2019 with two fantastic events, the Gibson Girls' Whaea Ora Morning Tea and the Leavers’ Ball. You can find write-ups on these events from page 48. As challenging as 2020 has been, we had successful turnouts to the events we have been able to run. Starting the year with Reunion Weekends for the 1940 - 2000-year groups, we had record numbers. Our Golf Tournament was a success, and thanks to Stephanie Withell and her team, another great day was had by all at Waimairi Beach Golf Club. We unfortunately had to cancel our Bridge Tournament and the Gibson Girls' Lunch due to COVID19. There is something very special about being part of the Old Girls’ Association, and it has been wonderful to see the increase in younger Old Girls joining the ranks. I’m sure they will agree with me that it is an insightful experience to see the RROGA Executive Committee in action – with such a diverse skill set and passion for the school, each event and project is taken on with full enthusiasm and commitment. I would like to thank you all for your constant guidance and help. I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Felicity, whose dedication and passion for the role goes above and beyond the call of duty; we have shared many laughs throughout what has been a very busy year. A big thank you to Dr Sandra Hastie who has provided excellent
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guidance to RROGA; her help has been greatly appreciated over these challenging months. I would also like to thank Jude Connochie, who has hugely supported both myself and the RROGA over the past year, with her endless help and knowledge. I hope you enjoy reading this publication that showcases yet again the extraordinary things you have gone on to do. Please do get in touch if you have a story to share as well as any old school photos, as we are always wanting to build up the school archives. Victoria Tait
RROGA DEVELOPMENT
Development Bridget Woodham, Head of Development, talks about the School’s philanthropic focus.
Last year, I spent some time with senior student leaders talking about giving and getting an understanding of what giving meant to them. Each year, I am blown away by the number of hours they volunteer and the money they raise for causes close to their hearts. In 2019 alone, Years 12 and Year 13 students completed a total of 7,253 hours of community service and the entire school raised just under $19,000 for local charities. Such acts of generosity help cement a strong sense of purpose in our girls, with many continuing to positively contribute to society and to the communities within which the live once they leave Rangi. When speaking with the girls, I wanted them to know how acts of generosity, such as those demonstrated by their student body, from generations past had benefitted a community a little closer to home. Rangi Ruru is as it is today thanks, in part, to the generosity of our community. It would be easy to presume an independent school like Rangi Ruru is profitable, charging fees that many might think make it cash rich. The reality is that school fees go towards staff and operational costs, so despite the seemingly large revenue stream from fees, additional funding and support is required for the School to continue to seize opportunities of advancement.
Throughout the School’s 131 years, with philanthropic support the School has acquired some of its greatest assets. We have a beautiful Church to gather and worship in, our very own pool to dive or belly flop into, we sit and dream under lofty trees, are surrounded by stunning works of art and we perform in bespoke theatres, all lovingly gifted by our community. Gifts such as tuition, boarding scholarships and bursaries have also meant the difference in some girls attending or not attending Rangi Ruru. Support comes in many forms, and whether it is simply through attending events, Old Girls coming back and sharing expertise and life experiences with current students, or through monetary donations, every gift makes a difference. The School is incredibly grateful for all those who support it, allowing it to thrive. Although the School’s philanthropic focus evolves, reflecting the needs of the school at a point in time, what is clear is that philanthropy is as important to Rangi Ruru today as it was in the past. The fallout from COVID-19 has highlighted the need for fundraising in schools, now more than ever, as many independent schools around the world call on this supplementary resource to support them and their families through this period. Here at Rangi Ruru we are not immune.
Due to a change in circumstances, several families are facing difficult decisions right now, including having to decide whether their daughter can remain enrolled at Rangi Ruru. Because of this, the School has established the COVID-19 Fees Assistance Fund. This fund will allow the school to underwrite further tuition or boarding fees assistance in the short term. If you haven’t already and you are in a position to help others during this challenging time, I ask you to consider giving to the Rangi Ruru COVID-19 Fees Assistance Fund. You can do this via our website www.rangiruru.school.nz/ support. Through your support, we hope to raise enough funds to keep all our current girls at school, providing stability in an otherwise unstable time. Giving is a powerful way to celebrate your legacy and affection for Rangi Ruru. It is our hope that by carving a hallowed place in the hearts and minds of all those who pass through Rangi Ruru’s doors, each generation will continue the incredible cycle of giving set by its forebears. Thank you to all who support Rangi Ruru, ensuring the gift of a Rangi Ruru education is available for generations to come. Bridget Woodham Head of Developement
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RROGA DEVELOPMENT
Throughout the School’s 131 years, with philanthropic support the School has acquired some of its greatest assets.
1960 (circa) Swimming Pool
COVID-19 Fees Assistance Fund Working together to care for Rangi families. If you are able to help others during this challenging time please give today by going to www.rangiruru.school.nz/support to donate.
Alternatively you can send a cheque made payable to the Head of Development, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, 59 Hewitts Road, Merivale, Christchurch 8014. To allow funds to be distributed accordingly all donations should be made before 25 September 2020. All donations over $5 may be eligible for tax rebate. A tax receipt will be issued for all donations.
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
Our Alumnae.
Our Alumnae
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Worlds apart but friends for life – Jocelyn Jarmey (Wauchop) 1938-1946
– Elizabeth de Hernandez (Ferrier) 1937-1945
Elizabeth de Hernandez, who has lived in Paris for over sixty years, made the journey to Christchurch last February to visit family members and her old school friends. She was here for the Rangi Ruru reunion that same month and joined us at the church service and morning tea with her life-long friend Jocelyn Jarmey. RROGA president Felicity Williams caught up with Elizabeth in Christchurch at the YMCA, and later with Jocelyn at her home in Christchurch, and had a chat about . . . their school days eighty years ago! Elizabeth is 92 years old and she drives a two-seater smart car around Paris! Like everyone else, she has been in lockdown and when I rang her on 5 June, she was happy about being allowed to emerge and visit a nearby park. She had missed, she added, the weekly visits to restaurants with her daughter. Elizabeth started at Rangi Ruru in 1937, aged 10 years. Miss Helen Gibson was headmistress, then Miss Ethel took over. Apart from two years boarding at Amberley House School for girls during the Second World War, she spent the rest of her school days at Rangi Ruru, mainly as a boarder, as her parents frequently travelled overseas.
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‘My father was a businessman, a wool buyer.’ Amberley House was a private boarding school for girls, where they could keep their ponies. Elizabeth and Jocelyn were neighbours in Heaton Street, becoming friends from a very early age. Jocelyn also started at Rangi Ruru in 1937, in the third term, as she was frightened of her teacher’s strap at Elmwood school! Elizabeth remembers their childhood adventures . . . ‘I biked to school with Jocelyn. She lived a few houses down in Heaton Street. Once I tied her up and left her in her garden.’ Jocelyn remembers that incident as well, ‘Yes she did. She tied me to the lancewood – they haven’t got any branches, just a trunk and a bunch of leaves up the top. My mother came home shortly afterwards and untied me. It was some sort of game, there were no hard feelings.’ Elizabeth continues: We played a lot. We used our imaginations more, I think. My favourite teacher was Miss Sherwin, who read stories to the class; ‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘Jock of the Bushveld’ were favourites. I hated writing essays but I do remember enjoying the biography of Daphne du Maurier.
Left: Jocelyn after receiving New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) 1988.
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Miss Hoy was our French teacher – a giggle from Elizabeth – poor Miss Hoy! Whether she could actually teach French was another matter. She was a poor disciplinarian. We put water on her chair once, we were really naughty. After school I remember enjoying tennis, and dancing.
culture. But I loved Nicaragua, despite the cultural adaptions that were required.
Jocelyn remembers Miss Grey doing a shoe drill.
We left Nicaragua and went to Paris where my husband worked as a civil engineer. In 1972, there was the huge earthquake in Nicaragua and Armando returned to work as part of the rebuild. We were seven years apart then, from ‘72-’79.
‘The whole school was divided into squads and at 10.30 we did 15 minutes squad drill. Exercises. It was compulsory to stay after school and play netball – hockey and tennis as well.’ Elizabeth’s grandfather was Robert McDougall, the owner back then of Aulsebrooks biscuit factory. The family home in McDougall Avenue was given to the Nurse Maude Association by the family and is now part of their hospital complex. Elizabeth met her husband, a Nicaraguan, when she was in Paris. They were introduced by Elizabeth’s next-door neighbour from Christchurch. Her husband-to-be, Armando, was studying engineering. When I left school my parents took me to Paris, as part of a tour. I did a short course at the Sorbonne and that’s where I met my husband, he was Nicaraguan. I was 25 years old when I met him. I went to Nicaragua to meet Amando’s family and then I got married in Christchurch and returned to Nicaragua. It was hard, because it was a completely different
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Two children were born in Nicaragua. The small family then moved to Paris, where a third child was born.
Sadly, Amando died in 2003 in Paris. Jocelyn, now aged 91, went to university upon leaving school and trained to be a post-primary teacher. She went on to become a social worker, using the skills she acquired over the years working alongside children and adults with learning disabilities. Jocelyn was very involved in many organisations and charities, particularly adult cerebral palsy and the sheltered workshop. For all her hard work and dedication, she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). Elizabeth still lives in the same apartment on the outskirts of Paris, and is in regular contact with her three children and grandchildren. She is an avid watcher of BBC television. Jocelyn lives in Christchurch and enjoys gardening and bridge. Below: Rangi 1945 Prefects photo Elizabeth bottom left.
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GRASS
Caroline Glen Š 16/3/20
You wonder have I gone forever and look for me each day of your lives, stand and stare but the earth stays bare; no tiny green, green star arrives. You look at the sky, its persuading blue, Its soft clouds freely playing, no care, you hoping they would be bold and cry and throw to the land, your tears to share. Remember, remember, I hide in brown hard earth, waiting for that time when I can soak clouds’ tears, its loves, its fears and relieve your pain treading you by. Our little shoots can then rejoice and push fearless through the earth, singing our songs of every choice into you, by our divine rebirth.
