Pukerua Bay School

Pukerua Bay School, shelter shed and toilet on the far left in 1927.

Written in 1978 for the Pukerua Bay School Golden Jubilee, edited by He Ara Pukerua.

Beginnings 1927 – 1940

A letter dated 4 June 1924 from a local resident to the Wellington Education Board stated that if a school was established at Pukerua Bay, it would save the children having to leave home at 6:30am to catch the 7:10am train which arrived at Plimmerton at 7:25am. The children then had to walk about Plimmerton until school opened at 9:00am. On 23 March 1925 a deputation from Pukerua Bay consisting of Mrs C. Gray, Mr J. C. Scott and Mr Mahler attended the Education Board and suggested the establishment of a school at Pukerua Bay. Subsequently Mr C. Gray presented three acres of land to the Board and two acres were bought at a price much below their market value. The wish became a reality when on 10 July 1926, the Education Board approved a grant of £763 for the construction of a school at Pukerua Bay. The contract was let and Mr H. Storey, the contractor, commenced work shortly after. An extract from the contract document makes interesting reading:

Mr C. Gray, Pukerua, will arrange for the conveyance of building material etc. from the station to the site on receiving notice from the contractor who is therefore to allow only transport charges to the Pukerua Railway Station. Mr Gray states that a cottage of three rooms, a kitchen and two rooms with bunks is available at 5/- per week. Contractors can procure locally meat, milk and all other necessaries. Should the offer of a cottage be accepted the Contractor will be required to leave it clean and uninjured and to remove everything in the way of rubbish from the premises when he vacates.

The school was opened officially by the Minister of Education, Mr R. A. Wright, at 3:00pm on Saturday, 21 May 1927. The following extract from the next Monday’s Dominion described the occasion:

Another milestone in the history of Pukerua Bay was passed on Saturday, when the Minister of Education (Hon. R. A. Wright) officially opened the first school to be erected in the district. The Minister placed on record the Government’s appreciation of the public-spirited generosity of Mr Charles Gray, whose donation of a site had made the establishment of the school possible. There was a large attendance of residents at the ceremony, and the chairman of the school committee (Mr J. Scott), in introducing the speakers, stated that the settlers had worked for thirty years to secure the establishment of a school in the district, and to eliminate the necessity of sending their children by train to Plimmerton. The president of the Pukerua Bay Ratepayers’ Association (Mr Albert Basire) welcomed the departure of the daily train trips the children of the district had had to make to the Plimmerton school. Congratulating Mr Gray on his public-spirited action in donating the site for the school, the speaker declared that, but for the energies of Mr Gray, Pukerua Bay would not be what it was today. (Loud applause.) Pukerua Bay now had an up-to-date school, provided with cross ventilation, and the area of the classroom was 420 square feet. It was opened in February last. There were 25 pupils, and the average attendance for the March quarter was 23. The genesis of the movement of the school rested entirely upon the residents themselves, and Mr W. H. Field, M.P. who was one of the most indefatigable members of the House on the question of education. “I cannot help drawing public attention to the fact,” said the Minister, “that a site of three acres for this school was donated by Mr Charles Gray, who invited the Department to select the land for itself — a most unheard-of proceeding. In some cases where land is donated it would have been better to have declined the gift! In accepting Mr Gray’s offer, the Department most selfishly, I must admit, selected three of the best acres in the district. Then there arose the question of an additional two acres, as the Department holds that five acres are necessary for a school. Mr Gray at once expressed his willingness to donate the further two acres, but, ladies and gentlemen, the Department’s conscience smote it — (laughter) — and it decided it would not trespass further on the good nature of the donor. Even then Mr Gray insisted on the land being sold at cost price. On behalf of the Department and the Government, I thank Mr Gray for his generosity.” Continuing, the Minister said that the committee would be looking forward to the day when another room could be added, and as settlement developed and increased in and around Wellington, it must come to Pukerua Bay as well as to other places. As the district population increased, and better means of access were provided, there would be the need for a larger school. His experience had been that immediately a new school was opened, pupils turned up from somewhere in a most mysterious way. (Laughter.) The Minister expressed the hope that the young people would make at the school the progress their parents and the teacher in charge desired.

