Articles from the archives...
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From the beginning...
Girls' Education in Masterton prior to 1914
1891?-1897 Girls Collegiate School, Oxford House, Masterton, Principals Mrs & Miss Shepherd.
1901-1903 (28 May) Miss A.M. Brown’s Girls’ Collegiate School (Perry Street and later removed to Wesleyan School Room in Hall Street in 1903) (Father was R. Brown, Town Clerk, Renall Street).
1904-1913 Ella Hampton established a day school for girls and boys in her parents’ House at 46 Church Street. (Hampton House). Note, was first housed previously in Cole Street.
St Matthew’s Collegiate School for Girls
1914 Miss Hampton retires, and the school moves to buildings next to St Matthew’s. Church corner of Church and Dixon Streets and takes the name St Matthew’s Collegiate School for Girls. Opened with 47 girls 10 February. Miss Evelyn Whitehead appointed new Principal.
1915 Resignation of Rev. Herbert Watson, Anglican vicar of Masterton and school chaplain for St Matthew's 1908-1914.
1916 Miss Whitehead resigns. School closes early on Friday 28 April for the end of term due to poliomyelitis and reopens 1 June.
1917 Miss Montgomery appointed Principal. (May) A boarding hostel for country girls set up in a rented house at 24 Lincoln Road. (9 August) earthquake damages building of St. Matthew's School for Girls, closing the school for a few days. (September) The School Board purchases 14 acres of land at Pownall Street.
1918 Miss Montgomery resigns, and Miss Isaacson is appointed Principal. War ended, and Spanish Influenza forces school to close.
1919 (February) Boarding Hostel at Lincoln Road no longer available. Boarders to be accommodated at the vicarage in the interim.
1920 Foundation stone laid for the School, 22 November 1920 by Rev. Thomas Sprott.
1921 Moved to present site. Sept 19th school officially opened.
1922 Miss Isaacson leaves and Mrs Orr-Gilmore appointed principal.
1923 First boarding house, Derwent, in Essex Street. St Matthew’s gets a bad report and Mrs Orr-Gilmore resigns.
1924 (February) Miss Lazarus appointed principal.
1925 Rev. Bullock starts fundraising to finish school, of which only West wing has been completed.
1926 (25th November) Official opening of the completed school building by the Bishop of Wellington.
1927 First tennis court and school cricket pitch in use by this date. Roll increased to 100 pupils and Education Department registers St Matthew’s as a Secondary School
1928 Games field produced. Parents’ Association formed
1929 New classroom block and first hockey game held. Three grass tennis courts now available. First school magazine Ultima Stella. Hadlow School opens (Later purchased by the St Matthew’s Collegiate School Board)
1930 School houses created, St Catherine, St Clare, St Hilda, St Monica
1931 New Assembly Hall added to the classroom block. Formation of Old Girls’ Association.
1932 School house names changed to Wakefield, Fergusson, Grey
1933 First mention of new houses Wakefield, Grey, Fergusson in 1933 Yearbook. Mrs Cleghorn appointed Principal.
1935 New Tennis courts. Old Girls win the Wairarapa Area Festival of the British Drama League with their play “Women at War.” New uniform of grey tunic, white blouse, green school tie.
1936 Union Jack presented by Navy League at annual sports Day 11 November 1936. Flagpole presented by C.E.Daniell
1937 Pam’s garden, erected in memory of Pamela Maunsell who died during the year. Coronation Grove of scarlet oaks planted 24 June 1937.
1938 School swimming baths completed (officially opened the following year).
1939 Swimming baths officially opened. World War II began.
1942 Masterton earthquake, 24 June 1942: 7 brick chimneys fell in Big House
1944 House purchased in Essex Street for junior boarders – the first “Raukura.”
1945 War ends. Mrs Cleghorn resigns. Term 3, the two back tennis courts ploughed up. Intermediate boarders move to Essex Street, the first Raukura.
1946 Miss Hoy appointed as Principal. Drive tarsealed. Roll stands at 120 pupils. 31 Pownall St purchased and named Raukura for the housing of Junior Boarders. (7 August) Poliomyelitis outbreak closes school for a fortnight.