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Weft Twining and an Unforseen PhD Felicity Williams met up with Dr Patricia Te Arapo Wallace at The Edge CafĂŠ and talked about school days, raranga, and why you should always be inquisitive. Credit : Photo used by kind permission, University of Canterbury
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– Patricia Te Arapo Wallace 1953-1956
Tell me about your life. My life has been a series of changes that has resulted in my commitment to lifelong learning. Let’s talk about some of those changes, and how Rangi Ruru shaped you to become that lifelong learner. My first dramatic life change occurred when I was orphaned at the age of 10 and adopted by Eileen and Keith Wallace. They gave me every opportunity they had given their own son, and I elected to retain their name in appreciation of all they gave me. I attended Rangi Ruru Girls’ School from 1953 –1957, entering Form 3P1 (when P signified professional, as opposed to G=general, and the 1 meant that we took Latin.) Rangi was a very different school in those days. We lined up outside in our clans to march into the assembly hall/ gym, where we sat on the floor to start each day. Our form room was in the stables, and our third form teacher – fondly remembered by most of my generation – was Margaret Dennis. She had a gentle manner and spoke with a soft Scottish burr; she taught us French and English – and somehow had an ability to teach us without us realising – because the following year, with different teachers, we were surprised at how much we knew! Other teachers included Natalie Lough, (who insisted that the word 'garage' was not pronounced 'ga-rij' or ga-rarj', but 'motor-shed',) Anne Duff and Elizabeth Sutherland – who also taught French, the Canadian, Lydia Eckersley, Helen Wily who taught Maths, and Barbara de Lambert who taught Art. At the end of our fifth form year, we sat external exams in five subjects for School Certificate; it was required to pass at least four to enter the sixth form. Sports offerings were limited compared to those of today; attempts to introduce cricket were not encouraged by 'Mrs P' – Margaret Patrick being the headmistress of our day. And girls who
did not enjoy sport were able to learn French country dancing, instead. But I believe that one of our most important lessons was seeing women in all the leading and administrative roles – which was not the norm at that time. Towards the end of my sixth form year, my parents attended a PTA careers evening at the school. I was keen on art and clothing but not remotely interested in becoming a teacher back then. One of the speakers was from Lane Walker Rudkin Ltd., (the nation's biggest manufacturing company at the time.) The outcome was that I left school to start work in their designing room. We worked from block patterns, and the success of a design was measured by the numbers of dozens in which it sold. I was lucky. Over the next three years, a number of employees moved on, and I moved up the ladder. But then the time came for me to move on too. As most of our families encouraged us to do, I took off for an OE year working overseas. In fact, 12 girls of my year were in London during the same period. During my time there, I undertook an intensive
3-month course at the Paris Academy School of Fashion, which happened to be in Oxford Street, London. There, we worked in toile, using an inexpensive unbleached cotton fabric to create experimental one-off designs. It was a complete contrast to factory designing. On my return, I worked for a time from home, using my overseas experience, but it wasn't long before I decided that I wanted to work with people – and so got an office job as well. Then marriage and children changed my life again. I love the way your life after school went down a clothing and textile path. All those experiences wove together to bring you to where you needed to be. It wasn't until my late thirties that I decided to train as a teacher. Without a university degree, I undertook a threeyear course at Christchurch Teachers' College to become a Home Economics teacher. Then, suddenly one of the nation's surplus teachers, I became a supervisor running an industrial sewing room at the Canterbury Sheltered Workshop in Kilmarnock Street and
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I believe that one of our most important lessons was seeing women in all the leading and administrative roles – which was not the norm at that time. taught evening classes at Hagley Community College. Eventually, in the 1980s, I moved to teaching at Hagley, in the days of the extraordinary Roz Heinz. What was the next change? In 1989, I took a year's leave to remarry and live in Taranaki. Although my whakapapa is Ngāti Porou, this was my first opportunity to 'get in touch' with my Māori side, and I was privileged to attend classes of the late Huirangi Waikerepuru at the Polytechnic. This was also the year I first started undertaking Māori related research – initially looking at the lives of five women who had signed the Treaty. Returning to Hagley the following year, I began attending lectures at University of Canterbury after school in a forlorn attempt to try to consolidate some Reo. I continued studying, eventually deciding it was much more fun being a student than a teacher. I completed a BA Hons in Māori Studies, and BA in Art History – with an emphasis on Māori and Pacific Art History.
At the end of 1996, when I told a friend that I didn't really want to go back to school teaching, she said, "Well why aren't you doing a PhD? Applications for funding close on Tuesday." In the next four days, I managed to put together an application that resulted in my being awarded the second Apirana Ngata Doctoral Scholarship. My initial plan to study the transition from traditional Māori dress into European dress was revised after my first year when I recognised that there was so much more to learn about traditional dress. My eventual thesis statement argued that traditional Māori dress was much more complex and varied than people realised. I used early European images of Māori as a source of ethnological data, which had not been done before, along with oral tradition, early journals and collected material evidence. I had hoped to graduate when I was 60, but health issues forced another change and it took me a couple more years. So tell me more about connecting with your Māori heritage.
During my study of Māori Art History, I had joined Te Puna Waihanga, the Māori Artists and Writers Association and that brought me into contact with some wonderful people. Although I am not a weaver, I understand the basic processes, but because I grew up without access to any Māori whanau, I had to find my way very carefully with the weaving community. I began to work with the late Ngāi Tahu artist and weaver Cath Brown, and eventually edited the weavers’ national newsletter for about 15 years. When you get the PhD is when you begin to realise how little you know about anything. The PhD is only the beginning – but it helps to open doors. In the traditional Māori world, garments that had belonged to people of great mana were considered too tapu and dangerous for ordinary people, so they were either buried with their owners, or exposed to return to Papatūānuku. I consider we are very lucky that some early cloaks were traded during James Cook’s first voyage to New Zealand.
The Paris Academy of Fashion , RIght: the Stables Block where she was taught at Rangi.
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Today, most of the oldest Māori cloaks that have survived are held in international museums; my real research began after I had graduated. I began to see things in museum collections that were different to current weaving practices. Māori weaving was threatened during the process of colonisation and adapting to a cash economy. Some techniques were lost while others changed. By analysing and sending out challenges to weavers who wanted to participate, we were able to recover some techniques that hadn’t been practiced for maybe 100 years. Here Patricia uses her fingers to twist and whirl imaginary fibres in
front of me. Weft Twining. It looks complex and mysterious. And you are still so busy and involved. There is still a lot of potential research that can be done – which leads towards the recovery of indigenous Māori science and technologies – a field that is really exciting and would benefit from more interdisciplinary and collaborative research. But this is work for others. I still need to be writing up more of my own research. Lifelong learning. How was that established? I had a set of seven formidable great aunts, of Scottish/Irish heritage and
Everyone knows that Māori were weavers - but not everyone knows that they also sewed - yet practically every museum in the country will hold bone needles. There is still a lot of so much potential research that can to be done – which leads towards the recovery of indigenous Māori science and technologies – a field that is really exciting and would benefit from more interdisciplinary and collaborative research. But this is work for others. I still need to be writing up more of my own research.
staunchly committed to issues of social equity. Teachers, a missionary, the first woman reporter in parliament, the first woman MP, and mothers of teachers, etc. I think their lives provided a subconscious framework that influenced me – along with other special women. My thesis acknowledges my teacher from Rangi Ruru, Margaret Dennis, those great aunts, and my mothers; all women who demonstrated different kinds of leadership in their own ways.
You can also go to this Uni page if you wish.
UNI PAGE
Above: Patricia with colleagues (Luba Lubomira Nurse, left and Rachel Hand, right) re-examining a kahu kuri (dogskin cloak) at The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, U.K. in 2017. Most people know something of Maori weaving, but not a lot of people know that Maori also sewed. Dog skin cloaks were made by either stitching pelts together with leather thonging, or by stitching rows of dog skin strips across a previously woven base fabric, using fibre extracted from harakeke leaves. Maori weaving does not use a loom, but a process called whatu, or weft twining. The image on the right shows a detail of stitched strips over a twined backcloth.
Right: When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wore a Māori cloak to a Commonwealth heads of government event at Buckingham Palace in April 2018, she generated a wave of pride and respect. The cloak was a kahu huruhuru; a specific type of cloak that has feathers twined into it and is often worn by chiefs or dignitaries to convey status and mana [power]. She wore it so well that many felt she portrayed the inversion of traditional gender roles; a female world leader wearing a powerful cloak while hapu [pregnant] and representing her country. But the cloak already had a story of its own. It came from the central North Island area; in the 1970s it was gifted to a young couple who were leaving New Zealand to live in Italy. Some 40 years later it was taken to England and given into the keeping of Ngāti Rānana (the London Māori Club) where it is still held. RROGA NEWS I 2020 026
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– Jennifer Barrer 1954-1957
Dancing through Life RROGA president Felicity Williams spent a morning with Rangi alumna Jennifer Barrer at her home up in Barrer Lane, Christchurch. We talked about her varied career in the theatre, strolled around her garden, and delved into her philosophy for living mindfully. Jennifer continued the conversation over coffee, around the corner in the cafe at the Sign of the Takahē. At the end of my visit, Jennifer, ever thoughtful, presented me with a small exquisite bouquet of heritage flowers picked fresh from her garden. The flowers nestled in a small vase on my desk for quite some time, providing a fragrant reminder of her hospitality and the generous sharing of her memories.
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In te reo Maori, Awhi means to care for, nurture, embrace and cherish, which sums up the way we see our place in the world. The Awhi way is about being connected to the land. It nourishes us, and we treat the land and everything on it with care and respect.
Jennifer Barrer was born in Christchurch in 1940. Her mother, Margaret Barrer, was an actress and an artist and her father, Bryan Barrer, was a barrister and solicitor who reluctantly went to the Second World War in the 19th battalion. I grew up during the war, in my formative years my father was at Advanced Base, Cassino. Goodness knows what horrors he saw. We never talked about it. Back in New Zealand, I spent my time watching plays, with my mother acting in them. My whole early life was full of people. You might say, ‘the greasepaint got up my nose.’ Jennifer explains that she met the most interesting people in this theatre environment, women wearing pants and smoking black Sobrani cigars, very extrovert individualistic folk – ‘it’s made me non-judgmental about people.’ When her father came back from the war, he wanted space around him, and he bought the seven acres ‘four winds’ estate above the Takahē. Jennifer now lives on one acre of this, the original homestead still stands across the way. It was called the Garden of Generosity and the family grew flowers for the markets. I attended Rangi Ruru from the age of 12. I rode a bike – all the way down and up the hill. All the girls had rich, modern Raleigh bikes, I had an old one – Dad got it from a sale, and I flew past Christ’s College, mostly to look at the boys – that way down took 40 minutes, but much more tiring on the uphill way home. Cashmere Primary had been like a country school, and going to Rangi Ruru was a big shift for me.
As for the teachers, I liked Enid Hardie, English teacher, because she published one of my poems, a significant event to me.
I’ve acted in over 100 plays, and Dad was so proud of me. I don’t regret following his advice, but I fitted in everything else as well.
I liked Miss Lough, the way she described words. She influenced me with her depth of knowledge about the English language.
I had an incredible career teaching up and down the country, and during that time I also published books of poetry.
‘Break break break On thy cold grey stones O sea’ I liked Mrs Dennis, she was very warm and unpretentious. I also liked Victor Peters, the music teacher; he taught me to conduct. I went to Teachers College after my four years at Rangi. ‘I’m going to be an actress' I said, but Dad said no, you have to have a career. So, I became a teacher. But they couldn’t hold me back from my dreams, I directed a play at Teachers College, ‘The Bespoke Overcoat.’ I also edited the magazine ‘Tellus.’ A turning point was playing Célie in Sganarelle by Molière. From there, I went straight into Hamlet – playing Queen Gertrude directed by the formidable and amazing Dame Ngaio Marsh. I never stopped acting after that.
I believe that as human beings, we do the thing in life that we feel needs to be done, from our own spirit. There was a very special camaraderie at Rangi; it’s not just about Miss Thomas telling us to stand straight and put our feet a certain way, it was a genuine kind of bond that has given me friendships for life. Not a lot, but a precious few that still mean something today. I’ve had to be a bit of a goer, but in life the great gift is to love being alive every day. And to recognise within oneself, the moments of great happiness, and to hold those close. Day dreaming is a great thing to do. What a privilege to be alive! I feel a responsibility to honour the pioneer spirit. Awhi. That sums it all up for me. I sometimes have an image of myself as a mountain, here, there and everywhere. I’m so lucky to be alive.
I combined it all with having four children, and now three grandchildren, spread all over the world. I’m an environmentalist, and I’ve developed the acre of land I live on with plants, and stories from their heritage past.
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Cover Photo: Jennifer Barrer as Queen Gertrude, 'Hamlet' 1958. Photographer Martin Barriball.
Break, Break, Break
Where Rivers Flow
Break, break, break, On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me.
Into the very Mountain It seeps The kea’s cry. Complete. Austere. The mountains shape our souls. They put us in our place. I come from the mountains and snow, And I’ll live where the rivers flow.
BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
O, well for the fisherman's boy, That he shouts with his sister at play! O, well for the sailor lad, That he sings in his boat on the bay! And the stately ships go on To their haven under the hill; But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand, And the sound of a voice that is still! Break, break, break At the foot of thy crags, O Sea! But the tender grace of a day that is dead Will never come back to me.