Mr W. H. Field, M.P., heartily congratulated the district on securing its school, and paid a glowing tribute to the part played by Mr Gray. A tiny tot came forward at this stage with bouquets for Mrs Wright and Mrs Field who were unavoidably absent.

The school was actually 50 years old on Tuesday, 1 February 1977 as this was the day on which the first pupils entered the school half a century before. On this historic occasion the first Head Teacher, Miss Dorothy W. M. Henderson, entered the following 27 children:

Reginald Victor ALLEN (6 years)
Elva D’ATH (6 years)
Albert Edward D’ATH (11 years)
John GARTY (10 years)
Richard GARTY (9 years)
Francis GARTY (6 years)
Margaret GARTY (7 years)
Donald Campbell GRAY (6 years)
Thelma GREENFIELD (9 years)
James Alex GREENFIELD (10 years)
Charles William HAILWOOD (10 years)
Ivy HAILWOOD (9 years)
Noleen HAILWOOD (6 years)
James HAILWOOD (5 years)
Thomas Roderick MULHERN (6 years)
Jean Clare MULHERN (4 years)
Lawrence Alfred PARNELL (8 years)
Trevor James PARNELL (6 years)
Agnes POTETE (10 years)
Frances Eveline O’MEARA (9 years)
Tottie Ngaira O’MEARA (6 years)
Rex Alfred SCOTT (8 years)
Reginald Falkner WALL (5 years)
Rosemary Isabel WALL (8 years)
Ronan Hector WALL (11 years)
James Oakley WILSON (11 years)
Douglas Oakley WILSON (10 years)

Miss Henderson reported that the floor was in a somewhat untidy and dirty condition after the builders had completed their work, but with the aid of 16 desks, one table, one chair, one easel and one blackboard she soon had the school functioning. Late in the day the Education Board dispatched a clock to the school and on the following day a bell, registers, log book, scheme book, chalk, pen holders, writing paper, blotting paper, ink powder, nibs and ink wells arrived.

On 3 February 1927 the school received an invitation from Plimmerton School to attend their school picnic at Paraparaumu on Thursday 10 February. These picnic days, for which the School Committee were permitted to close the school, seem to have become a thing of the past in these days of rapid communication and more sophisticated types of entertainment. The picnics were eagerly awaited and greatly enjoyed by children and parents alike. Many will recall the lolly scrambles, then fathers and mothers races and the host of other simple but highly enjoyable events of this popular day. The occasion gave all an opportunity to come together as a “village family” and the excitement and exhilaration which ensued lends a lot of truth to the adage “those were the good old days”.

On 10 March 1927 the children in Standard 3 and above went into Wellington to take part in a “very disciplined and highly organised display” for the Duke and Duchess of York, and to visit H.M.S. Renown. On 21 April 1927 control of the school passed into the hands of Miss G. G. Maloney and just over a week later the first School Committee was elected. The school up until this time had been served by a “correspondent”, Mr J. C. Scott. The first members of a long list of very active committees were Mr Scott (chairman) and Messrs Hailwood, Gray, Allen and Parnell. When the school reopened after the May school holidays, the teacher noted that “mumps were still prevalent”. This outbreak appeared to have affected attendance for a long period as on 21 April there were only 16 pupils out of 27 present. A significant feature of the depression years was the highly irregular attendance of pupils at schools throughout the country. Measles, mumps, chicken pox, scarlet fever and diphtheria epidemics decimated school rolls while later the dreaded “infantile paralysis” (poliomyelitis) took a huge toll. In December 1936 the school was closed early and did not reopen until March of the following year due to an outbreak of polio in Otago. The work and advice of the School Medical Officers, the introduction of the “milk in schools” scheme about 1939, and the improved economic condition of the country and corresponding improvement in health and hygiene standards of the community, all helped to improve the health of children attending school. Polio did however continue to plague the country, the school being closed from 14 April to 31 May 1937 and 11 December 1947 to 1 March 1948.

