Page 7 - NPS 1933 Jubilee_compressed

"Rebellion" of Residents University College Council.

By 1875 the Volunteer Engineer Militia, The river town of Ngaruawahia as it
three companies, constructing the railway appeared 60 years ago was a scene of rural
from Rangiriri to Ohaupo, were reaching peace. A young man who went there in
the vicinity of Ngaruawahia, and the 1874, fresh from the old world, recorded
military hospital was requisitioned for that as he came in view of the river in the
accommodating No. 3 company. The late afternoon, the setting sun dropping

school was thus homeless and the behind the 1000ft. high mountain range
Provincial Council could not vote more walling in the west, shed a golden haze
than £70 for a new school. The parents of over the sliding rivers and the delta. A four
scholars and the school committee, under -storey flour mill situated below the high
the chairmanship of Mr. L. B. Harris, level roadway looked essentially modern;
asked for more money and authority to the self-acting punt provided a means of
purchase a stove. Finding the council crossing the river, for the first bridge had
obdurate, the residents "rebelled" by not then been commenced; beyond was
declining to elect a school committee at the township, the only one of any size in
the election fixed for January, 1875. A the valley, with its two church buildings,

little later Mr. Harris informed the and all around were cultivations and an air
authorities that he had arranged with the of plenty.
residents for the construction of "a solid
kauri" school building, and peace was Gaol Without Tears
established.
At the punt landing, on the south side,
New Building Opened were Innes' Brewery and Edgecumbe's

store; a little further along the river was
This "solid" building appears to have been the office of the Waikato Steam
provided by amalgamating two huts. The Navigation Company, and two hotels, the
roofs leaked and in a severe storm, on one Delta and the Central, kept by Messrs.
occasion, the structure almost collapsed. Harris and Davidson respectively. Another
Eventually, the Education Board had to store was kept by Messrs. Fitzpatrick and
face the issue and decided to build a Hubert. The old barracks, the hospital
school, but the site it selected was swampy building and brick-built gaol, still spoke of

and near the railway, and local feeling ran war days.
high. After a number of property changes The goal had ceased to have any terror
a compromise was effected. In 1886 the even for the occasional civilian who was
town was en fete when a new school sent there. The roofs leaned into the centre
building was opened, after the Easter and, in rainy weather, all the run-off water
holidays, on the site still used for school collected in the building, so much so that
purposes. With the effacing of war's old hands used to relate how Mr.

aftermath a number of Maoris drifted back Mattheson, the gaoler, had once to go to
to the old town and the school roll for the rescue of a prisoner who in the early
many years contained Maori names. One hours of a gloomy night had been flooded
of the best-known former headmasters of out. It is related, too, that the gaoler had a
the school is Mr. T. U. Wells, of Auckland, way of his own with fellow beings
now chairman of the Auckland Education committed to his care. The prisoners had
Board and vice-president of the Auckland to go and get firewood for the institution