Schools At the peak, there were 2 secondary and 22 primary schools in the settlements around the Reefton district. Today, there are four – Reefton Area School, Sacred Heart, Inangahua Junction and Maruia Schools. The first school to open in Reefton was St Joseph's Catholic School in a building on Walsh Street that served as both a chapel and schoolroom until the church was built in 1878. This was probably the building known as the 'Catholic Asssembly Hall' used for social gatherings etc until about 1970. An advertisement in the Inangahua Herald, 2 June 1873 read - “Government School, Broadway Reefton. Mr A Brown will open the school on Monday 2 June 1873.” (Same day – one hopes that it was a morning paper!) Approved by the Nelson Provincial Government, the school was situated at the corner of Bridge Street and Broadway in premises shared with Dr Carrie who had rooms there – he must've been delighted! Prior to this, children were taught at home by their parents, or by tutors employed by the wealthier families. By 1878, Mr Brown's Government School had closed and some pupils transferred to St Joseph's. In June 1878, Mr Hodgson, Secretary of the Nelson Education Board, advertised and called for a meeting of householders, at the Reefton Court House, to elect a committee of 7 householders. Robert Oxley, an early settler and prominent businessman, was elected first chairman of the school committee and Mr and Mrs Chattrock were appointed Master and Mistress of the school which opened in the Methodist Church on Shiel Street, on 14 August 1878. The Reefton District High School with 'five large, lofty, and well-ventilated classrooms', was built around 1884, on an acre of land, near the Buller Road frontage and the later block on the Dick Street frontage of the same block in 1933. This block is now used by the polytech. One of the rooms from the old school, next to the school swimming pool on the Buller Road/Lucas Street corner survived as the School Hall until the new hall was built at the college in 1965. The school proved too small and secondary pupils were taught in halls around the town until a secondary school was built on another block down in Victory Street in the 1940's. Fred Barltrop was the last headmaster of RDHS in 1965 when the secondary department translated to Inangahua College. In 1970, it became a Form 1 to 7 College until it was merged again with the Primary to form Reefton Area School in 2004. There were many memorable teachers, including Mrs Ena (Andrena Elizabeth) Patterson, the infant mistress who prepared hundreds and hundreds of kids for their life in school and Ms Janet ('Gyp') Archer who taught at least 3 generations of secondary school pupils. The 1905 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand recorded “The Reefton District High School was constituted in the year 1902, and was previously known as the Reefton public school. Part of the school was erected in 1869, but a room for senior pupils was added in 1887; and now there are altogether five large, lofty, and well-ventilated classrooms. The number of children on the roll is 300, and the average attendance 250. The school grounds contain an acre of land, on which the headmaster's residence is built. The staff consists of the headmaster, an assistant master in charge of the secondary course, an infant mistress, two assistant mistresses, and a pupil teacher.” Which is not quite right – the town wasn't there in 1869. “The Reefton Parochial Schools , connected with the Roman Catholic Church, are attended by 160 scholars, thirty of whom are in daily attendance at the Girls' High School. In addition to the higher education imparted to the pupils, painting and music are taught by the Sisters, and between fortyone and fifty pupils receive musical instruction. The teaching has led to successful results, and children of all denominations attend the school. St. Xavier's Convent of Mercy was founded in the year 1890, and stands on part of a section of two acres of land, at the corner of Bridge and Church Streets. It was erected in May, 1897, and consists of a two-storied wood and iron building, containing fourteen rooms; there are also eight additional rooms in an adjoining building. There are about ten Sisters at the institution, and from thirty to fifty pupils are in attendance.”

  By Alan Hunt

2013

Reefton Schools