Pukerua Bay School in 1929. The railway follows along the line of telephone poles in foreground.

On 16 October 1928 the school Inspection Report stated that “This is a good school, well organized and capably managed. Order, discipline and tone are excellent. The pupils are very keen and the work is attractively neat.” Apart from visits from the customary itinerants, the physical instructress, the agricultural instructor, the inspectors and medical officer, the next several years seem to have passed uneventfully until the arrival of a new Head Teacher, Beatrice F. Bade, on 1 February 1932. At present many married women throughout the country are finding certain difficulties in gaining easy re-access to a permanent teaching position. It is interesting to quote an extract from It Was Resolved — A History of the Wellington Education Board, p52. “In January 1931 the Board resolved that owing to the large numbers of teachers, particularly single women out of employment, the Board joined with Auckland, Canterbury and Otago Boards in strongly protesting to the Department at the continued employment of married women teachers in cases where circumstances were such that there was no necessity to do so.” Women, it is interesting to note. played an important role in guiding the fortunes of Pukerua Bay pupils in the early days of the school. It wasn’t until 1959 that the first permanent male head teacher was appointed.

On 25 February 1932 Mr Watson, Inspector, recommended that the school cleaning should be done weekly instead of fortnightly. He also advised the children to go swimming every day. These lessons were taken at the beach on calm days. Apparently such lessons were conducted regularly throughout the thirties but it wasn’t until 1943 that mention was made of visits to the Baths. On 12 March 1943 ten children gained awards ranging from the 50 yards certificate to 900 yards certificate. From 1946 regular visits were made to the Te Aro and Thorndon Baths in the City, and in the early 1950’s swimming lessons were conducted in the Paekakariki School Pool. It was not until the early 1960’s that thought was given to the construction of a pool at the school. Having $2000 in hand, tenders were called for the construction of a School Swimming Pool and the installation of a filtration plant. These closed on 10 September 1963 when tenders of $2196 and $671 were accepted. Presumably work started almost immediately but holdups delayed work and it wasn’t until 8 December 1964 that the work was completed and the baths officially opened. Then commenced a series of problems, leaking baths, leaking pipes, malfunctioning filtration plant and so on. In December 1965 the baths and pipe leaks had been overcome but the filtration plant continued to give trouble. Later on, the pump was shifted from the boiler room to the baths side, the tanks remaining in the boiler room. The arrangement was still not entirely satisfactory but the filtration plant functioned reasonably well until the 1970’s. Wear and tear then started to take its effect and the plant was replaced with a twin tank unit on 19 November 1974.

In March 1932 a “Parents Day” was held when parents were spectators to an ordinary Wednesday programme of school work. It was noted that “the speeches by the children were thought to be a great novelty”. One can regard this occasion as the beginning of the very close parental involvement which exists at Pukerua Bay to this day. Although the formal trappings of the Home and School Association did not come till years later, this was the association in embryo. On the raising of the school to Grade II status at the end of the second term in 1933 Miss Bade transferred to Tane, Eketahuna. From this date until 1935 the school was served by a number of relieving teachers until the appointment of Miss A. Cattanach on 27 May 1935. According to an inspection report of that year, the roll totalled 22, while another report on 6 November 1936 placed the roll at 28.

Pukerua Bay School in 1935.
Front Row: left to right Ray Cowie, Desmond Brownie, Reg Allen, Jack Barlow, Peter Gardner, Vivian Long, Arnold Lindsay.
2nd Row: Ngaire Allen, Hilary Moore, Nada Jacobson, Beryl Long, Mavis Cowie, Mae Allen, Margaret Mulhern.
Back Row: Barbara Wall, Ruth Cowie, Sybil Long, Thelma Harris, Winsome Gardner, Margaret McDonald, Avril Bredin.

