Excerpts taken from the 150th Jubilee Book (published in 2016)
|
HUTT CENTRAL SCHOOL
150 YEARS EDUCATING THE VALLEY SETTLEMENT The Hutt was the first area in New Zealand to be settled by the New Zealand Company. From Heretaunga (Hutt Valley) has grown a nation. The first settlers arrived on the Aurora, reaching the Petone shore on the 22nd January 1840. They were met by the people of Te Atiawa and were given respect and care according to Maori custom. |
|
The arrival of the Aurora began the relationship between Maori and Pakeha and commenced the industrialisation of Aotearoa New Zealand. These settlers established New Zealand's first bank and newspaper.
Following a major flood in March 1840 many settlers moved to Thorndon but some remained and set up a settlement, on the west of the Hutt River, called Aglionby. The name Aglionby failed to take hold and the area was renamed after Alice the daughter of William Fitzherbert, who married Patrick Buckley at St James Church in 1869. Alicetown is one of Lower Hutt's oldest suburbs.
The land had originally been unsuitable for settling as it was swamp land. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake raised land in the lower valley causing it to drain of land. The fault escarpment from this quake is still visible on the western boundary of the current Hutt Central School (HCS) site. Many of you walk, or have walked, across this each day on your way in and out of the school via the Hutt Road entrance.
In the earlier 1900's the 'Te Momi Estate' was developed close to Lower Hutt station, with the school sitting on the north-east boundary (river end of Railway Avenue). The original advertising for the estate used spelling Te Momi rather than Te Mome.
Te Mome means 'sucker' as the land was previously black swamp and made a sucking noise.
HISTORY OF SCHOOL
The school in its earliest form started in the old Blockhouse in 1861. The blockhouse was built in 1861, on the eastern side of the river, at a time of unrest in the valley during the earliest years of European settlement. Not required as a refuge the building was repurposed as Lower Hutt School. The building was bullet-proof and dark inside. Rather than having windows it had loopholes through which guns could be aimed at those outside. The first teacher at the school is recorded in 1862.
Following a major flood in March 1840 many settlers moved to Thorndon but some remained and set up a settlement, on the west of the Hutt River, called Aglionby. The name Aglionby failed to take hold and the area was renamed after Alice the daughter of William Fitzherbert, who married Patrick Buckley at St James Church in 1869. Alicetown is one of Lower Hutt's oldest suburbs.
The land had originally been unsuitable for settling as it was swamp land. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake raised land in the lower valley causing it to drain of land. The fault escarpment from this quake is still visible on the western boundary of the current Hutt Central School (HCS) site. Many of you walk, or have walked, across this each day on your way in and out of the school via the Hutt Road entrance.
In the earlier 1900's the 'Te Momi Estate' was developed close to Lower Hutt station, with the school sitting on the north-east boundary (river end of Railway Avenue). The original advertising for the estate used spelling Te Momi rather than Te Mome.
Te Mome means 'sucker' as the land was previously black swamp and made a sucking noise.
HISTORY OF SCHOOL
The school in its earliest form started in the old Blockhouse in 1861. The blockhouse was built in 1861, on the eastern side of the river, at a time of unrest in the valley during the earliest years of European settlement. Not required as a refuge the building was repurposed as Lower Hutt School. The building was bullet-proof and dark inside. Rather than having windows it had loopholes through which guns could be aimed at those outside. The first teacher at the school is recorded in 1862.
An example of a blockhouse. The photo is of the Upper Hutt Blockhouse, which still exists.
In 1865 the Blockhouse school was reclassified as a 'town school' meaning that it was in a district which had 200 households within a 2-mile radius. On the 2nd July 1866 a meeting of households was held and the school's first school committee was established to administer the Lower Hutt Public School. This is the date which is now recognised as the official anniversary of the school.
In 1868 it was necessary to move the old blockhouse to a new site, due to the encroachment of the river. A new site was found where Riddiford Gardens is now situated. The original old blockhouse site has long since succumbed to the river. The school remained on the site of Riddiford Park until 1876. A year earlier the headmaster, Mr Willis, called a meeting of parents to draw the attention of the local member Mr E. Toomath, to the need for acquiring a new site for the school.
The school was transferred to the Masonic Hall, on the western side of the river, on the corner of Victoria and Tama Streets. There was a delay of two years in acquiring the 34 acre plot of land that had been chosen for the new site because the owner of the property, Mr Nathaniel Valentine, was unable to prove legal title. The land was transferred to the Wellington Education Board.
The school roll grew from 132 children in 1876 to 254 at the end of 1881. The opening of Petone Central saw a considerable drop in the roll and then a further drop when the Catholic school opened in 1886.