1947 Raukura becomes junior boarding house. Poliomyelitis epidemic closes school two weeks early at the end of the year.
1948 School remains closed for Poliomyelitis until 1 March. (July 12- 26 August) further quarantine for two weeks due to a pupil having Scarlet Fever.
1949 Film projector purchased for the school.
1950 Lectern bible donated in memory of Miss A.E.Satchell. “Boarders’ Porch” enclosed by now (ca1949-1950) to provide bright and sunny classroom for kindergarten pupils.
1952 A new wing of three classrooms, staffroom and art room built.
1953 McRae prize for Form I & II girl with good spirit, in memory of Mrs M.B.McRae. (5 June) Oak tree planted near swimming baths to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II coronation.
1954 Staff House built at 17 Pownall Street. Hadlow purchased by St Matthew’s Collegiate School Board, announced 12 Nov. School was first in the all-Schools’ Centennial Athletic Sports and won the Centennial Inter-Collegiate Shield with 28 points.
1955 Staff move into Staff house at 17 Pownall Street. (30 April) House choir sings at the wedding of Miss Helen Berney and Mr Ted Dashfield. (16 August) Operetta Papageno performed by the House Choir and repeated 26th Sept for the church organ fund. The latter performance recorded by 2YA.
1957 A new classroom block built for primers and kindergarten classes, near Raukura.
1958 New wing added to Main House comprising of new dining room and dormitory, officially opened Monday 15 September. Junior play equipment erected outside Raukura in Term 3.
1959 Introduction of (five) boys to the school
1963 A new classroom block of three rooms and the library was completed. Rathkeale opened 17-19 April. (20 August) students taken to Rathkeale to attend the official opening by the Governor General.
1964 50th jubilee weekend 17 April 1964-19 April 1964. Two liquid ambers planted near swimming pool as part of the celebrations.
1965 Miss Hoy retires.
1966 35 Pownall Street purchased as a house for the Headmistress. First issue of St Matthew’s Collegiate Old Girls magazine published.
1967 Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme introduced by Mr Wheatcroft. (20 June) First combined church service with Rathkeale. (25 September) Prefects move into dorms for the first time.
1968 Cobham House created.
1969 New school winter uniform. Rev. Dashfield appointed Principal. (8 March) Inaugural meeting of the Friends of St Matthew’s.
1970 Staff House for senior boarders renamed “Watson House.”(9 July) Project “Ad Astra” launched at a dinner.
1971 (13 March) Opening of the S.G. Hoy Block science labs. St Matts becomes Form 1-7 girls only.
1972 Old hall moved to new site by Swimming pool to become gymnasium, later to be named Lazarus.
1973 Break-up in the new school hall, Cleghorn. Asphalt tennis court outside the den replaced with grass.
1974 (28 April) Cleghorn opened by Bishop of Wellington.
1975 International Women’s Year. (30 November) Lectern donated in memory of Miss Ella Hampton. Diving pool completed with construction commencing the previous year. Have own school bus. Two new subjects introduced – German and French.
1981 (15 April) Opening and dedication of the new offices by Hon. Merv Wellington.
1982 Co-ed classes with Rathkeale for 6th & 7th form out at Rathkeale.
1983 (17 August) First House Music Festival takes place. (1 September) St Matthew’s Schools Trust Board changes name to Trinity Schools Trust Board. Log cabin donated to school.
1985 (16 February) Opening of Home Economics block. (December) Chapel transferred from Turakina on to the St Matthew’s site.
1986 (15 November) Chapel dedication.
1987 (3 October) Official launch of Senior College. Timetable changed to six fifty-minute periods.
1989 (April 21-24) 75th jubilee weekend. Sister school relationship with Yashiyo Shoin High School in Japan begun. Tomorrow's Schools programme becomes the basis for reforming primary and secondary education in New Zealand
1990 Cricket Pavilion built. Government withdraws 20% subsidy on primary and secondary school teachers’ salaries currently being paid to Independent Schools.