An interesting entry of 31 March 1937 reads “Received supply of free school books for children of indigent parents”. This practice had been in operation for some years and was only discontinued with the introduction of the Family Benefit payment in 1946. Miss Cattanach resigned from the school in May 1937 and for a short term Mr Chas E. Keys and D. E. Young were relieving head teachers until Mrs A. Wheatley’s appointment on 6 September 1937. Apart from a short break on sick leave, Mrs Wheatley served here for over seven years, the longest term for any head teacher at Pukerua Bay. This period saw many changes to school and grounds and the doubling of the school roll. While Mrs Wheatley was on sick leave and Mr A. M. Foster relieved as head teacher, the roll jumped and an assistant teacher, Mr S. McNicol was appointed on 3 April 1939. Mr McNicoll was a Wellington rugby representative and so rugby flourished in Pukerua Bay School during his period of service here. It is perhaps a little ironic that Mr McNicol had charge of the infant pupils. On 27 November 1939, Mr H. G. Johnson inspected the school and noted that another room was urgently needed. While awaiting the new room the two classes were divided by a curtain.

1940 – 1960

Pukerua Bay School in 1940
Front Row left to right: Barry Cox, Ronald Reade, Donald Amey, Pat Padden, Peter Agnew.
2nd Row: Annie Roach, Lorraine Allen, Elizabeth Ewan, Leota Cooksley, Margaret Ewan, Elizabeth Lindsay.
3rd Row: Amy Goodman, Ngaire Allen, Violet Amey, Mavis Cowie, Charlotte Edwin, June Watene, Muriel Gifford, Grace Potete, Olive Roach.
4th Row: Norman Amey, Joe Roach, Kevin McCoskey, Jack Gifford, Ernest Amey, Roy Johnson.
5th Row: Murray Lindsay, Stanley Cowie, John Cox, James Power, Arthur Reade, Reginald Wallace, Denis Langley, Graeme Langley, Ronald Cox, Brian Wylie.

By 16 August 1940 the roll had grown to 49 pupils and Mrs Wheatley, with commendable restraint, noted in the Log that “the school is difficult to work in, a room only 20′ x 21″. Tenders for the new room were called on 27 November 1940 and it was expected that the room would be ready by 1 February of the following year. It wasn’t until 1 April 1941, however, that the primers moved into the new building and Miss Bilton noted ”the children hardly know yet how to make use of all the space available after being so cramped”.  On 17 May 1941 a dance was held to mark the opening of the new room. Apparently this was the first of many occasions when the rooms were used for social purposes.

These were the war years and many pupils from this period, whether they attended Pukerua Bay School or not, will recall the heavy inroads made into the male teaching staff as the young men volunteered for, or were conscripted into the armed services. Mothers who had retired from active teaching duty and many who were untrained filled the gaps until the men returned. Schools throughout the country were, out of school hours, utilised as headquarters for the Home Guard and the grounds, particularly in holiday time, made ideal parade grounds and sites for manoeuvres. A log entry of 25 May 1941 notes “the goal posts and basketball poles were down since the manoeuvres, also the cabbages and crops were eaten and trodden down. The fence around the lower garden was partly down also”. Later on, as the threat of invasion from the Japanese appeared as a distinct possibility, it is interesting to note that some children were “evacuated”, two to Upper Hutt. Another log entry, of 24 June 1949, says, “Box despatched for Aid to Britain. About two-thirds of case was filled by supplies brought by children. The rest was filled by goods bought from stores and paid for from Children’s Club at cost of £1-17-0d. This is the second case sent.”

