Whakarongo, New Zealand
A Time of Transition
Whakarongo School & District Twelve Decades On
Written by Val Burr on behalf of the
Whakarongo School & District 120th Jubilee Committee
Palmerston North, 1999
A Time of Transition is a soft-covered A-4 size book containing 118 printed pages and many illustrations. Details are as follows. It may be purchased from the author at $25.00 per copy plus postage of $2.00 (up to two copies, thereafter there may be additional postage involved. Please email for further information.
The book's contents are as follows:
Author (Written by former pupil and school parent, Val Burr, whose grandmother also attended the school. Val has a BA in history and social anthropology, and and MA Hons. in history from Massey University.)
Foreword (By Carl Oden, Chairperson of Whakarongo 120th School & District Jubilee and Raymond Hansen, Chairperson of Whakarongo School Board of Trustees.)
WHAKARONGO! WHAKARONGO (a poem by an anonymous former pupil)
1 FROM STONEY CREEK TO WHAKARONGO, 1877-1997 (The Stoney Creek Scandinavian and Roadmen's Block; Background; Significance; The School Community; The District's Name Changes; Te Matai Homestead; Te Rimu Homestead)
2 THE EVER-PRESENT RAILWAYS (Whakarongo Railway Station; Train Safety Control; The Reason Why!; Profile of Whakarongo Railway Station 1947; The Royal Exchange?; The Final Years; The Cottages and their Occupants; Jigs with Jiggers; The Children's Perspective; The Farmers' Perspective; The Whakarongo Deviation)
3 THE COMMUNITY’S FOCUS: THE DAIRY INDUSTRY (Genesis; War Profits; The End of the Road; The Awahuri Alternative; Town Milk; Dairy Factory Records)
4 FROM COUNTRY ROADS TO CITY STREETS (Transformation of Roads; Culture Conflict: Roads and Reserves; From Farming Community to Lifestyle Blocks; What the Future Holds; McRae Homestead; 'Big Tomato')
5 SCHOOL FACILITIES - FAREWELL TO OLD FRIENDS (The Original Stoney Creek School Building 1877-1984; Classrooms One, Two, three & Four; Relocating the School; Weather and other calamities; Modern Technology; Expansionist Policies; Ages and Unwanted?; The Last Straw; 'Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie'; Heritage Lost and Found; The Head Teacher's House 1913-1995; Mobile Homes)
6 SCHOOL FACILITIES - WHAT REMAINS? (The Flagpole; The Historic 'Woodshed' [1928-?]; Whakarongo School Pool; The Bus Shelter; Main Entrance; The Trees; The New School: 1956-1977; What Significant Off-site Historic Features Remains?; The First Head Teacher's House; The Whakarongo Hall 1899-?; The Rolls of Honour)
7 THE SCHOOL 1977-1997 (An annual chronology of notable school events from the school log book and School Committee records)
8 MEMORIES
(Personal memories of life in the district from: The World War One
Era; The 1920s; The 1930s;
The 1950s Onwards; The Raukawa Clearing; 'Greenhaugh'; Coaches on Napier
Road; 'Derwen Fawr', formerly 'Raukawa'; The Chinese
Maps
Bibliography
Post Script
Whakarongo
See
the changes there
We
have been so very busy
since
you were last here.
Teachers,
pupils, past and present,
no
matter what your age.
Games
you played were different,
Computers
take the stage.
The
buildings you remember
may
have long gone too.
But
the school has grown in number,
as
modern things are apt to do.
Enjoy
the days that you remember
as
you reminisce with friends
and
share those memories
And
when you meet again I hope
your
thoughts will be
of
the 120th Jubilee.
(by an anonymous past pupil, 1997)
Cover
(outside) School’s main entrance, 1998. (inside) Wilton Badger addresses 120th Jubilee gathering. School poses for
photo that vanished. Children perform at the 120th Jubilee.
i
School logo
iii
Flagpole and buildings 1983
3
Lassen family outside ‘Vautier Homestead’, c1881-2.
4
Mrs Anderson and Mrs J. Oden at Palmerston North.
5
Whakarongo School between 1970 and 1977.
6
Te Matai Homestead, c1920s.
7
Oden family’s first cottage, Stoney Creek Rd.
8
Whakarongo School from the road, 1988
9
Site of Te Rimu, James Line, 1998
10 Whakarongo Railway Station 1941
11 'Wairarapa’ railcar approaching Roberts Line c1942
12
Tablet machines at Terrace End Signal Box.
13
Whakarongo Railway Station 1948.
14
Royal train at Palmerston North in 1954.
16
Bb loco shunting in Whakarongo Stationyard.
16
Colin Chaplin on his jigger at Whakarongo.
17
Whakarongo-Ashhurst track gang.
18
Joseph Bodnar on his jigger at Ashhurst.
20
Stoney Creek Railway Bridge, 1948.
21
Lifting tracks by railway houses, 1985.
22
Dismantling Whakarongo goods yard, 1985.
23
Whakarongo station site, 1998.
24
Whakarongo Deviation’s ‘Bridge to Nowhere’.
25
Whakarongo cheese factory between 1907 and 1913.
26
Leo Burr’s dairy herd en route to clearing sale, 1974.
26
Odens’ bobby calf pen.
27
Ted and Jenny Cowley’s cowshed, 1998.
27
‘Valhalla’, the Oden family home, c1950.
28
Cathie and Jamie Tait-Jamiesons’ cowshed, 1998.
29
Tait-Jamiesons’ cowshed during 1953 flood.
30-1
S.R. Lancaster and his Jersey herd, 1923.
31
Palmerston North Milk Treatment Station in 1950.
32
Vautier Homestead and farm buildings, late 1950s.
