Stokes Valley History Part Eleven

The First Schools and Teachers

The first school in Stokes Valley was a small private school run in the 1880s by Miss Mary Walker. At first classes were held in the Walker homestead directly opposite where now is the entrance to Glen Road.

In 1889 application was made by Stokes Valley residents for a public school, but the Education Board did not see fit to accede to the application. There was little movement on the matter until 1891 when Messrs Stratford, Bates and Russell offered the Board an acre of land as the school site, with residents promising to clear the section and implement the required fencing. The site was immediately past the first bridge upon entering Stokes Valley, and on the left hand side. It was donated by Mr Geo Drummond. Finally, in May 1893, the school was built by Mr B Brading of Petone.

Mr G Sharp and his school pupils in 1909

The First Teacher

Mrs Williams was born at Birkenhead (England) and educated at Liverpool. In 1885 she married Dr Robert Williams who died in 1893 on board the barque Lutterworth then voyaging to New Zealand, leaving her a widow with one son and three daughters, the youngest of which was only three days old. On arriving in Wellington, Mrs Williams presented her credentials to the Board of Education and was appointed to the Stokes Valley school, remaining there for ten years and living in a house at the mouth of the valley.

There were 17 pupils on the original school roll: Emily, Mildred, Edgar, Laura, Agnes, Harold and Matilda Russell; Neil and Christina Nelson; Mary Swan; Joseph Brownlee; Violet, Ernest and Walter Stratford; Nellie, Alfred and Florence Bates. Later the roll fell to seven. The school building was converted into a house.

New School Site

In 1927 Stokes Valley parents started to agitate for a new school as it was obvious that neither the grounds nor the building could long adequately accommodate the children of the increasing population. Eventually, after much conferring with Mr S. D. Thomson, a site in Kiremu Road was decide on.

Members of the Education Board and a representative of the Survey Department visited Stokes Valley on 20th July 1928, to view the new school site. They were met by members of the School Committee and after inspecting the splendid position chosen by the Committee, they expressed their great gratification and satisfaction. The land comprised approximately 21 acres both roaded and fenced, the value then being approximately £900. A two-roomed school was completed and opened on 27 July, 1929, by the Minister of Education, Mr. H. Atmor There were then 29 children on the roll.

Opening day of school on new site 1929

On 15 March, 1931, a request was made by the children of the School that the money collected for their picnic be used for assisting Napier earthquake refugees staying in the district. A junior Red Cross in the School also assisted in raising £5 for the Earthquake Relief Fund.

In 1935 the Committee was successful in securing the services of the Upper Hutt Dental Clinic for the schoolchildren. In 1946 the Stokes Valley schoolchildren were transferred to Riddiford Park Clinic, Lower Hutt, for dental treatment and later to Hutt Central School.

In July, 1939, the School Committee resigned and management of the school was carried out by the Education Board until the next biennial meeting. In September, 1936, at the, monthly School Committee meeting the first move was made toward requesting a septic tank, but difficulty in obtaining a reliable water supply caused considerable delay and the tank was not completed until 1949.

In 1948, as the school roll had increased to 74, the Head Teacher, Miss Bennett, requested the services of another teacher and additional accommodation for the children. At the Householders' Meeting on 3 May, 1948, it was resolved that the Education Board be urged to build extensions immediately, as the crowded accommodation constituted a danger to the health of the children. Unfortunately Stokes Valley was only one of many schools needing extension and all were clamouring for attention from a much harassed Board.

By 28 November parents were so concerned about the overcrowding that a Home and School Association was formed with a view to supporting the School Committee in its endeavours to achieve some satisfactory arrangement with the Board.

At a Special General Meeting of the Association held on 10 February, 1949, strong dissatisfaction was expressed at the delay in improvements to the School and this was followed by a resolution to take drastic action unless something concrete was done within seven days.

Members of the Association and School Committee met members of the Board at the School to discuss their immediate needs and alternative accommodation was suggested.

Early in the New Year the Minister of Education met members of the Association and School Committee at the School and promised to do all in his power. At a meeting of the Association on 22 February, 1949, it was decided to defer action in view of the fact that the Board had made arrangements for alternative accommodation at the Presbyterian Church Hall and had called tenders for the septic tank and water supply. The additions to the School were placed on the schedule of works for the current year.

At the Householders' Meeting on 1 May, 1950, it was agreed that a School Committee be not appointed-until the new School was completed and ready for use. It was pointed out by one of the teaching staff that the School roll then stood at 115 and that there was need for an additional teacher. The classrooms were badly overcrowded.

The Board called a meeting four weeks later to offer the householders a further opportunity of electing a Committee. However, at this meeting it was resolved that the resolution of the previous meeting be reaffirmed. In the meantime tenders were called for the new rooms. and the Board appointed a Commissioner to look after their interests in controlling the School. Work commenced in July. By February, 1951, parents were of the opinion that as the construction was well advanced, there seemed little advantage in withholding their support, and at a Householders' Meeting on 13 March, 1951, four additional Commissioners were nominated and subsequently appointed by the Board. The School was completed in 1951, but the children had moved in before the completion and lessons were given under difficult conditions.

The roll continued to expand rapidly and in June, 1952, the Commissioners advised the Board that accommodation was fast becoming inadequate. This resulted in the erection of a prefabricated building of two rooms.

Black Magic

One day, many years ago, a minister from Lower Hutt arrived at the school with a magic lantern and religious slides. For the 16 pupils the occasion was momentous and they excitedly assisted in blacking out the windows and tacking up the sheet to be used as a screen. The first slide went in upside down, of course, and evoked roars of laughter from the children.

The high light of the afternoon, however, came when the curtains were withdrawn and the lamp extinguished. The wick had been turned well up to ensure as good an effect as possible on the screen and had been erupting volumes of black smoke, and in the darkness the showers of smuts descended unnoticed. As each breath was taken the smuts were drawn across the intervening space, to collect in clusters around each nostril in the room. The Reverend Gentleman, being the possessor of a moustache, collected festoons of them. Small boys attending to the requirements of their noses with the backs of their hands caused the effect to be widespread. Black eyes were common, not a face had escaped, but everybody enjoyed the joke.

Stokes Valley History Part Twelve...