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JENNIFER BARRER
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– Maria Carter Wallace 1983-1986
Challenges Make You Stronger. (As long as you get through to the other side . . .)
Felicity Williams says: ‘I remember Maria as one of the most gifted students musically that I had ever encountered in my teaching career. I’m qualified to say that, because I was a young music teacher at Rangi Ruru during the years Maria attended. I’ll never forget the first time she sat down at the piano in the 3rd form music class and played. She had then, and still does have, an rare innate musicality that can’t be taught. Maria and I stayed in touch over the last 35 or so years, whereever she was in the world. I am delighted to give her this opportunity to tell of her adventures, both musical and global.’
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I am aware of an ongoing richness in this country that needs to continue to be supported through arts education.
What were the pivotal experiences you had at Rangi, or elsewhere, that gave you a sense of direction for your life? I attended Rangi from 1983 – 1986. It wasn’t until decades later that I appreciated the educational opportunity and sacrifice my parents had undertaken to send me to this school. It was very pro-female achievement and each week in assembly an Old Girl or guest speaker was brought in. The idea of girls being able to do anything was instilled in the ethos of the school. I think it’s where I had my first exposure to the idea of travel and hearing stories outside of Aotearoa. It whet my appetite to experience life outside of my hometown, although I wasn’t sure how that would pan out and never dreamt I would visit over 40 countries and work overseas. Charity projects in education are very rewarding and it is important to support others less fortunate. At university, I was banned from choosing Samoan Music as my final project in my Music degree as it was not considered proper music. However, it only spurred me on to support Pasifika music and the Performing Arts in education. Later on, I was chosen to train Pasifika educators in the NZ Arts Curriculum, and to be involved in projects that promote the arts and enrich their communities. From there, I moved overseas and it all “exploded” for me over there; I initially planned to go for a short term but it stretched out to 13 years.
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What did you do after leaving school? I chose to attend University of Canterbury, wanting to study performance music but was told at enrolment that Grade 8 piano was not sufficient to be admitted into the course, so I studied for a BA in English and Music History. I freelanced for a bit and went teaching. I enjoyed it, however I left teaching several times to do other things working in media and as a musician. Completing my Master of Music Education degree through Boston University was amazing because I met other practitioners like myself who worked internationally and had similar stories. I taught in International Schools in Dubai and Vietnam. Teaching overseas is fascinating because the cultural context informs what you will be required to do – conducting a string orchestra in Vietnam, providing a drumming workshop for visitors for the Special Olympics in Dubai, organising concerts and shows, speaking at a conference in Azerbaijan, piano accompanying – sharing ideas and growing, experiencing diverse cultural contexts and languages. I experienced a lot. These were all remarkable experiences, yet returning home, I am aware of an ongoing richness in this country that needs to continue to be supported through arts education.
How can we all protect and nurture New Zealand’s arts and culture with respect to education? I came home in December 2019. Christchurch now is a very different city to the one I grew up in. My new school in Christchurch is a fabulous model for arts and culture and one of the main reasons I wanted to work there. A powerful experience was the entire school performed a haka to new students and staff – it was a privilege and felt like a homecoming. The school has a number of feeder primary schools that it works with, producing an annual choral and music festival. Hundreds of students are involved, a credit to their teachers. Our local high school also mentors music groups and we go there every week. There is a sense of what has been before and what will continue afterwards in their Performing Arts experience. Such a programme makes for an enriched school community. It’s a combination of all those factors – the home, the school and the student all working together. That’s the ideal, although it’s difficult to achieve that trifecta consistently. I am very fortunate to have that. The greatest asset to arts and culture in education is the teacher – preserve that and arts and culture will thrive.
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– Sophie Devine 2003-2007
Five Minutes with Sophie Devine Joanna Dodgshun speaks with Sophie Devine
In March 2019, she was named the ANZ Women’s T20 Player of the Year at the annual New Zealand Cricket Awards and since then Sophie Devine has continued to go from strength to strength, scoring her first century in February this year, as well as becoming the first cricketer – male or female – to consecutively score 50 or more in T20's.
1. 2. 3. 4.
What challenges did you come across in getting to where you are today? Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was certainly a shock to the system and something that took a little while to get used to. However, it's motivated me to want to show everyone that having diabetes shouldn't stop you from being active and pushing yourself. What drives you to get up in the morning and go training? How do you relax outside of cricket? A combination of always wanting to get better as a player and to also keep working hard because I know my teammates are putting in the effort. I've really enjoyed playing golf as a way to unwind and get away from playing international sport - it allows me to still remain active but to switch off from thinking about cricket. Who do you admire the most? I've always admired Roger Federer - the way he plays his tennis and holds himself and the game with such respect is something I think all athletes should aspire to do. Closer to home, mum and dad have always been my biggest supporters and looking back did a pretty incredible job raising four kids! How do you reflect on your younger self? Are there moments you look back during school days in particular that have defined who you are? I had such great childhood growing up and was really fortunate to be in school environments that supported my sporting fix. Being able to play in boys' cricket teams right up until Year 12 certainly made me a better cricketer and taught me key skills that I still use today. Playing amongst boys, I learnt pretty quickly that I wasn't as big or strong as them so had to develop other skills to out think them.
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5. 6. 7. 8.
You also had a very successful hockey career. Was it difficult to make the choice between hockey and cricket? Very difficult! I was extremely lucky to have been able to represent NZ in both sports but knew that there would be a time that I would have to commit to just one sport - in 2012/13 NZ Cricket offered four development contracts for the first time and I was fortunate to be offered one, and I haven't looked back since. Who was your favourite teacher? Ms L'Eef. What’s one of your fondest memories of Rangi? I think it would have to be around sport of course! Going away with the 1st XI hockey team to tournament was an awesome experience! A great bunch of girls to play with and some great memories made. As a diabetic, how did you cope with the lockdown? As a diabetic, not too much changed for me - obviously not being able to go outside your bubble and train with others or at the gym meant I had to adapt what my training looked like. As always, staying active is a massive help with controlling my diabetes so it was really important for me to keep in good routines.
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
– Polly Harding 2003-2008
Rebekah ThomasHiddleston speaks with Polly Harding Polly Harding is the ‘PJ’ part of the Jase and PJ breakfast radio show on KIIS FM, now based in Melbourne. The two used to do a show in New Zealand on ZM but transferred to Australia in 2018. Since then, she has loved the challenges that Melbourne has thrown her way and can’t wait to see what the future brings.
What clan were you in and what are your memories of the clan activities? I was in Doune, woo represent! Clan singing was always a great time! However, in Year 13 when I was leader (I have absolutely no idea how that happened), I was convinced that it was our one avenue where we could potentially win and we came last, I think. I was devastated to say the least. The teacher who inspired you the most and why? What did you most enjoy about your school days, the highs and the lows? I loved being taught by Mr Hansen. He taught Classics and History. I loved him because he brought such a sense of fun to class and taught us not to take ourselves so seriously. I genuinely have such happy memories from my time at Rangi. I loved the community that we had at school and made lifelong friends who are still so
special to me. The school provided support in many aspects from music to sport. I loved the team spirit we had in hockey and there was such a sense of pride and fun! As for the lows, I think generally growing up and experiencing your teen years there is a lot of self-doubt and insecurity so, naturally, overcoming that was a challenge at times. But I made it through ok in the end and have gained so much more confidence with age! Things will get better, I promise! What was your motivation to go into radio, and what course of study did you undertake when you left school? I always wanted to be a TV presenter on a music channel but there was never a specific TV presenting course. I was then informed that the New Zealand Broadcasting School had a highly prestigious course for radio where you could pick up transferable skills, so I decided to apply and was accepted! It was such a full-on course but the
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RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
Take the pressure off! What will be will be. You may take a course and it doesn’t work out, that is ok. You will get there in the end but enjoy the ride because life is so short and precious!
greatest fun and again I got to make lifelong friends. How has your life in respect to your career changed since you became a household name in New Zealand and now Australia? Really not that much! Apart from when I go to the supermarket and I have just rolled out of bed looking like a zombie and THAT happens to be the time I bump into someone who listens to the show and asks for a selfie. It can be overwhelming sometimes when a lot of your private information is disclosed publicly but, at the end of the day, I can control what I choose to put out there. A moment when you bombed? (Because we all have them...) Pretty much every time I meet a celebrity. I am very uncool. Also I once managed to put ZM off air for about five minutes nationwide as I somehow turned the button OFF but I was
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convinced it was a technical issue so was very embarrassing when they discovered it was indeed my fault. ...and a moment you're most proud of? I guess just the whole experience I have been lucky enough to have in this industry so far. I would never have foreseen any of this but have just followed what feels good. I genuinely believe you will be so much more successful when you truly love what you do. What has been the biggest thing you have learnt about life so far? It really is a journey. Find out what matters to you the most and stand true to that and fight for it. You need to be your biggest cheerleader because at the end of the day you are so much more than you realise. Your relationship with yourself is so important and if you won’t speak kindly to yourself, who will?
What words of wisdom do you have for the new alumni who might still be finding their feet since leaving school? Take the pressure off! What will be will be. You may take a course and it doesn’t work out, that is ok. You will get there in the end but enjoy the ride because life is so short and precious!
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
– Kendall Flutey 2002-2008
Rebekah Thomas-Hiddleston speaks with Kendall Flutey
Kendall Flutey is the Co-founder and CEO of Banqer, providing financial education to over 150,000 school students across New Zealand and Australia. What clan were you in and what are your memories of clan activities? I was in Stirling and most of my clan memories revolve around swimming sports or clan singing. I wasn’t a great swimmer or much of a singer, so I wasn’t competing in many events and didn’t care what I sounded like. This meant really getting into the clan side of things on those occasions. Who is the teacher who inspired you the most and why? I don’t think I can pick just one teacher, many of my teachers were inspiring in various ways, and all certainly imparted some life lesson upon me. Some of that inspiration was overt - as they were talented educators, or really passionate about their subjects. Other inspiration wasn’t obvious until a certain milestone in my life/career. I also got to know my teachers in other capacities as they often wore several hats; Deans, coaches, managers, clan liaisons… so there were lots of points of inspiration. What did you enjoy most about your school days, the highs and lows? My average school day changed a lot during my time at Rangi Ruru, but one of the constant was my involvement in sports. I have particularly fond memories of the time I spent at school when there weren’t so many others around, when I was usually on the sports field or in the gym. I felt like I got to know the school really well, and probably ventured some places I shouldn’t, but they make for some good memories. On the flip side of that, during secondary school I still hadn’t mastered
the art of managing deadlines which meant the day prior and the day of something being due were unnecessarily and totally selfinflicted periods of extreme stress. Thankfully I figured that out at university! What degree did you do when you left Rangi and what was your motivation for that career choice? After leaving Rangi Ruru I headed down to the University of Otago to complete a BCom majoring in Economics. Not many people know this, but until January I was all set to study Political Science at Victoria University, and don’t even know why I made the last minute switch. I’d always really struggled with the ‘what next’ after school question, and had never seen a clear career path for me. My broad range of subjects during my senior years (pretty much one from each department) meant I was confused as to what to narrow in on. Being completely honest, my main motivation for the switch to Otago was that’s where more of my friends were going, it sounded fun, and would be easier to get my car there. Not sound advice to base tertiary study decisions on! Can you explain a bit about your company and what its main purpose is? Banqer is an online financial education platform for primary and secondary schools. Through simulation, students experience a raft of contextualised financial situations and scenarios in the
classroom, providing a safe environment and to learn these life skills. Over 100,000 Australasian kids are currently earning classroom income, paying taxes, exploring the property market, enrolling in superannuation and much more as they practice how to manage their money. This activity, increasing their financial capability through educational simulation, and preparing them for the financial world ahead. The future of personal finances is increasingly more challenging. These same challenges make learning about money far more difficult. Banqer tackles these challenges head on, delivering a financial education solution that is both relevant and engaging with our ultimate mission being to ensure the next generation is prepared for their financial future. We’re a team of ten, headquartered in Christchurch, with active users in five countries. We have a reach into over 50% of all New Zealand schools, and a growing presence in Australia. How did it feel to win Young Maori business leader of the year? That award came as a real surprise and honour. I think that award speaks to the social impact of what we’re trying to achieve through Banqer, and the future we’re trying to create for Aotearoa. Championing Māori, in particular rangatahi, is something that is really important to me, so those awards (along with the Matariki Awards) hold a special place in my heart.