In 1903 the new purpose built school buildings were opened on the corner of Railway Avenue and Victoria Streets and remained on the site for 28 years. In 1911 an Infant School was added to the site. The school bell on the 1903 building was believed to have been from the "Oliver Laing" a 1200 ton-ship which was blown ashore at Wellington in 1858.
Hutt Central wasn't always a primary school. For many years it was known as Hutt District High School for it not only educated primary school children but played a pivotal role in the establishment of secondary education in the valley, providing secondary schooling for children up until Hutt Valley High opened in 1926.
In 1868 it was necessary to move the old blockhouse to a new site, due to the encroachment of the river. A new site was found where Riddiford Gardens is now situated. The original old blockhouse site has long since succumbed to the river. The school remained on the site of Riddiford Park until 1876. A year earlier the headmaster, Mr Willis, called a meeting of parents to draw the attention of the local member Mr E. Toomath, to the need for acquiring a new site for the school.
The school was transferred to the Masonic Hall, on the western side of the river, on the corner of Victoria and Tama Streets. There was a delay of two years in acquiring the 34 acre plot of land that had been chosen for the new site because the owner of the property, Mr Nathaniel Valentine, was unable to prove legal title. The land was transferred to the Wellington Education Board.
The school roll grew from 132 children in 1876 to 254 at the end of 1881. The opening of Petone Central saw a considerable drop in the roll and then a further drop when the Catholic school opened in 1886.
In 1903 the new purpose built school buildings were opened on the corner of Railway Avenue and Victoria Streets and remained on the site for 28 years. In 1911 an Infant School was added to the site. The school bell on the 1903 building was believed to have been from the "Oliver Laing" a 1200 ton-ship which was blown ashore at Wellington in 1858.
Hutt Central wasn't always a primary school. For many years it was known as Hutt District High School for it not only educated primary school children but played a pivotal role in the establishment of secondary education in the valley, providing secondary schooling for children up until Hutt Valley High opened in 1926.
Above: on the left if the 1911 Infant school, to the right the 1903 main school building on the corner of Railway Avenue and Victoria Street
By 1909 the roll had risen to 534, and some classes were badly overcrowded. Additional accommodation was required.
Some relief came in 1910 when a side school was established in Kings Crescent. The side school remained under the supervision of the Headmaster from Hutt District High School until 1915 when it gained autonomy and was renamed Eastern Hutt School. With the establishment of Eastern Hutt School, the roll of Hutt District High School dropped from 733 children to 500. However, the roll rose again to 600 children by 1938.
In 1911 an Infant school building was opened on the main school site, next to the 1903 building.
Records of the early days of the school are all too brief. Information from the original school log books have provided previous jubilee committees with some insights into early school life. Unfortunately, Log Books did not commence until 1874, and furthermore there is a gap from 1886 to 1908 because one of them was lost. However, there remain many illuminating word pictures of conditions and happenings of those times.
For instance: that in 1866 School Committee were asked to consider the proposed regulation that "the only vacations sanctioned by the Board are a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, and a week in midwinter". But there are records of numerous unofficial holidays - when the school was drying out after a flood, when races were held (because "the increased traffic is dangerous for the pupils going to and from school), for Sunday school picnics, for special sporting events, and so forth.
In the Log Book the various ups and downs of school life faithfully chronicled the comings and goings of teachers, honours won, accidents that occurred, punishments administered, and incidents such as epidemics, fire, and floods all following on each other through the pages. On the first page of the first book a list of school equipment includes the item: "33 large slates @ 8d".
Floods were common in the early days, and the entry dated 28th September, 1874, is a graphic illustration:
By 1909 the roll had risen to 534, and some classes were badly overcrowded. Additional accommodation was required.
Some relief came in 1910 when a side school was established in Kings Crescent. The side school remained under the supervision of the Headmaster from Hutt District High School until 1915 when it gained autonomy and was renamed Eastern Hutt School. With the establishment of Eastern Hutt School, the roll of Hutt District High School dropped from 733 children to 500. However, the roll rose again to 600 children by 1938.
In 1911 an Infant school building was opened on the main school site, next to the 1903 building.
Records of the early days of the school are all too brief. Information from the original school log books have provided previous jubilee committees with some insights into early school life. Unfortunately, Log Books did not commence until 1874, and furthermore there is a gap from 1886 to 1908 because one of them was lost. However, there remain many illuminating word pictures of conditions and happenings of those times.