An important milestone in the school’s history occurred on Monday, 23 June 1941, when a Home and School Association was formally established. The late Mr Robson (Robbie to all) was instrumental in having a meeting of householders called in the school. This meeting formed an association electing the following officers: Chairman: Mrs A. Lindsay. Secretary: Mrs Gifford, Committee: Mr Robson, Mesdames Robson, Cowie, Cox and Makinson. Additionally, the chairman, secretary and some members of the teaching staff were to be ex-officio members of any committee formed. The formation of this body opened up a new era in the school’s history. While continuing to foster a close link between the school and home, it provided a framework or structure through which parents were kept up to date with the happenings at school and through lectures by teachers and other educationalists, kept abreast of changes in curriculum and school management. Not the least of the valuable functions carried out by this body was the raising of large sums of money to provide extra equipment such as tape recorders, radios, movie projectors, duplicators and so on; items which are taken for granted in the modern school today. The Association has continued to flourish and although the monthly meetings are not always well attended, the huge gatherings of parents who attend school functions, the tremendous support given with transport of children to educational sites and sporting venues, and the vast sums of money which continue to be raised for extra equipment, are indicative of the fact that the Home and School Association is alive and well in Pukerua Bay today.

In recent years, particularly in the Junior Department of the school, parents have been invited into the classrooms and groups of mothers attend regularly to assist with developmental work and offer their special skills in a wide variety of craft activities throughout the school. The time has almost come where parental visits are not an “occasion” but a very natural and mutually rewarding part of school life.

On 29 August 1943, Mrs Wheatley wrote, ”School breaks up in wet weather. Half day on account of Mr Gray’s funeral.”

On 29 November 1943 an entry reads ”Miss Lowry spent the day in the infant room, illustrating the new ‘playway’ methods”. Based upon the teachings of the American Educationist John Dewey, these methods were probably to cause more confusion and alarm among teachers and parents over the next two decades than any other teaching innovation of the century. In essence Dewey propounded the view that the play of children has intrinsic motivation and through play, children learn and develop. Not to use these instincts to play in the classroom teaching situation, was short sighted and wasteful. Arising from his teachings was a huge range of interpretations, from the infant teacher who brought her knitting to school and let the children just “play” to the skilled practitioner who utilised the natural instincts of children to put into operation a dynamic programme of inspiration and vitality.

At the close of 1944 Mrs Wheatley retired and was replaced at the commencement of 1945 by Miss A. Lublow. That year and the next saw much improvement to the grounds with levelling and tree planting, the painting of the school and the commencement of Post Office banking. At the beginning of December 1947 the school closed for another lengthy period due to poliomyelitis and did not reopen until March 1948.

Throughout the Log Book references were made to sporting visits where Pukerua Bay played rugby and basketball against neighbouring schools. To enumerate all the successes and failures would require a statistical table of considerable proportions. On 15 August 1949 the basketball team won the Shield at a tournament held in Plimmerton and the rugby team in the same year won the Scarfe Cup from Paremata School. Although the school has met success in one of the two sports in other years (the rugby team is unbeaten over 1975/76) it is seldom that the school achieved success in both sports in one year. Of significance however is the fact that the school has always been well catered for on the sporting fields, and at the present rugby, netball, soccer, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, indoor basketball and softball teams enter inter-school and inter-club competition. The school has been lucky in having teachers and parents willing to coach and provide transport for the various sports engaged in.

Apart from the sporting successes, the 1940’s ended on a “bright” note as on 20 September 1949 at approximately 4:30pm, the shelter shed containing tools and manures was destroyed by fire.

Necessarily, schools are built on the “rabbit warren” principle, i.e. for convenience and safety, there have to be many exits and entrances. This of course makes them prime targets for thieves and vandals. In these days of sophisticated equipment vandalism is more prevalent than in the past, as apart from the school piano which presents obvious difficulties for the would-be thief, the schools of yesteryear had precious little that was worth taking. On 14 April 1950 the school was broken into, a drawer and cupboard forced and the contents strewn over the floor. This incident is one of a very few acts of criminality in the school’s history.