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RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
Any advice for the new group of Alumni that may not know what they want to do career wise? It feels a tad fraudulent to be offering advice, having confessed how I made my tertiary decisions. What I can say is that in my experience a career path shouldn’t just be one decision that you need to get right at the start. A successful career is when you continue to make decisions every day; the decision to stay, to swap, to retrain, to forge your own path. Whatever the decision just make sure you’re making it intentionally as it’s tempting to just go with the flow. For past students of Rangi Ruru, I’d say this can be particularly challenging as I know that many of you have many doors open to you. It’s just as scary to close a door as it is to open one, but as someone who has quit more times than I can count, I’ve only ever wished I followed my gut earlier.
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A successful career is when you continue to make decisions every day; the decision to stay, to swap, to retrain, to forge your own path.
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
For the Love of Shoes! Victoria Tait speaks with Lenore Farrelly from Wink Shoes about shoes, shoes and more shoes.
Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner
Manolo Blahnik
Wink Shoes Ferrymead
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RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
How long have your been in the retail industry, and was this a career you always aspired to? Just over 15 years now in various aspects of the industry. I’ve been a creator, a wholesaler and a retailer. It wasn’t a career path that I aspired for or set out to work in; it evolved after I finished a Bachelor of Design (from Massey in Wellington) where I majored in Photography. Back when I started, it was about creating New Zealand-made products to sell to retailers using the design skills I’d acquired, and I was fortunate to have a business mentor who gave me some excellent advice regarding selling and in time opened my own gift store in Christchurch. Footwear was something that I fell into; I had already opened a second gift store in Hanmer Springs prior to the Christchurch earthquakes so I was spending a lot of time up there. After losing our store in High Street, like many I found myself asking ‘what now?’ There, I saw an opportunity - I’d always had a strong affinity with shoes and there was a space in Hanmer Springs that had become available and so in I leapt - the timing was perfect. Again, I was fortunate to have an outstanding support network to assist me. It was a learning curve as giftware and footwear are polar opposites, however the fundamentals of selling, merchandising and customer service are the same. Fast forward a few years and my energies are now entirely focused on sourcing outstanding footwear and clothing for Wink our Christchurch store in Ferrymead. Can you tell us a bit about how you and your business have coped during COVID-19? COVID-19. What a curveball! I discovered baking skills I didn’t know I had! Obviously, our store was closed over this time - however we maintained an online presence, sending items once we were able to in Level 3. I also have an office at home which meant I was able to keep the wheels turning. My
father says there’s an opportunity to be found in any situation, you just have to look for it, he’s right - I have all sorts of plans and schemes that will enhance our store. However, like many I found it challenging at times juggling homeschooling and working, but the silver lining really was spending time together as a family without the normal day to day routines.
Lake Middleton - childhood nostalgia. Can you tell us about ethical and social responsibilities of the fashion industry and how Wink is playing their part?
A pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes.
Wink was certified as a Carbon Zero business last year, which we are really proud of - it’s a small step in helping with this process. It’s essential that businesses and brands make a start at showing transparency regarding how products are made, about the conditions for staff, and the story behind the brands and who they engage to work with them - particularly those who make overseas. The who, what, where, when, why and how! We are vocal with our suppliers about our concerns over packaging, and want to hear their individual brand stories. Where we can, we provide links to our brands and their stories – our New Zealand designers really are the leaders in this transparency.
Just how many pairs of shoes do you own? And do you have a favorite?
What is your best memory from your days at Rangi?
Impossible to answer!
My most vivid memory is from when I started, I was the youngest girl in the school and it was the Centennial Year celebrations, the year that the Founder’s Day cake was cut on stage in the Town Hall, with myself, the head girl, the oldest old girl and the Principal - the heat from 100 candles as we pushed the cake to centre stage was immense! But it’s actually what you take away without knowing its importance at the time - friendships.
Who are your style icons? Iris Apfel - I do find everything about her incredibly fascinating. I love her quote “If your hair is done properly and you’re wearing good shoes, you can get away with anything”. I wouldn’t say I have any particular style icons, it’s a constant pick and mix from what grabs me when we’re doing the buying. What I’m wearing almost always starts with the shoes and the rest will follow. What was your most memorable fashion purchase?
What are you reading right now? Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconnor, recommended by a customer. What do New Zealand women want from shoes? Are our needs and tastes different from overseas? I think we want shoes that are slightly different, shoes that are fabulous and yet comfortable. I also think what we want from shoes is completely unique to the rest of the world, our climate is different, how we socialise is different and often the New Zealand foot can be broader that our overseas friends - all these factors are at the forefront of my mind when we are buying. Where is your favourite New Zealand Lake Middleton
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holiday destination?
If given the chance, what advice would you give your younger self? To dream big, to trust your instincts and to enjoy making the different chapters in your life.
RROGA R ANGI IN CRISIS
A Brief History of
Rangi in Crisis COVID-19 isn’t the first time Rangi Ruru has closed in the face of an epidemic Johnann Williams, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Archivist, shares some information with us. In 1918 ‘…the influenza epidemic swept the city. Boarders were sent home, the school was closed, and members of the family still on their feet were sent out to affected houses to take temperatures and report to the overworked doctors.’ Rosemary Britten - Rangi Ruru. By November 1918, The Press reported that there were 2,550 cases of flu of which 192 were acute or serious. Fortunately, by mid-December the worst was over, and everyone had the Summer break in which to recover.
In 1925, Rangi Ruru also closed in the face of a poliomyelitis epidemic that closed New Zealand schools for months and reduced the year to two terms. Until the development of vaccines there were several closures in times of polio or measles epidemics. The Boarding House was particularly vulnerable and students were quarantined in the House and taught separately. After each closure, Rangi Ruru has moved quickly to re-establish school life and routine. Current pupils might feel earlier generations had it easy; there was no online learning then to keep them on task. The current world crisis with the
COVID-19 virus is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have good medical care, better understanding of diseases and their transmission, effective vaccines and medicines, and good medical research working on the problem. As a school, we can also be grateful that our learning can continue, thanks to the incredible technology we now have access to. During lockdown we asked our Alumnae to share their stories with us, these follow on the next few pages. It was incredible to hear that even though we might be spread out around the world, the foundations of what Rangi taught us are shown in how we approach life.
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RROGA SNIPPETS OF COVID
Snippets from COVID-19
Tanya Caldwell 1982-86 Hello everyone from the pandemic hotspot that made international news for having the most inept leader: Georgia, USA. I’m Tanya Caldwell and I was at Rangi from 3rd form to 7th form in 1982-86. I’ve been teaching English at Georgia State University in the heart of downtown Atlanta since 1996. I was poised to take ten MA and PhD students on a Spring Break Study Abroad to the Scottish Highlands when the pandemic broke and the university cancelled all international and then national travel. Since then, I’ve had a crash course in teaching online—and helping my 15-year-old daughter finish up her school year from the isolation of our home within the city of Atlanta. I’ve loved hearing the international praise for NZ’s PM (girl power, yeah!). For me, the hardest part of all of this is not the isolation (I’m an introvert anyway) but feeling angry and frustrated watching NZ’s swift and decisive leadership as well as that of Canada (where I lived for five years in the 90s) in stark contrast to the craziness and irresponsibility here at federal and state level. I’ve been coping by mentoring students through this (so many Zoom meetings), working in my garden, building a firepit with my daughter, and running daily. I’m including here a picture of one of the signs that people in my neighborhood have been putting up in solidarity. Stay safe everyone.
Jenna Ingram 1998 – 2002 I've been entertaining a toddler while finding the time to continue to run my business - Fiksate Gallery, located in the heart of Christchurch city. While my son napped, I created a 10min DIY Art Print video for Neat Places, you can find it on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NAwvoTaYK0&t=8s (it's familyfriendly!) I'm also an artist and have been working on several projects, such as writing and illustrating my first children's book, making Frank (my son) a castle out of a cardboard box and toilet rolls, doing my own art (you can find me on Instagram under @jen_heads), and reinvigorating my realism charcoal portrait drawings I began while at Rangi Ruru in Kate Rivers, then Miss Sheehy's art class circa 1998! We take daily walks to the beach and have been baking a lot, while also finding time to do the odd jobs around the house that needed to be done! (Aka, clearing out the wardrobe, sorting cupboards and rearranging rooms!) I have also been involved in supporting other small businesses with various collaborations. I'm in North New Brighton, Christchurch, around 500m away from the beach. It's been such a blessing living so close to so many open spaces that are filled with other nature lovers like my husband, son, and I. I have enjoyed the quiet roads and working from home with the chorus of birds to listen to while painting outside. I try to make it fun! Letting go of plans and structure, clean floors and surfaces, and a generally tidy house at all times, was very hard to adapt to at first, but taking a step back and enjoying Frank's company over what needs to be done, has helped me a lot. There is always time to tidy and clean, and that will always be there, but this time with our children will not. It's a good mantra. "Let go and have fun". You can find my urban art gallery - Fiksate - here: https://www. fiksate.com/ // https://www.instagram.com/fiksate_gallery/ // https:// www.facebook.com/Fiksate/
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RROGA SNIPPETS OF COVID
Marie Michael (Ludemann) 1960 – 1962 My name is Marie Michael nee Ludemann and I started Rangi as a boarder in 1960. Level 4 Lockdown!! I finally found out what the strict life as a boarder in 1960 was all about – it was preparing me for 'lockdown'. The first week was interesting, the iron blew up so it has been the crumpled look ever since. I missed a vital hair appointment so six weeks later the look is not good! It was the end of the summer harvest and our garden seemed to decide it needed to provide. Masses of apples, pears and peaches not to mention the 30 pumpkins appeared, ensuring we would not go hungry. After four weeks of dealing with all this fruit I had great delight in standing at the back door and hurling the last slightly rotten fruit, down the hill to the bottom of the garden. I actually decided this virus was let loose by our children to lock up their parents and make them clean out their cupboards and garages and get rid of the rubbish so they did not have to say when we finally leave this earth “What did they keep this for”. Actually, living in the country all my life we have survived very well with plenty of phone calls from family, friends and the wider Rangi family.
Jo Dodgshun 1966-1972 Five Old Girls coped without their usual choir/band music-making during lockdown by getting together with a brother, a husband, and two sons to produce an isolation vocal group song called The Ghost of Covid. Sisters, Jo Dodgshun, Gen Long and Sarah Hickey and daughters Anna Bennett and Lucy Laming, took words written by a brother and sang them to Pentatonix arrangement of Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence. The four males provided the bass and tenor parts along with the accompanying beat boxing.
Class of 1967
A screenshot of Pamela Cain, Heather Kirkwood (Hobson) and Helen Robertson from the class of 1967 on our weekly zoom and wine catch up.