33
Ernie and Val Morris’ former cowshed, 1986.
34
Dick and Shirley Summers’ house and buildings, 1998.
35
Kelvin Grove from the Roberts Line intersection, c1937.
36
Lifestyle blocks in James Line, 1998.
37
James Line and Parnell Heights subdivision, 1998.
38
Napier Rd. from near Raukawa Rd., 1998.
39
Helipro Helicopters, 1998.
39
Pine Oaks Ostrich Farm, 1998.
39
Rick Lucas’ deer herd, 1998.
40
New streetlights in Napier Rd., 1998.
40
‘Five Dips’ in Kelvin Grove Rd., 1998.
41
Napier Rd. from near Te Matai Rd. east, 1998.
41
Kam Cho’s market garden, 1998.
42
McRae Homestead, Napier Rd., 1998.
43
‘Big Tomato’, 1998.
44
Old School Building at Tait-Jamiesons, 1997.
44
120th Jubilee visitors to old building, 1997.
44
120th Jubilee visitors inside old building, 1997.
45
Old School Building, 1997
45
Newbury School, 1881.
46
Stoney Creek School, 1897.
47
Former Stoney Creek School building at Kelvin Grove, c1900.
48
Interior of 1877 & 1881 classrooms 1997.
49
Whakarongo School’s 60th Jubilee, 1937.
50
Former Kelvin Grove School c1965.
51
Whakarongo School between 1937 and 1940.
52
Old school building on jacks, 1984.
53
Interior of upstairs in old classroom, 1997.
54
Gwen Vautier outside Whakarongo School c1918.
55
Former head teacher’s house being removed, 1995.
56
Former head teacher’s house at Brittons’ yard.
56
Former head teacher’s house at Levin, 1997.
57
Whakarongo School between 1956 and 1962.
58
Flagpole during the 120th Jubilee.
59
Ashhurst Road Bridge between 1895 and 1909.
60
Former girls’ shelter shed/woodshed.
61
Whakarongo School pool.
62
Old bus shelter, Napier Rd.
63
Planting the Coronation Silver Birch, 1953.
63
Playing trees and adventure playground.
64
Laying foundations for the 1956 Block.
65
Original Stoney Creek head teacher’s house, 1997.
66
Stoney Creek/Whakarongo Hall, c1899 & 1998
67
‘Bachelors’ Ball’ at Whakarongo Hall, c1920s.
67
Whakarongo Rolls of Honour.
68
Original Stoney Creek School yard/car wrecker’s yard, c1965.
69
Whakarongo School main block, 1988.
70
Swimming sports, 1988.
71
Music presentation at Assembly, c1996.
71
Trip to Himatangi Beach, c1996.
72
Whakarongo School, (former) Rooms 5-7, 1998.
73
Lauren Wong abseiling, 1991.
73
Whakarongo School, (former) Rooms 8-9, 1998.
74
Technics Concert, c1996.
74
Civil Defence practice, c1996.
75
Skating at Showgrounds, c1996.
76
Parent helps’ item at Mangatepopo Camp, 1990.
76
Agricultural Day, c1996.
76
Jodie Ellingham at Brown House, 1992.
77
Michelle Cho horse-riding, 1992.
77
Kai Iwi Beach trip, 1994.
78
Oak tree above the ‘van park’.
78
Kevin Payne as a fashion model, 1994.
78
Administration Block under construction, 1995.
79
Sarah Ashley’s prize-winning picture, 1997.
79
Junior school on the seam train excursion, 1997.
80
Whakarongo CWI’s ‘Girl Guides’ sketch, 1962.
80
Whakarongo CWI float, 1962.
80
Jan Oden and her pet lamb, 1967.
81
Whakarongo School children, 1932.
82
Fancy dress party at the hall, 1968.
83
School picnic at Awapuni Racecourse, 1934.
83
Whakarongo Basketball Club Dance, 1940.
84
Oden children pose at Calf Club Day, 1967.
85
Whakarongo School and Soap factory, 1948.
86
Te Matai Rd. area underwater, during 1953 flood.
86
James Line intersection during 1953 flood.
87
Badgers’ cattle subway under the railway lines, 1988
87
Raukawa district during the 1953 flood.
88
Cleghorns’ milk-tanker entrance, 1998
89
Kainui Cross Country, 1996.
90
Goodman farm from 11,000 feet, 1989.
91
Trip to Wanganui, 1988.
92
Snowman-building competition, 1975.
93
Dot Winter, 1990.
93
Ashleys’ cowshed, 1998
94
Mangatepopo Camp trip, 1990.
96
‘Greenhough’, 1998
97
Otangaki Hotel, c1910
98
Coach on the Upper Gorge Bridge 1880s.
98
Raukawa Homestead, now ‘Derwen Fawr’, 1912.
100 Te Matai Rd. from above ‘Stuart’s Bend’, during 1953 flood.
101
Joe Yue Sing with his tractors
103
Staff and pupils at the 120th Jubilee.
104
Senior Class at the 120th Jubilee.
104
Most of the 120th Jubilee Committee.
117
Installing James Line Railway Lights, 1999
118
Opening school’s Library & Learning Centre, 1999
Cover
(inside) 120th Jubilee dinner. McKerras Dancers at 120th
Jubilee. Jubilee committee members relax. 120th Jubilee, marquee beside Whakarongo Hall. (outside) Old Stoney
Creek School building as a company logo
Maps & Tables
14 Table of Whakarongo passenger traffic in 1947
105 Map of Whakarongo district, 1859
106 Map showing Whakarongo Railway Deviation, 1978
107 Map of Whakarongo district, 1999
Last Updated: 22/7/2001