Pukerua Bay School in 1949
Front Row left to right: Jim Lomax, John Millar, Bryan Rayner, John Forster, Kevin Wallace, Bob Gavin, Bob Gibson, Graham Duff, Jim Gibson, John Rayner, Tom Miller, Keith Hutton, John Brebner.
2nd Row: Ann Hoggard, Jennifer Jones, Norma Scrimgeour, Lois Wallace, Frances Garden, Judith Johnson, Mary Roach, Doris Lomax, Lynette Radcliffe, Pam Anderson, Joy Hutton, Joy Allen, Joan Anderson.
3rd Row: Carol Hillier, lnewa Prince, Pat Garden, Hettie Forster, Rewa Prince, Anne Forster, Pam Little, Rona Prince, Judith Doyle, Ruth Doyle, Margaret Southam, Ann Gavin, Cynthia Gibson, Kathy Amey.
Back Row: Max Johnson, Phillip Gibson, George Millar, Roger Clarke, Ron Roebuck, Bill Wallace, Francis Padden, Mark Newth, Huia Prince, David Radcliffe.

On 4 February 1952 Miss Nora Frizzell commenced her term of service here. During her long term of office, Miss Frizzell saw many changes, new rooms, new teachers and a school house; all events important and not so important described in great detail in the Log Book. Nothing, it would appear, seemed to have escaped her notice. There are former pupils who, no doubt, would back up this assertion. With the roll at 76 the School had been raised from Grade III to Grade IV, presumably entitling another teacher and classroom.

On 7 February Miss Frizzell records the death of His Majesty King George VI, and goes on to say, “Miss Cornwall and I attended school and, in the absence of a flag-pole proper, lowered the flag to half-mast on a tall post on an eminence in the playground. Following broadcast advice, no children came to school.” The next day, “An attempt was made to listen to the broadcast made by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Rt Hon. Winston Churchill. Reception was so poor that listening was unprofitable.” However on 11 February “The children of Senior Room listened to the radio broadcast of the Proclamation of Elizabeth 11 as Queen”.

Apart from ground levelling with its customary inconvenience, little else of consequence took place for the remainder of 1952.

When School reopened in 1953 a further teacher was added to the staff but no further accommodation and two teachers had to work in one room. Miss Frizzell describes the position succinctly, “Miss Purdie’s position, with the senior room through folding doors on one side, and infants beyond a temporary barricade on the other, is an exceedingly difficult one.” On 6 February 1953 a load of timber arrived for the head teacher’s residence and almost coincidentally on 4 March materials arrived for the erection of a “Prefab”. On Monday 30 March, although work was not quite completed a class was permitted to use this temporary classroom. The year continued with bits and pieces being added to the prefab and school residence. At first no provision was made for a gateway for a car to enter the residence grounds. Was it surprising that a teacher should own a car? The house was ultimately occupied on 7 August 1953.

Sports Day 1952 at the Paraparaumu Domain.

On 1 and 2 June 1953 there were holidays to celebrate the birthday and coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and then on 3 June Miss Frizzell wrote “Teachers and many children weary today after all night session listening to Coronation Ceremony broadcast from Westminster Abbey. Coronation and Hillary’s conquest of Everest the only topics of conversation today.” On 9 January 1954 school children, teachers and 51 children holidaying in the Bay assembled on the Main Road adjacent to the school to watch the Queen drive through the Bay. Union Jacks were provided for the children by the Hutt County. Afterwards all the children were entertained at tea in the R.S.A. Hall by the Home and School Association.

In December 1954, senior children took part in the Mana Primary Schools Music Festival. Over the years this annual event has been a highlight in the school’s year and Pukerua Bay has established a very high reputation for the enthusiasm and skill of its music teachers and the excellent quality of its choral work. During 1955 the almost inevitable problems associated with levelling and grassing of Pukerua Bay School grounds were uppermost. The present pitted and scarred surface of both upper and lower levels is something of a monument to the vagaries of Pukerua Bay weather, inadequate planning and action taken that was often too little and almost inevitably too late.