Victoria Nichols 2004-2008 So I am currently working through the lockdown for a freight company, business as usual! Been working all the way through. Coping strategies through April were eating chocolate Easter eggs and crocheting wheat sacks! Haven't had a chance to go for a walk as doing overtime to ensure items get delivered and assisting with customer queries. Keeping my head up but the demand can be stressful during these times. Decided to take a nice photo without masks and gloves on that we are required to wear on the regular day. Hope everyone is staying strong :)
A huge amount was learned about technology, voice quality and patience. All five Old Girls sang in the Rangi Ruru chorale during their times at school.
Brigid Shadbolt (Murray) 1977 -1981 Working on the front line as a Nurse /Practice Manager at Akaroa Health. Early days in the lockdown testing out the PPE!
Jocelyn Wood (Needham) 1945 -1953 I'm lucky enough to live in a bayside suburb of Melbourne so my daily walks to the beach are always varied. Zoom allows connection to friends and clubs. Social distancing at the yacht club!
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RROGA SNIPPETS OF COVID
Miranda Satterthwaite 1983 – 1987 My name is Miranda Satterthwaite and I was at Rangi Ruru from 1983 – 1987 where I loved my time in Science, German and the Ski Racing team. I have been authoring articles on penguins for projects like the Pop Up Penguin project and teaching Antarctic Studies online to 20 schools in New Zealand and Australia for the Antarctic Academy. I’ve been locked down near the International Antarctic Centre where we keep a range of penguins alive in the Penguin Rescue by feeding them twice a day. We have been using video to film special moments of the penguins’ day in lockdown, like the first time they saw each other in eight weeks! They squawked like long lost friends! I have been helping my son with his online learning about Antarctica including designing a base for Antarctica.
Libby Waghorn 2001-2005 Second generation is leading from the front Astrolabe Wines have recently appointed Libby Waghorn Levett as General Manager. Libby is the daughter of founders Simon Waghorn and Jane Forrest-Waghorn. Previously working as a lawyer at MinterEllison in Queensland (Australia), Libby and her husband Peter Levett became shareholders in Astrolabe in 2018 and moved home to Marlborough to take a more hands-on role in the company in August 2019. Libby succeeds her mother, Jane, as General Manager. Astrolabe Wines was established in 1996. It has established a reputation as one of New Zealand’s best regarded wine producers. ‘I’m excited to build on the work Mum and Dad have done at Astrolabe over the last 25 years, and to work alongside my family to make wines we’re really proud to share’ – Libby Waghorn Levett, General Manager
Caroline Glen 1946-1948 Here are some thoughts from the ‘lockdown.’ It has had small effect on my life, but thank goodness the number of people allowed to socialise has now been increased. It was rather fortunate that the committee of GCWA asked me to do some editing for a learning member wishing to improve her prose and poetry so that kept me busy – although I have certificates on editing, writing is so personal one has to be careful to keep the writers’ natural voice, and use the best of one’s knowledge. I often refer to poet Peter
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Meinke to read on Google. Have been busy tidying up work for the GCWA and Hunters Valley competitions. Revise, revise! Mother's Day was enjoyable. My son and friend came down from Brisbane and we bought pancakes from my favourite pancake shop and, with puppy, nestled into the sand on Burleigh Beach. My son brought me a Penguin Book called MEDITATIONS – Marcus Aurelius: translated by a very clever Martin Hammond. The little I have read of it, the more I recommend it to the RROGA. It engages ancient philosophy, which in turn exposes current meanings for our lives today.
RROGA EVENTS
Events
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RROGA EVENTS
Our Alumnae.
Leavers' Ball 2019 A stunning evening, location and attendees summarises the 2019 leavers ball attended by around 330 guests on Thursday 5th December 2019. The band played, there was delicious food, excitement and laughter underneath a silken canopy of twinkling starry lights. Many thanks to Moveable Feasts who were caterers and event managers. It was a tremendous success! The Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association is delighted to welcome these brand-new alumnae into our ranks. Make sure you keep in touch with us!
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RROGA NEWS WINTER I 2020 018
RROGA GOLF
2020 Golf Report Contributed by Stephanie Withell
Old Girls and friends of the following schools – Rangi Ruru, St Margaret’s, Craighead, Columba & St Hilda’s – met at the Waimairi Beach Golf Club to compete in our annual golf tournament. It was an early start for some who travelled from Ashburton, Hawarden and Akaroa. Friday 6th of March was a beautiful autumn day. Although the field was smaller than some years, the numbers were perfect for the venue. We all had fun, even though for some, the golf was serious. During the lunch, laughter and conversation filled the clubhouse. Again, the raffle and prize tables were fabulous thanks to Ruth Cooper (Craighead convenor), Victoria Gibbons (SMOGA convenor) and Victoria Tait (RROGA). Some ladies were fortunate to win accommodation in a beautiful Woodbury cottage or a Charteris Bay house, kindly donated by Fiona McQuade and Ali McQueen.
I wish to thank Ali McQueen, Dr Sandra Hastie, Mandy Brazier, Helen Joblin, Victoria Tait, Helen Tait, Margaret Black, Jo Dodgshun, Emma Bradley, Victoria Gibbons and Ruth Cooper who all contributed their time towards this successful event. Special thanks to our sponsors – ANZ Bank, Original Foods Baking Co, Aú Natural Skinfood, Whitehead Plumbing, Fill and Ali McQueen. If you are a golfer, then please join us next year. The 2021 date and venue are yet to be confirmed by St Margaret’s College Old Girls’ Association.
The 2020 RROGA competition winners were: Betty Murray Cup for Best Gross: Carolyn Williams - Gross score of 89 Armstrong Cup for Best Nett: Libby Hilder – Nett score of 70 Ellece Royds Salver for Best Stableford: Jan North with 36 points Parents & Friends Cup: Helen Joblin Helen Kitson Putting Spoon: Kirsty McAuliffee
One Year On Drinks A lovely catch up was had by all, tales of times past especially mischievous Boarding House stories, were shared over wine and cheese in the Te Koraha Boardroom on the 13th of February. As always it's wonderful to see our young Old Girls wanting to keep a strong connection with the school.
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RROGA GIBSON GIRLS
Gibson Girls Whaea Ora Morning Tea
Felicity Williams, RROGA president has a natter to some alumnae who recall their days at Rangi, the good, the bad and the mischievous.
Rosemary Nattrass (Rathgen)
Jennifer Barrer ‘Victor Peters was our music teacher. He taught me to conduct. At 17 years old, I trained with Dame Ngaio Marsh, straight out of school. I did lots of Shakespeare. And then in 1964, my first television drama. I loved being a Rangi girl. I biked through the park to school. Natalie Lough was my English teacher. I became a poet and have published six books of poetry.’ (Jennifer Barrer is our cover girl. Read more about her incredible life on Page 28) Gill Rich (Bishop) 1952 ‘I remember getting taught spelling and arithmetic and the times tables in the primary school with Mrs Barton, that was in 1950, and Miss (Elsie) Bachelor, she was keen on spelling; it was discipline, discipline, discipline, but they were both good really, looking back.
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Madame Ziffer, she drove a little car like crazy, “open the vindows girls!’ she would call. She taught us French and languages. Mrs Dennis was really lovely, Scottish, taught us social studies. She rode a motor bike to school. I met her in the doctor’s rooms years and years later, she was still riding a motor bike. On May Day we danced around the lawns in a circle. There was a time when Mrs Patrick didn’t approve of our dresses and she made us put on cardigans. We weren’t allowed low necklines or bare shoulders. When I went to Rangi, it was a school for young ladies, but that changed when the Presbyterian board took over; it became more about education. Mrs Patrick was very academically qualified, she put a great emphasis on learning. I made lovely friends at Rangi. Special days.’
RROGA GIBSON GIRLS
Stables Block
Rosemary Nattrass (Rathgen) 1952 ‘I remember being taught in the old stables. We tried to knit under our desks and got caught. We wore lyle stockings, dreadful things, and the togs were even worse. At Rangi, I made friends for a lifetime, especially from amongst the boarders.’ Anne Masters (Stevenson) 1954 ‘Rangi was smaller then. Everybody knew everybody. Nat Lough – I remember her teaching us in the stable block. She could be lovely, or she could throw the chalk or the duster at you. We had a lot of traditions. Miss de Lambert took us for art and Mrs Patrick was the headmistress and she was very good for the school. She was an educationalist and she dragged the school into the 20th century, which was needed. It was after the war, the Gibsons had sold Rangi to the Presbyterians, and the church had taken over the running of the school. 1947 I think it was (?).’ June Cloudesley (Matthews) 1954 ‘I was one of four girls that attended Rangi. My dad, Frank Matthews, donated the steel trusses for Wilson
Hall. My favourite teacher was Mrs Dennis. She was friendly, and open to anything – a contrast to everything and everyone else being so prim and proper. I remember Mrs Patrick, for example, with her high heels strutting along, wearing a black gown.’ Cushla Moorhead (Rennie) 1954 ‘I was a 2nd generation boarder. I liked the Boarding House; we had cocoa for morning tea in the winter. Now my granddaughter, Olivia Armitage is a 4th generation day girl. Some of the boarders used to have a midnight feast, up in ‘heaven’. I only did it once; day girls smuggled the food in, and when we thought everyone was asleep, we went up onto the roof. There was a valley between the two peaks of the roof and that’s where we sat. It was very risky and if we’d been found out, we would have been gated.’ Sandra Francis (Franklin) 1954 ‘I attended Rangi from 5 to 17 years old. I was there at the end of the Gibson era, with Miss Ethel and Miss Winifred. I wore a black wool dress with a lace collar.
Miss Lough taught us. Three of us girls used to smoke during her class, leaning out the window, I was about 16 years old, and because she was a smoker herself, she didn’t smell anything when she came in, at which point we quickly stubbed the cigarettes out in the ink well, and then the smoke would curl up out of the inkwell during class, she never noticed it either. Her classroom was in the stable block; she taught us biology, and the bell was down below in the courtyard. She lived in Darfield, and when I left school I used to call in and visit her at her cottage in Darfield on my way to go skiing. Miss Lough and I rang the bell together on our last day, with tears streaming down our faces.’ Lesley Moore (Lewthwaite) 1950 ‘We had Miss Mason for Latin, she was brilliant. Miss Mason left and got married, and Mrs P succeeded her. We loved Mrs Patrick tripping along in her high heels.’
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Top left: Helen Gibson at desk, Middle: Anne Masters, Right: Helen Gibson Middle left: Cushla Moorhead and June Matthews, Middle: Gill Rich, Right: Sandra Frances Bottom left: Miss Ellis and M. Ziffer, Middle: Lesley Moore and Janice Bell, Bottom right: Natalie Lough 1912-1984 RROGA NEWS I 2020 049
RROGA REUNIONS
28-29 FEBRUARY 2019
Rangi Reunions Tēnā tātou katoa. Koutou kua ikapahi mai, tēnā koutou. Nau mai ki tēnei hui.
On behalf of everyone at Rangi Ruru, it is my pleasure to welcome you to your Reunions. It’s lovely to see you all and thank you for coming to this special occasion. This weekend we welcome the classes of 2000, 1990, 1980, 1970, 1960, 1950 and 1940. We love that we can join with you and welcome you back during this special time. You are an integral part of our school and our history. The things you do or did, no matter what they are or were, have helped shape what this school is today, and we look forward to celebrating and reminiscing with you. - Dr Sandra Hastie, Principal
FULL REPORT
Bridges, Trolls and the Stuff In between One of the best things about a reunion weekend is sharing stories. Stories are fundamental; they have existed from the beginning, they can be a single sentence or spread across multi volume tomes. I hope you were all read stories when you were little, and that in turn you read stories to children, grandchildren, and random strangers if the first two categories don’t apply. What are the fondest memories you have of your childhood stories? Were you captivated by Cinderella and the thought of a prince chasing you with a glass slipper? Was there a wicked little goblin threatening to snatch your firstborn child? Or was it a real life story about an adventure you had right here, at this school, a moment where you shone, (I’m pausing here strategically so you can recall that right now) or a moment where you fell short, an embarrassment or a disaster even (How long do you need?)