1991 (November) 60th anniversary of Old Girls’ Association celebrated. Annette Parry, formerly Stark, nee Morgan, wins NZ Mastermind.
1992 (4 May) Integration Agreement signed.
1994 New Seventh Form uniform adopted. New library in use from Feb 1994 (dedicated in 1996)
1995 Helen Dashfield receives the Queen’s Service Medal for Services to Literature. (25-26 November) Wairarapa wide Garden Festival fund raiser for Sports Centre.
1996 Library dedicated in February, known as the Dashfield Library & Information Centre. (29 September) Sports Centre opening ceremony. Three trees planted in front of gym donated by local Cancer Society. (30 August) Unveiling of the Dashfield library dedication plaque. Raukura building sold and building moved off site.
1998 (5 December) Hampton House officially opened.
1999 New Uniform. Watson House sold and moved off site.
2001 (October) Judy Young Centre official opening and dedication.
2003 (5 November) New soft materials Technology Centre official dedication, named Sumner.
2004 (9 June) Official Opening of Dashfield Library Extension. Solar heating installed for swimming pool.
2005 Chapel organ donated by Friends of St Matthew’s.
2009 (3 July) Gwen Levick Music Suite official opening and dedication.
2011 Year 9 weave four taniko panels that are hung in Cleghorn.
2013 Earthquake strengthening of Main House in three stages is begun (will conclude in 2014)
2013 Stage in Cleghorn extended by 50cm. Old school bell originally donated by a Rangitumau family moved from school classroom block to beside the chapel. Bell was blessed and rang for the first time in its new tower week of 19-23 August. At final prize giving, the gym is officially named after Erik Pedersen, who retired that year. To be called the Erik Pedersen Sports Centre. Flagpole moved to upper sports fields to make way for Prelude sculpture.
2014 Extension to the gym. Ms Kiri Gill appointed as Principal. (17 February) Fountain in memory of Grace Diedrichs unveiled at side of chapel lawn. (21-23 March) Centenary weekend, unveiling of the centenary sculpture by Virginia King, launch of the centenary book, and sale of the Ad Astra Camelia.
2015 (13 March) Time capsule interred in bell tower next to chapel. Earthquake strengthening begun on upper classroom block. Pam’s garden moved from in front of upper classroom block to near Judy Young Centre. Inaugural Kapa Haka group. TSTB school yearbooks each published separately.
2016 St Matthew’s magazine renamed as Prelude
2017 (30 January) opening and dedication of upper classroom block by Governor Dame Patsy Reddy.
2018 All-weather surface cricket practice wickets installed. Year 13 Hampton House portico entrance earthquake strengthened August/Sept. Christmas break, roof replaced on Main House. Hampton House flat converted to more rooms for boarders.
2020 School divides day from six periods a day down to five. Covid-19 measures force early closure of the school on Wednesday 25 March, Midnight. International students remain on campus in lockdown. Most staff working from home. School Term 2 starts Wednesday 15 April, students working remotely from home. School reopens to pupils and staff and teaching commences Monday 18 May 2020 under Alert Level 2. (25 September) Ceremony to reopen the earthquake strengthened Lazarus, the building not having been used the last four years. (5 December) At Final Prize Giving the new names for the school Houses were announced. Red (was Wakefield) now Wake, Blue (was Grey) now Batten, Green (was Fergusson) now Cooper, Yellow (was Cobham) now Sheppard.
2021 Senior College students have own individual tie. (18 May) Revamped library area as a Learning Support Centre blessed. Friends build play area for lower school by Daniell Pavilion. Lower classroom block earthquake strengthened and refurbished.
2023 St Matthew’s 1st XI cricket team win Gillette Venus trophy and declared top NZ women’s secondary cricket team.
2024 Grand Piano purchased, and fundraising commences with SMOGA donating $7000 and Friends providing the deposit of around $8000. Total cost $22,000. House Music format changes with conductors to all wear black dresses under their Korowai cloak. There is now a separate house band item.