On 14 December 1956 the senior children journeyed by train to Plimmerton and walked back along the sea shore. An excerpt from the Log Book makes most interesting reading. “At one stopping place, rough nests of sticks and seaweed were noticed amongst the drift wood piled at high water mark. Gull chicks in all stages of development were found. Several boys caught barehanded huge crayfish. while dozens of crabs were found. The hut of Mr Clark was a point of interest. Situated a mile south of Pukerua Bay beside a small spring, the hut consists largely of timber salvaged from the beach and was built by Mr Clark and his friends. Mr Clark enjoys his solitude among sea, rocks, and sky and journeys to village or town only when it becomes necessary to replenish his larder.

Another extract of 12 December 1957 is worth quoting in full. “Became aware (via nose at lunch time) that boy had been smoking. Inquired into matter. Four senior boys owned to smoking ‘near school, but not in school hours and not on property’. Informed them that before and after school are regarded as school hours and they were chastised accordingly. It seems that some boys spend 6d per week on cigarettes! Others smoke on nothing. Some boys ‘used to smoke but have given it up’.”

On 31 October 1957 Board Officers took levels for a new permanent classroom (present Room 1). On Monday 24 March 1958 building commenced and on 24 October 1958 the classroom was in use! This year was also the occasion when a former pupil, Kaye Newth topped New Zealand in the Nurses’ Examinations. A telegram of congratulation was sent to Kaye.

At the end of December 1958 Miss Frizzell ended her long term of service here and was replaced in February of the following year by the first permanent male head teacher, Mr A. F. Jones.

In April 1959 a new radio with four speakers was purchased from Home and School Association funds. Later in the month it was agreed to purchase a 16 mm movie projector. These were just two of the many sophisticated teaching aids which were purchased under the subsidy scheme over the next decade by the lively body. When the Basic Equipment scheme was introduced in 1973 the School was already equipped with a large range of such items and funds have continued to pour into the school to purchase books and other equipment over and above the Free Text Book and Basic Equipment schemes.

1960 – 1977

In July 1960 Traffic Officers Horsfall and Perry visited the School in connection with a proposed pedestrian crossing. By November 1961 nothing had eventuated except a communication from the Traffic Department to say that “it would be a frustration to motorists and a hazard for the children”. In spite of continued representations by the School Committee and Home & School Association, and several accidents, it was not until 1972 that a crossing was finally provided. In June 1962 Mr Murland (Hall Contractor) commenced building two further rooms onto the present Room 1, and a boiler room for central heating. By November the rooms were still not ready and as a fifth teacher was available it was decided after consultation with the appropriate authorities to move a class into the R.S.A. Hall.

Raising money for the school baths, March 1962.

On 7 February 1963 Mr Jones resumed control of the school after a year’s leave in the U.K. By the end of the year the roll had grown to 197 with five teachers. In June 1964 a sixth teacher was added to the staff and by the end of the year the roll had risen above 220. In 1965 the year commenced with a new head teacher, Mr B. Hennessy (non-teaching) and a staff of six. The prefab sited near the present infant toilet block was still being used. During this year work was commenced on the building of the School Dental Clinic, up till that time, children having had to go to Plimmerton for treatment. 1966 began with Rooms 4 and 5 under construction, a teaching staff of seven and six usable classrooms, meaning that two of the teachers were temporarily sharing a room. By May the rooms were completed and in use. Forward planning in the area indicated at this stage that the school would eventually rise to Grade VIC (12 classrooms) and additions would continue to the eastern end of the school. However, it was finally seen that this was not the best arrangement and a new plan drawn up in 1974 makes provision for a new block to be developed parallel to the present five classroom block.

When School opened in 1967 there were eight teachers on the staff. Mrs Josephine Patete began her long association with the school at this time, initially as an assistant mistress and later as Supervisor of Junior Classes. This association was to last until August 1976. Mr Hennessy left the school at the close of the year ending a period at Pukerua Bay which saw rapid growth in the school roll, many innovations and much change in staffing, grounds and building.