“At reunions, we want to catch up on what our old friends are up to, but there can be a temptation to assess how our own life’s journey compares. Have they met someone they want to settle down with? How happy are they? What job or career are they in? It can be difficult to come along to a reunion if you’re not in a great space, if you’ve been unlucky in love, you’re unemployed, or you’re struggling with your health or mental wellbeing. If that’s you in any way, then I pray you might be held in love in this place, in this ‘Wide Sky Shelter.’ I hope that as Rangi girls, you had the chance to consider the school motto, seek the heavenly things, and that has helped shape how you feel about success and what is truly valuable. “ - Reverend Charissa Nicol, School Chaplin
FULL SERMON
- Felicity Williams
FULL REPORT
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Over 70s Luncheon RROGA president Felicity Williams chats with these alumnae about their school days.
Claire Hubbard (Hinton) I arrived at Rangi in Form 4. The history teacher had a very quiet voice. One day, she sniffed the air – ostentatiously! “Someone has been disturbing an orange!” she said. It was me of course peeling it under my desk and I had to tiptoe up to the rubbish tin and dispose of it. Then I tiptoed back. But I couldn’t resist doing it ostentatiously as well. For that, I got sent to the headmistress! ‘You had a bit of spirit’ I say to her. ‘I had a bit of something!’ Miss Paul was the acting Headmistress at the time. ‘Claire, I’m very disappointed in you.’ She made me feel like a worm. Miss Paul had a dog called Jimmy. The dog used to curl up outside the door. She always wore the gown, she and Mrs Patrick, both of them always wore the gown. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole reunion; we were all looked after so beautifully. Anne Civil (Fleming) Miss Thomas taught us all dancing. She also taught at St Andrew’s and Christ’s College. She had an annual dance – to go to Miss Thomas’s dance, it was an event. There you meet the other dancing scholars, it was exciting. We wore school uniforms to the lessons, but to the dances, dresses or skirts and blouses. We wore blue velvet dresses on Sunday evenings. You could choose your collar; lawn, organza, or a nice crocheted one
if you knew someone to make it for you. ‘Plié!’ Miss Thomas would say and we all pliéed, for all we were worth. We learned ballroom dancing and the art of ballet. There was always a poor unfortunate girl who ended up having to partner with Miss Thomas! There was a terrible feeling when you saw her approaching from the other side of the room. She would take the man’s part and we would do the girls. She wore heavy lyle stockings as I remember. The lessons took place in the old hall – beside Kings dormitory upstairs, the eastern part of the building. I remember at one of the dances, someone turned the lights off, probably a boy, she got into a big flap, she couldn’t see what was happening or who was doing what with whom! “Turn the lights on’ she said immediately, must have been all of 30 seconds! Laddie (Lesley) Ballantyne (InnesJones) I remember Miss Gray – ‘Do not clean your nasal cavities at the table.’ She would poke us in the back with a bony finger to make us sit up straight. I was a boarder for about three years. My parents lived in Christchurch, but they thought boarding would be a good idea. The matron was Miss McMillan. They called her ‘the mountain,’ and when the mountain spoke you didn’t waste any time.
young boy used to bike up once a week loaded up with sanitary pads in his bike basket. He would have been about 15 years old, I think. He came from Dodds Pharmacy in Merivale. I left the Boarding House and was a day girl for my last two years. Miss Gladys Gray; I remember clearly, she used to wear a short brown gym frock – it was like a uniform. She was sports mistress, and later the house mistress. The boardroom of today was an exercise room back then. We had to walk with books on our head. To try and be ladies. She had a loud voice. I can hear her saying, ‘Go to the top of the ROOM! pronounced ‘Rhuum’ and back again.’ We did what we were told! Judy Laidlaw (Corbett) I attended from Form 4 in 1951. I was a boarder, my family lived in Kaikoura. Miss McMillan, the matron, was pretty strict, but fair I suppose. A big tall lady, so we were all in awe of her. Before her, there was Miss Gray. If we slouched in our chairs in the dining room, a finger would poke through the slats and we would straighten up. No words were needed. Those who needed to, would tiptoe down to feed ‘Pete’. Pete was a big fiery furnace in the basement. We threw all the sanitary pads into the furnace. That was that.
Every morning there was a medicine queue – for all the aches and pains. We got the same medicine for everything, no matter what was wrong with you. A
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Class of 1950 Back Row (L to R) Catherine Petrie (Whitehouse), Judy Laidlaw (Corbett), Beverley Loe (Wyllie), Lesley Moore (Lewthwaite), Anne Civil (Fleming) Front row (L to R) Brenda Mather (Urquhart), Margaret Leefe (Davison), Janice Bell (Masters), Claire Hubbard (Hinton), Lesley Ballantyne (Innes-Jones), Rosemary Pointer (Clifton-Mogg)
Class of 1960
Back Row (L to R ) Helen Tait (Tait), Barbara May (Jarman), Erin Jamieson (Law), Prue Todhunter (Allan), Marie Michael (Ludeman), Alison Parsons (Parsons), Sue Fairbairn (Aitken), Janet Gough (Bates), Gay Ball (Thompson) Middle row (L to R) Margaret Emerson (Craw), Christine Hurley (Kelly), Sue Bretherton (Bretherton), Angela Thomas (Garland), Janice Sidey (Black), Jenny Fright (Ladd), Nicola Cresswell (Anderson), Margaret Black (Angus), Jane Hayes (Maskew), Front Row (L to R) Beverley Barnes (Barnes), Trish Hall (Charman), Paula Rogers (Matthews), Angela Aitken (Tosswill), Robyn Nicholls (Douglas), Penelope Burrows (White), Beth Wynn-Williams (Morris), Denise Clouston (Fox), Hilary Cornwell (Edgar), Karen Bradley (Skellerup)
Class of 1970
From L to R Marylou Ralfe (Walter), Heather Branch (Black), Anne Bibby (Streeter), Robin Tylee (Haines), Jane Jeffries (Jeffries), Debbie Banks (Anderson), Wendy Dunstan (Smart), Christine Cheyne (Marshall), Susie Tocker (Murie), Pamela Gardner (Black), Susan Craw (Habgood), Annette Woolley (Bain), Kathryn Fitzsimmons (Turnbull), Janet Wallace (McCaw), Jocelyn Syme (Syme), Robyn McNicholl (Collins), Juliet Gray (Gray), Karen Munro (Allan), Angela Brown (Lewis), Deborah Hardy (Roberts), Linda Gardner (Kidd), Linda O’Neill (Free)
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Class of 1980 Row Four (L to R)
Danielle Fowler (Holmes), Karen Skinner (Gray), Tessa Ryder (Ryder), Brigid Shamy (Lee), Nicky Hayman (Kennedy), Anthea Prentice (Murray), Sarah Lissaman (Lissaman), Annabel Tudehope (Gerard) Row Three (L to R) Julianne Johns (Johns), Dianna Malcolm (Leslie), Rebecca Riddell (Holderness), Sharon Heslop (Heslop), Miranda Goodwin (Coates), Fiona Hernon (Murray), Jane Yeatman (Hayman), Sarah Wouters (Grigg), Kate Oakley (Jacobs), Vicki Templeton (Sloss), Anne-Marie Hodder (Michael), Melanie Irvine (Paulden), Lisa Loneragan (Houghton), Louise Woolf (Bull) Row Two (L to R) Wendy Edge (Carpenter), Anna Polonowita (Gardner), Ruth Taggart (Fincham), Anna Thompson (Sloss), Anna Marshall-Lee (Penlington), Susan Morrison (Morrison), Jo Batchelor (Batchelor), Janet Chamberlain, (Chamberlain), Tanya Mansell (Stratford), Emma Luxton (Campbell), Sarah Caseley (Caseley), Cathy Falconer (Browne), Jacqueline Copp (Rudd), Rachel Turner (Chamberlain) Front Row (L to R) Fiona Moulai (Wright), Gendie Woods (Spiller), Vicky Strange (Strange), Sandra Blackwell (Lundy), Stephanie Marsden (Marsden), Helen Galilee (Galilee), Lorna Morice (Urquhart), Anne Finlay (Porteous), Robyn Prinsep (Prinsep), Cathy Hamer (Hamer), Alexandra Terris (Garrick), Jacqui Anderson (Burnell), Victoria Ryder (Garrick), Nicola Parker (Begg)
Class of 1990
BackRow (L to R )
Rebecca Hansen (Fenwick), Nicola Young (Skelton), Sarah Mason (Mason), Anna Shipley (Shipley), Annabel Wallis (Hutchinson), Andrea Hopping (Bryant), Betsy Spigel (Spigel) Cherie Kneebone (Shadbolt) Middle row (L to R) Dominica Cresswell (Bedo), Nicola Whyte (Kinzett), Anna Young (Brown), Jane Guermanoff (Davis), Michele Spark (Chatterton), Rachael Okey (James), Heidi Oliver (Vincent), Katrina Mullin (Jackson), Tamara Tait (Tait), Emma Elley (Paton), Kiri Pani (Pani), Lainie Smith-Mortlock (Smith), Truus Adams (Sheenan), Sarah Percy (Hurd) Front Row (L to R) Louise Trevella (McIvor), Cath Baker (Grant), Kirsty Cox (Macdonald), Olivia Glausiuss-Reid (Glausiuss), Megan Smith (Smith), Gendy Davis (Bradford), Anna King (Cook), Rebecca Hitchcock (Spence), Anna Condell (Midgley), Melinda Henshaw (Henshaw), Kirsty Stewart (Stewart), Karen Whiting (Amor), Sarah Bailey (Bailey), Hilary Munn (Jones)
Back Row (L to R) Front Row (L to R )
Class of 2000
Rosalind Acton-Adams (Acton-Adams), Rebecca Woodhouse (Parsons), Sarah Lock (Paton), Charlotte Mackenzie (Mackenzie),Bex Hayman (Murray), Diana Fridd (Rowe), Fiona Bennetts (Bennetts) Lucy Laming (Dodgshun), Rachel Wilson (Curd), Pippa Deans (Ensor), Gabrielle Love (Mills), Gemma Aburn (Aburn),Jessica Glassey (Todd), Olivia Spencer-Bower (Spencer-Bower)
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From The Archives
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Samuel Sasai: a lifetime shaped by the generosity of Rangi Ruru students Contributed by Johnann Williams
Over the years, the staff and students at Rangi Ruru have collected money to support many causes, groups and organisations; an important tradition and training in philanthropy that continues to this day. From about 1916 until 1936, this support had a human face as the school provided for the education of Samuel Sasae (or Sasai), a student from the small village of Tantalau on the island of Malaita, part of the Solomon Islands group of islands. As a child, Sam was baptised by the missionary Albert Mason, who served for many years with the Melanesian Mission. It was the Revd. Albert Mason who was responsible for sending Sam to the Mission’s school at Pamua. New Zealand schools provided financial and material support and were encouraged to take a personal interest in the Mission’s students, and thus began a relationship that lasted for over 20 years. One of the aims of the Melanesian Mission was to encourage boys (and a few girls) to leave their villages to be trained at the mission schools where teaching combined evangelism, education and industrial skills, with the aim of returning young men to their villages to establish their own schools . In the school history, Rosemary Britten wrote “as well as collecting money, the girls wrote to him and sent shirts and ties and, once a cricket ball. He wrote letters of thanks in careful English.” To the young ladies of Miss Gibson’s school, Sam must have seemed incredibly exotic. At that time, Malaita had a somewhat sinister reputation for headhunting and inter-tribal warfare. In contrast, Sam appears to have been a soft, gentle man who went on to fulfil all the hopes the Gibson sisters must have held in supporting him. RROGA NEWS I 2020 057
Having completed his schooling, Sam returned to his home village where he taught a school with “forty-odd native boys and girls”. He was ordained as an Anglican Deacon in 1934, and continued to teach and minister to the surrounding villages. In 1937, Sam had the opportunity to visit Christchurch as part of the team of young Melanesian Clergy and Brothers undertaking a mission on board the supply/mission ship the Southern Cross. The visit must have been almost overwhelming for the young man from the remote Pacific island. What would then have been a huge crowd of 2000 met the Southern Cross when it docked at Lyttelton and a special train had been laid on. The Rangi Ruru girls had been very excited to hear of his coming, and no doubt Sam had been looking forward to visiting the school that had given him so much support. Ironically, in the light of our recent experiences with the COVID-19 lockdown, the school had just been placed in quarantine by the Ministry of Health because one of the boarders had polio. Instead, Miss Ethel took some of the senior girls to hear Sam speak at a special service at the Cathedral, and they had the opportunity to meet him afterwards. They reported that he had been very shy and overcome in the presence of so many girls.