For instance: that in 1866 School Committee were asked to consider the proposed regulation that "the only vacations sanctioned by the Board are a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, and a week in midwinter". But there are records of numerous unofficial holidays - when the school was drying out after a flood, when races were held (because "the increased traffic is dangerous for the pupils going to and from school), for Sunday school picnics, for special sporting events, and so forth.
In the Log Book the various ups and downs of school life faithfully chronicled the comings and goings of teachers, honours won, accidents that occurred, punishments administered, and incidents such as epidemics, fire, and floods all following on each other through the pages. On the first page of the first book a list of school equipment includes the item: "33 large slates @ 8d".
Floods were common in the early days, and the entry dated 28th September, 1874, is a graphic illustration:
"Began school today but was obliged to give is up owing to a severe flood. Some of the pupils could not get home owing to the swollen state of the river. Had some of them put into a cart so that they might get through the water without wading. In the evening waded up to the waist from my house to the school in order to rescue some books. Found about three feet of water in the school. The log Book and Admission Register saturated with water."
An entry the following day records two inches of mud over the floor, and says "employed a man to clean out the school ...."
Epidemics have been many, but perhaps the most poignant entry in this respect is dated 3rd December, 1918:
Epidemics have been many, but perhaps the most poignant entry in this respect is dated 3rd December, 1918:
"Since school was hurriedly closed on the morning of 11th November (signing of the Armistice) I have been busy assisting the local authorities to fight the influenza epidemic and have not attended to school returns. Mr D Robertson, First Assistant, and Miss A. C. A. McCaw, Probationer, died on 15th and 16th
November".
November".
Due to some of the school's land being acquired for the approach to the new Ewen Bridge in 1927 a new school was built in 1938.
On the 4th February 1939 a new school was opened on the site of the current Hutt Central School. The official opening was conducted by the then Minister of Education, Mr Peter Fraser. The new school consisted of 8 senior classes, leaving one class in the old school and four classes in the Infant school building on the old site of Victoria Street and Railway Avenue. At the opening of the new school the 'Hutt News' reported on the 8th February 1939:
"In days gone by, minister after minister had visited the school and declared the conditions at the old school shocking and expressed a pious hope that something would be done. Mr Fraser said: We can't despise the old building that we are leaving, some excellent work was done in it and some brilliant
pupils passed through it."
However, that said, the old school although condemned, was not finished yet. During the late 1940's the school accommodated children from the northern suburbs of Taita and Naenae which had a large population of families with school aged children but not the school facilities to accommodate all those children. The situation was further exacerbated by war (1939-45); with building materials difficult to come by, in some cases, impossible to obtain, these newer suburbs just couldn't keep up with demand. The newer suburbs lacked alternative facilities to house lessons, e.g. church halls, etc., which the older settlements in the valley had access to in emergency situations. The Education Board bussed the children to seven existing schools and some found their way down the valley to Hutt Central until the facilities in their home areas could be improved. The old school buildings continued to serve the community during this period.
"In days gone by, minister after minister had visited the school and declared the conditions at the old school shocking and expressed a pious hope that something would be done. Mr Fraser said: We can't despise the old building that we are leaving, some excellent work was done in it and some brilliant
pupils passed through it."
However, that said, the old school although condemned, was not finished yet. During the late 1940's the school accommodated children from the northern suburbs of Taita and Naenae which had a large population of families with school aged children but not the school facilities to accommodate all those children. The situation was further exacerbated by war (1939-45); with building materials difficult to come by, in some cases, impossible to obtain, these newer suburbs just couldn't keep up with demand. The newer suburbs lacked alternative facilities to house lessons, e.g. church halls, etc., which the older settlements in the valley had access to in emergency situations. The Education Board bussed the children to seven existing schools and some found their way down the valley to Hutt Central until the facilities in their home areas could be improved. The old school buildings continued to serve the community during this period.
In 1963 Hutt Intermediate opened its doors for the first time. Form 1 (Standard 5, now called Year 7) students attended classes at the new school. Form 2 (Standard 6, now called Year 8) students remained at Hutt Central for another year and progressed to HVHS in 1964 as before.
From 1965 Hutt Central catered for children from new entrants to Standard 4 (now Year 6).
The roll dropped to 200 students in 1975 and then dropped further to 120 in 1991, the year of the 125th Jubilee.
From 1965 Hutt Central catered for children from new entrants to Standard 4 (now Year 6).
The roll dropped to 200 students in 1975 and then dropped further to 120 in 1991, the year of the 125th Jubilee.
By 2000 the roll was back up to 260 requiring the school to spend the next few years adding new classrooms to sope with the larger roll. In 2015 the roll was up over 300 students. During this same period the school community became more ethnically diverse as the community embraced 21st century New Zealand.
|
|
|