During the first term of 1968 Mr E. Stanley acted as Relieving Head Teacher until Mr Lonsdale was appointed on 20 May. Although Mr Lonsdale’s period here was only for a year, he is well remembered for his smooth organisation and eye for detail. That fire and earthquake drill received regular attention is not surprising because in April 1969 Mr Lonsdale left Pukerua Bay School to join the Search and Rescue Organisation.

During 1968 problems were experienced with the toilet water supply and in the succeeding years various attempts were made to obtain a reliable and acceptable supply. The maintenance of the system has cost the Education Board hundreds of dollars and has given each caretaker considerable frustration and annoyance. At the time of writing this history, water and sewerage reticulation is still in the distant future and the School Committee is examining an alternative reservoir in the hills behind Donlin Road.

In March 1970 water was delivered to Pukerua Bay School by beer tanker. Without this delivery the school would have closed.

Mr E. Chamberlain, then Mr Quinlan-Stafford shared relieving duties during the second term of 1969 and Mr R. R. Wilson was appointed as Head Teacher from Term 3. While the school roll grew steadily, the amount of equipment, books and teaching aids increased also. Early concern was expressed by Mr Wilson over the lack of storage facilities and even with the construction of the School-Community Hall this lack is still of vital concern.

The summer of 1969-70 was an exceptionally dry one. Now that the filter plant was functioning fairly satisfactorily, the baths were opened to public swimming and this amenity was patronised to the full. In February 1970 the school tanks ran dry but Ross Wilson with his flair for negotiation was equal to the occasion. In double quick time a New Zealand Brewery tanker and trailer arrived with a gift of 2160 gallons to replenish the school supply. The event was the subject of two newspaper cartoons and will long be remembered as one of the school’s unusual occasions. In June 1971 drought conditions again prevailed and the Breweries repeated their generosity.

Water delivered to Pukerua Bay School by beer tanker made the news, including this Eric Heath cartoon in The Dominion.

With the introduction of the new staffing schedule (1:35) the school rose to Grade VC entitling it to a non-teaching principal and a staff of eight. The present prefab building had been moved onto the school site but as reinstatement repairs had still to be carried out one class of children (Fl Y2) were moved temporarily to the Scout Hall during February 1972.

At the end of the first term 1972 Mr Wilson moved to Porirua School and Mr D. Gower relieved as principal for the second term. At the beginning of Term 3 Mr D. Crofskey was appointed principal and he continued in the position until December 1976. During 1973 while Mr Crofskey was on leave to attend Victoria University, Mr T. R. Shoesmith was acting principal. An early highlight in Mr Crofskey’s period of service was the building of the School-Community Hall in the school grounds. The hall which was opened on 8 September 1973 has proved a valuable asset to the community and of inestimable value to the school.

Standard 3 class Pukerua Bay School 1971. Peter Jackson 4th from left, 2nd to back row. Teacher Ashley Blair.

Features of the last four years have been a fairly stable staffing situation, a huge growth in the school’s extra-curricular activities; gymnastics and school assembly activities being but two of many; and the use of parent helpers in the education of children in the junior school. in 1975 the Porirua City Council and the Wellington Education Board agreed that if the Board allowed the general public to use the school grounds for random recreational purposes, the council would maintain the grounds.

The school roll is growing steadily and will accelerate with the provision of water and sewerage facilities in Pukerua Bay. With the ready support of a very fine community, the school with its expanding amenities and spacious new playing field, will continue to be a centre of which Pukerua Bay can be justifiably proud.

By Ed Saul

Pukerua School pupils and staff photographed for the 50th Jubilee, 1977. Photo C. Pepperell, Gregory Dean Studios.

References

The Dominion
Pukerua Bay School Log Books
Tritt, T, (1973).  It Was Resolved — A History of the Wellington Education Board, 1872 – 1972. Wellington: Wellington Education Board.