RROGA HISTORY
Sam gifted a hand-carved, shell-inlaid cross he had made to the school. He is reported to have returned home with several games such as snakes and ladders to delight the children, and draughts for the more serious. He went on to undertake further theological training and was ordained as an Anglican Priest in 1938. The Misses Gibson provided a generous gift of £25.00 to their protégé which enabled him to be fitted out with a complete set of communion vessels (in travelling case), altar linen and vestments. As well, they went to some trouble to locate a copy of a picture of St Mark that Sam had admired while in New Zealand, finally obtaining one from Florence and sending it on to Sam’s village in Malaita where it was probably the object of some fascination! Over the following years, Sam’s ministry was marked in ways which would have pleased the Gibson sisters. His name appears in the church papers of the day and they would have noted his activities. He was one of the first clergymen to encourage the women of his area to join the Mothers Union, a group that gave women access to mothercraft classes and support, despite the opposition of the menfolk to anything that might help their women. He argued for a low cap on the ‘bride price’, to make it easier for young men to marry without going into debt. During the war, with the Japanese occupation of the Solomon Islands, his mana was such that he was asked to take care of the ‘treasures’ from the Cathedral for the duration. He served his people faithfully and sacrificially. The Revd. Philip Baker, who served with the Melanesian Mission, wrote admiringly of Sam giving
his whole income for one year to God despite being no longer strong enough to do any hard, physical work and being dogged with ill-health. Sam and his people were responsible for a big part of the money collected in Melanesia towards the Auckland Cathedral. Appreciating what he had been given through education under colonisation, he stood out against the destabilising post-war forces of the Marching Rule movement (not an easy position to take). Philip Baker mentions that Sam and his wife had only two daughters who survived infancy. There is record of a Phyllis Sasae, who was educated at the same school Sam had earlier attended, working as a nurse in one of the Mission hospitals. Perhaps she was Sam’s daughter. Philip Baker later married Patricia Copeland, a Rangi Ruru student, 1936-1941, who served as a nurse with the Mission. Their daughter, Theodora, also attended Rangi Ruru.
Now, one hundred years after Rangi Ruru undertook to support a young Melanesian student, attitudes to the Missionary endeavour and colonialism have shifted, but there is no doubt about the life-changing gift of an education. Even today only 60% of the children in Sam’s island group have access to a primary education. The economy of the island is still largely a subsistence one, but education gives choice, and having been granted the gift of an education and faith, Samuel Sasai chose to share that gift with his community, and to serve that community for good for his lifetime.
Sam remained on the clergy lists until 1971.
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Notes: In the course of working on material relating to closures at Rangi Ruru in times of epidemic, the reference to Samuel Sasai came up and, realising what a long interest the school had had in his support, I thought it would be interesting to see if his story ended there, or if there was more, as indeed there was. i. Sasai also appears in records as Sasae, and Tantalau as Tangtalau. Malaita was formerly known as Mala ii. http://www.solomonencyclopaedia.net/biogs/E000089b.htm iii. Britten, R., & Rangi Ruru Girls' School Board of Governors (1988). Rangi Ruru: Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1889-1989. Lincoln, NZ: Te Waihora Press. (p. 65) iv. https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7735#idx161346 v. https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7745#idx161435 vi. https://kinderlibrary.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/8169#idx168855 vii. Britten, R., & Rangi Ruru Girls' School Board of Governors (1988). Rangi Ruru: Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1889-1989. Lincoln, NZ: Te Waihora Press. (p.65) viii. Southern Cross Log: Issue 57, October 1937 ix. Southern Cross Log: Issue 56, July 1937 x. St Mark the Evangelist by Fra Bartolommeo xi. The Reaper: March 1938 xii. The Church News: Issue 8, May 1941 xiii. Southern Cross Log: Issue 49, June 1955 xiv. Church & People: March 1957 Sources include: Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Magazines and the school history, Rangi Ruru Kinder Library (Church Papers Online) Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand) RROGA NEWS I 2020 059
RROGA OUR ALUMNAE
– Margaret G. Patrick M.A. Hons. 1929. Headmistress 1951 – 1969
Contributed by Helen Tait
Margaret Patrick was the longest serving Principal at Rangi Ruru – apart from the phenomenal 49 years of Helen Gibson. “Mrs. P” as she was often called (although of course never to her face) led the school through a period of immense development. She was what would be called in modern management jargon “a transformational leader”. Under her leadership, the school achieved a much stronger academic focus. The range of subjects offered was greatly increased and a larger percentage of school leavers went on to tertiary education. The roll almost doubled in the ten years from 1946, and schooling was moved into purpose-built classrooms and an assembly hall, with the scatter of outbuildings previously used being removed from the site. She was the ideal person to oversee the consolidation of the school under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church, which had taken over its ownership in 1946. Both her father and grandfather had been Presbyterian ministers, and in 1938 she married Denzil Patrick, another Presbyterian minister, who became secretary of the World Committee of the YMCA. He was later seconded to a temporary position at the American Episcopal Church in Geneva, where the couple lived from 1941 until his
death in 1944. Mrs Patrick stayed on until the end of the war, then returned to New Zealand with two young children, Robin and Elizabeth, and took up a teaching post at Queen Margaret College in Wellington, until she was appointed to her position at Rangi. It is hard for us to realise what a brave and unusual move it was to appoint a young solo mother to such a role in the 1950s, when women were not just expected to give up their careers when they had children, but usually to do so when they first married. She not only provided this example as a working mother herself, but many of the teachers she appointed also combined senior teaching positions with family responsibilities. Mrs Forster was responsible for the expansion and upgrading of a science department and the introduction of a wider range of Science subjects, including Physics. Mrs Eckersley and Mrs Wily developed the Mathematics department, with the latter being responsible for Rangi Ruru being accepted as a pilot school for “new Maths” in 1965. Mrs Holden and Mrs Dennis were inspiring English teachers. Language teaching also received a new impetus, through another senior teacher and Rangi parent, Mrs Nakelis, who came
from Latvia as a displaced person and taught Latin and German. Under her tuition, Rangi girls achieved success in inter-school Latin speaking competitions. Mrs Nakelis also taught Russian as an option available in “free periods”, which Mrs Patrick had greatly expanded from the embroidery and singing options of earlier years to include a wide range of additional academic subjects from which girls could choose. The quality of language teaching was also evident in French, with Dr Tobin, a Sorbonne graduate, encouraging a number of Alliance Francaise Frenchspeaking contest winners, as well as giving pupils an excellent basis for success at university level. Mrs Patrick herself led a first French trip to New Caledonia in 1967. So many things which we take for granted now as part of Rangi life were established in Mrs Patrick’s time. Travel opportunities were also provided through American Field Service Scholarships, starting with Alison Fleming in 1955, and during her time six more girls were chosen. The first American to come to Rangi under the scheme was Patty Clark in 1961, and trips to Australia were started in 1964.
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Throughout her time at Rangi, Mrs Patrick had a close working relationship with the Rev. Malcolm Wilson, school Chaplain and Minister at Knox church, who was a board member from 1951 to 1969 – exactly coinciding with Mrs Patrick’s time at the school, and was Chair of the Board from 1955 to 1968. Mrs Patrick worked with the board on the planning and oversight of a major building programme: a block of classrooms was opened in 1955 adjacent to the 1940s science block, followed by an ambitious 3-stage programme. Stage 1, comprising classrooms and admin space, was named the Fergusson Wing in honour of the Governor General, who opened it in 1963. Stage 2, a new assembly hall honoured the Rev. Wilson, and Stage 3, classrooms linking the Fergusson wing with a Gibson Memorial Library was opened in 1969. After spending all that time living (Mrs P had a house provided on site) and working in a continuous construction site, it seemed appropriate that the haven of space enclosed by the buildings should be named in her honour: Margaret Patrick Court. Girls who were at Rangi in Mrs Patrick’s time as Headmistress often profess fond memories of the wooden army hut, which doubled as assembly hall and
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gymnasium, and the classrooms in the old “stable block” (this in spite of crowding and drafts). School was marched, in time, to rousing band music into assembly each morning in the army hut, having lined up outside (in rain, hail or shine) in pairs in clan lines, with an additional line of “tall girls” on either side to ensure that all could cram in – standing and sitting then kneeling on the floor. Staff, wearing black gowns, sat on the stage, behind Mrs P, standing at a lectern which she could just see over when wearing the very high heels, which were always part of her attire, as she tapped her way briskly around the school. Girls often saw Mrs Patrick as rather stern and fearsome, or even abrupt and dismissive, but those who had closer dealings with her came to appreciate her kindness and her sense of humour. She was a lively and engaging teacher for those lucky enough to be in the classes she managed to fit in to her busy schedule. Boarders in particular got to know her better as she spent time with them in a more relaxed setting, and enjoyed her times reading aloud to them after tea on Sunday evenings. Many girls were surprised by the softer side of Mrs Patrick they saw when she was seen playing with the kittens which her cat
produced, and for which homes were found among the school community. One Old Girl remembers cycling home after school to Sockburn with one of the kittens in a box on her carrier (they both survived). Mrs Patrick set high standards and held high expectations of Rangi girls. She startled parents and made newspaper headlines with her speech at her second prizegiving when she expressed grave concern over the irresponsibility of some senior girls, who she felt had been indulged and over-protected. “If they have never learned to stand alone, they will fail, and fail miserably.” She made it her life’s commitment to ensure that the girls in her charge would be well able to stand proudly, and a strong part of her legacy was to develop a focus in the school of recognising each girl’s individual potential and shaping an education to fulfil it – a notion which is at the heart of Rangi today. In an interview following her retirement in 1969, she commented “I have often been astonished at the capacity of the modern secondary schoolgirl, her versatility and her variety of interests.” Much of this versatility and variety was nurtured by Mrs P and the high standard of the teaching team she gathered around her.
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– Margaret Dennis 1951 – 1966
Contributed by Elizabeth Wright
If you were at Rangi between 1951 and 1966, you’ll no doubt remember Mrs Dennis. Girls had many opportunities to know her as she taught a wide range of subjects - English, History, Social Studies, Scripture, Core Mathematics, Latin, French and German - and her extra-curricular activities included assembling and editing the school magazines; free choice groups including public speaking, current affairs; and elementary Civics and Economics. Archives has a hand-written letter from Mrs Dennis detailing her postgraduate law degree from Edinburgh University. Edinburgh Law School information details “This degree was only open to graduates, usually those who had studied for the M.A.(Arts) at a Scottish University or the B.A. at Oxford or Cambridge. Students of the LL.B. had to attend courses and be examined in Civil Law, Conveyancing, Public law, Constitutional law and History, and Medical Jurisprudence; Edinburgh was the only University to offer this degree for some time.”
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Mrs Dennis told students that there were few female students studying law and, despite her presence, one of her professors persisted in greeting the class with, “Good Morning Gentlemen”! How times have changed! Undeterred, she graduated and practised briefly in an Edinburgh law office before leaving to work in the south of England around the time WWII began. We wondered what brought Mrs Dennis to New Zealand and were delighted that her daughter, Sarah, provided these insights.
the grass verge and popping in for a cuppa. She really liked that. You may know that we were very grateful to be able to hold her funeral service in the Rangi Ruru Chapel, which the then Principal, Gillian Heald (a personal friend of mine) facilitated for us. There were quite a few former pupils and staff there and I received many, many letters from girls she had taught remembering her very fondly, as indeed do I. She was a great mum and, I think, a
natural and very good teacher.” Sarah also supplied the photo, adding “My mother hated having her photo taken and mostly tried to avoid it!” With thanks to Sarah Dennis, RR Archives, Edinburgh Law School-Wikipedia.
‘I'm not sure that I can help you much as you know children never show much interest in their parents' past lives, and I'm afraid that was very much the case with me. As I understand it, she was employed on the staff/personnel side of a department store in Southampton but left to travel north to Yorkshire to join the Forestry Corps (part of the Land Army) which was where she met my father, a Yorkshireman. The department store was bombed soon after she left. My parents both worked for the Forestry Corps during the war, living in parts of rural Yorkshire. My mother adored Yorkshire. We three children were all born near Harrogate (Spofforth and Wetherby) and we lived in a village called Birstwith in Nidderdale. Both my parents were very keen to travel and they thought New Zealand (or Australia, or Canada or then Rhodesia!) would offer new opportunities compared with post-war Britain. They took berths on a ship sailing for NZ in late 1948, arrived here in early 1949, and decided to settle in Christchurch, first in South Brighton, then in Riccarton (Kilmarnock Street). Mrs Dennis started teaching at Rangi Ruru in February 1951, finished at the end of 1966, but did return to do some relief teaching. She died in 1994. Sarah continues, “I know she loved that school. She always had a soft spot for the "naughty" girls as she usually felt they had spirit. She liked helping the less academic students and I think she did well in that capacity. As I grew older, I recall many girls (current and former students) dropping round to the house, even occasionally tethering a horse on
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M Dennis LL.B Degree
RROGA HISTORY
– Aldy Butcher 1929 -1938
Lifelong Loyalty
Contributed by Helen Tait
Aldy Butcher (Taylor), Naida Lyttle (Gardiner), Kath Hart (Armstrong), and Jo Tait (Pitcaithly) started Rangi in 1929. They were joined through the 1930s by Joy Vincent (Duckworth), Biddy Smith (McDougall) and Gwyneth Turland (Hall). The group became firm friends who continued their friendship throughout their lives, catching up with monthly meetings – during the evening through the war years, then once they had young children, they met during the daytime in the 1950s. As the children were old enough to be left at home with dads, it was back to evenings out, and finally in older age, when some didn’t feel confident driving after dark, they enjoyed lunches and afternoon teas together. In those later years, Dorothy McMillan, another 1930s classmate, joined the group. The last survivor of this loyal group, Aldy Butcher, turned 100 in April, celebrating with a “locked down”
gathering – her family on one side of the fence and her neighbours from Archer Retirement Village, where she lives in an independent villa, with her on the other. Realising that the rest of the loyal group of friends would have turned 100 this year, I thought it would be an occasion to bring together the amazing centenarian and “old girl” daughters of some of the others in the group, so we gathered to catch up and share memories of Rangi over morning coffee. Of course, this being Christchurch and the Rangi community, we knew of, and discovered all sorts of connections – like Jane and Sue living across the river from one another. Robyn and Sue are part of a regular Friday morning RROG walking group, and closest link of all, after the death of my mother and Robyn’s father, Naida and my father married at the lively age of 75.
of honour, and agreed that she provides us with a great role model. Aldy recently had her driver’s licence renewed, and has a busy round of social and family activities (she had to check her diary to see whether she could fit in the morning coffee). The gathering also gave us a chance to celebrate another honoured Old Girl, as Robyn Bisset was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in the recent Queen’s Birthday honours for services to the community.
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From the left: Naida’s daughter Robyn Bisset, Gwyneth’s daughter Jane Mundy, guest of honour Aldy, Joy’s daughter Sue Fox, Aldy’s daughter Sally Clark, and me, Jo’s daughter. RROG daughters missing from the gathering were Biddy’s daughter, Janine Johnson, and Nicky Vincent.
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RROGA MILESTONES
Milestones Weddings Emma Thomas to Ken Kizer in Salt Lake City UT. Rosie Ullrich to Chris Mexted on the Ulrich family farm near Cave in South Canterbury.
Births Olivia Spencer-Bower had a baby boy Noah Marmaduke Davies on 29th January 2020
Rosa Milne (Guthrie) and James Milne had a baby boy, Edward Wallace Milne (Woody) 29-01-20 Deaths Helen Saunders née Bruce 1927 Betty Lang née McFarlane 1934 Barbara Callaway née Foreman 1937 Diana Sawrey née Jennings 1937 Audrey Moore née Day 1937 Diana Studholme née Lawrence 1937 Morag Taylor née Weir 1938 Bere Gibb née Barbour 1940 Joan Haines née Wood 1942 Jocelyn Davidson née Trolove 1943 Joan Atkinson née MacFarlane 1943 Alyth Plimmer née Nelson 1943 Margie Newton née Mathias 1943 Judy McMaster née Sussems 1944 June De Breuk née Bonifant 1945 Phil Lawrence née Williams 1946 Sally Parkes née Murray 1946 Rosemary Stewart née Weideman 1946 Jillian Anderson née Baxter 1950 Belinda Black née Gresson 1951 Val Body née Campbell 1956 Shirley Warren née Gardner 1959
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RROGA OBITUARIES
Obituaries Dr Tobin 1935-2017
Dr Prudence Mary O'Hara Tobin passed away on June 23, 2020, aged 90 years, at Russley Village, Ashley Suites. For those of you who remember Dr Tobin, she was a formidable and inspirational woman who taught French at Rangi from 1959 – 1990 (32 years). She inspired so many girls to become independent thinkers. She will be remembered affectionately because she set and demanded the highest standards, but also because of her infinite care and concern for her pupils.
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RROGA OBITUARIES
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RROGA OBITUARIES
Helen Saunders 1916-2020
Contributed by Annette McGrevy RROGA
It is with sadness we report that our oldest Rangi Old Girl passed away on May 1st in Auckland at the great age of 104 years. Helen Matilda Flower Bruce lived her early life in Fendalton, Christchurch. She attended Rangi Ruru from the age of eight for her entire eight years of school. She enjoyed a very full education studying Latin, French, English, History, Geography, and Mathematics. Music was very important to her and she studied piano and singing. She also played competitive Tennis, Swimming, Life Saving and Netball, and was a prefect in her last year at school.
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She talked of a big earthquake on Christmas Day 1923 followed by another major quake in 1929, although she didn’t remember any great damage. After leaving school, Helen attended a Digby’s secretarial course in 1934. She became the secretary of the Woman’s Division in 1935, a group that supported the unemployed. She became engaged in 1937 to the organist of the choir she joined when she was 16 years old. Later that year, Helen married Linden Charles Mansell Saunders who taught music at King’s College in Auckland. During their years at King’s College, Helen produced 34
RROGA OBITUARIES
shows at the school and made clothes for the musicals. Over her years at King’s, Helen “adopted” several homesick boarders who became her life-long family! In fact, some of these “nearly sons” as she called them have been her constant visitors right up to the present. In 1937, Miss Ethel suggested that it would be good for Rangi to have a school song to help mark the School’s 45th anniversary. Helen’s sister, Barbara Bruce, who taught at Rangi Ruru for about 15 years asked Helen to write a song. So, on their honeymoon in Wanaka, Helen wrote four verses and Lin wrote the music. Miss Ethel liked the song so all four verses were sung
at the anniversary, with verses 3 and 4 then chosen to become the School Song which is still sung today. In 1950, Helen convened a group of Rangi Ruru Old Girls living in Auckland to a meeting at the home of Mrs G.W.Flint for the First General Meeting of the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Auckland Branch. Present were Five Life Members, 18 Annual Members, plus one Christchurch Annual Member. This was the beginning of the Auckland Branch, which is still operating today! The group Helen founded all those years ago has served as a very welcome connection for Rangi Old Girls who have found themselves in Auckland over the years.
During the 60s and 70s, Helen held the office of President and contributed to the success of the Auckland Branch for many years; just one of the many ways her legacy will live on.
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Penelope Aubrey Naish 1989
Sarah Elizabeth Clarke (McRae) 1987
Helen Louise Broomfield 1986
Sylvia Brown
Pippa Clarke
Giselle Conway
Gloria Rawene Christmas 1949
Jennifer (Jenny) Dodd (Nelson) 1958
Stacey Coats Naish (Campbell) 1963
Nance Elizabeth Bell (Buckley) 1954
GRANDMOTHER
Michelle Louise Grins (Paterson) 1989
Georgia Grins
Rosara Withington
Caroline Frances Withington (Sharp) 1980
Rebecca Rose Wiseman 1981 Janet Isobel Sharp (Bishell) 1956
Josephine Frances Ullrich (Lee) 1958
Elsie Ullrich
Assisi Wiseman
Pamela June McGirr (McNaughtan) 1964
Amanda Jane Overland Judd 1987
Georgina Skinner
Gaby Sutherland
Annabelle Sare (Banks) 1984
Sophia Sare
Barbara Everard Lee (Mulcock) 1919
Stephanie Banks (Scott)
Barbara Cassandra Rhind (Nicholson) 1928
Christine Barbara Rose (Rhind) 1962
Lucinda Catherine Pringle (Hilson) 1986
Isabella Pringle
Harriett Rose
Katrina Jean Judd 1984
Tabitha Porter
Susie Elizabeth Paynter (Miller) 1969
Agnes Claire Bell (Morton) 1931
Teassa Anna Paynter 1992
Saffron Mogridge
Pamela Palmer (Bell) 1957
Sally Ann Hickling (Wright) 1988
Katherine Hickling
Karen June Hamilton 1966
Dace Nora Grins (Nakelis) 1957
Biddy Colleen Smith (MacDougall) 1933
Kathleen I Nicholls (Talbot) 1924
Gloria Evans (Lane) 1934
GRANDMOTHER
Legacy
Frankie Reid
Anna Elizabeth Harris (Edmonds) 1984
Ella Harris
Leilah Hamilton-Lemonnier
Nicola Jane Greenslade (Smith) 1987
Diane(Di) Mary Smith nee Saunders 1959
Penelope(Penny) Jane Galway (Henderson) 1976
Millie Greenslade
Georgia Gould
Grace Galway
Alice Ferguson-Wilson
Henrietta Evatt
Elena Evans
Gabrielle Maree Evatt (Kemp) 1987
Bronwyn Jenifer Williams 1982
Keira Dodd
Nicola J Bennett (Steventon) 1990
Harper Brown
MOTHER
Ellie Bennett
Rosa Bell
DAUGHTER
RROGA OBITUARIES
Leavers' Ball 2019
