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The Otago Boys' High School Foundation
PO Box 11,
Dunedin, New Zealand
Tel +64 3 477 2546
Fax +64 3 477 5468
Otago Boys’ High School Foundation
September 2010 - Newsletter
Where were you when you heard that Christchurch had been struck by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake?
Presumably most of you were asleep like many Cantabrians. But the difference being you remained asleep unless like me you had family and friends in New Zealand’s second largest populated city. But who doesn’t know someone in Canterbury? – This event has or will affect us all in someway.
I was in Sydney at the time having enjoyed an Old Boys’ gathering that proved to be a wonderful evening. At 2.30am (Aust time) my phone sparked into life with a text from my brother - it simply read ‘7.1 earthquake – very scary’. I dialed his number and a startled voice answered.
My brother, I always thought, was one of those blokely blokes – we all know the type, the type who couldn’t be scared even if Freddy Kruger was massaging his back. But here he was sounding more than a little distressed; “mate, I’ve just experienced something I never want to experience again in my lifetime. We have no power or water – the roads are cut up and the kids are terrified’. Ironic - he was feeling as hopeless as I was being in another country.
Next call – my parents. I knew my mother would be working night shift so hopefully Dad would answer the phone at home. It rang, and rang and rang and rang and rang – but no answer. Imagine the thoughts running through my head. An hour and a half later I finally got through to my very wary and confused father. “Dad, are you OK”.
“Absolutely fine – slept through the whole ordeal’, and obviously my failed attempts to get in touch.
It wasn’t until two days later that the Australian television networks were covering the story. I watched in astonishment as they captured parts of Christchurch that will now disappear forever. Surreal? - for me being in another country at the time absolutely, but not for our fellow Cantabrians. This was as real as it gets.
I have just returned from Christchurch and saw first hand the devastation that this natural disaster has caused.
Many of the most badly-affected structures were naturally older buildings. The historic homesteads of Hororata and Homebush inland from Christchurch were both extensively damaged, as were Ohinetahi homestead and Godley House on Banks Peninsula. Homebush, only 15 kilometres from the earthquake's epicentre, was the historic home of the Deans family, one of the Canterbury Region's pioneer settler families and was so extensively damaged that it has been described as being "practically in ruins".
The seven story MLC Building (or Manchester Courts), a category 1 historic building with re-enforced concrete foundations, steel internal ties and a brick exterior facade that blends the 1890's Chicago Skyscraper style with English Edwardian architecture was deemed unsafe and was one of just two historic CBD buildings the City Council initially proposed for immediate demolition. That decision was later reversed that evening when the building owner proposed to dismantle the building over several weeks.
The port town of Lyttelton's most notable building, the 1876 Timeball station, was also affected by the earthquake, though strengthening work completed in 2005 may have saved it from further damage.
The Valley Inn Tavern in Heathcote, built in 1877, survived the initial quake, but had to be torn down after the large 5.1 magnitude aftershock. Lincoln's historic 1883 public house, The Famous Grouse, was also irreparably damaged and was demolished within days of the earthquake.
Many of Christchurch's major landmarks survived intact, including the Canterbury Provincial Chambers, the Anglican cathedral, and Christ's College. The Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Christchurch Basilica) also survived largely unscathed, though did suffer some broken windows. The central city's iconic Christchurch Press building also survived with only minor damage.
Most modern buldings performed as they were designed to do, preserving life rather than keeping the interior in good order. The Christchurch Arts Centre, housed in the former Canterbury College buildings, was less fortunate, with moderate damage to the Great Hall, the Clocktower, and the Observatory.
The cost – who knows – government officials are saying between 2.1 & 4 billion dollars.
But out of this, two areas have triumphed – no fatalities and the incredible spirit of a city getting on with rebuilding theirs lives and community. The people I meet during my short time their, spoke of the incredible community spirit, of meeting and helping their neighbour (some for the first time) and of how everyone is working hard to rebuild the beautiful city and outlying townships.
To all our Christchurch based Old Boys’and extended families – on behalf of the school, the Foundation and Old Boys’ Society we wish you a speedy recovery and our thoughts are with you.
Douglas Kamo
CEO – OBHS Foundation
Otago Boys’ High School Foundation recently awarded David Bond (Mathematics and STATISTICS Department OBHS) the Staff Development Scholarship and below is a snapshot of how he used the scholarship money - $10,000.00. He writes:
The ICOTS8 conference that I was able to attend recently through the assistance of the Foundation Staff Development Scholarship was a gathering of teachers, lecturers and researchers passionate about the teaching of Statistics. The venue, Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenija, was ideal with top class facilities and the weather and scenery you would expect in mid summer in a picturesque country sandwiched between the European Alps and the Adriatic sea.
Delegates from over 50 countries attended the week long conference.
Hans Rosling of Sweden inspired and enlightened us with demonstrations of statistical databases being developed 
online for use in schools and universities to enhance the teaching of Statistics. Gerd Gigerenzer, Director of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, demonstrated how little the majority of people understand about health statistics, and the alarm caused by drawing the wrong conclusions from data.
He urged the teaching of statistical thinking to start much earlier in schools.
Educators world wide are struggling with how to assess statistical thinking. Many delegates reported on ideas they have trialled and it was interesting to see that New Zealand is regarded as leading the world in developing assessment models. The challenge now is to develop a progression throughout the school years from informal inference used in our junior classes to formal inference involving probability calculations used with our seniors.
I have used several ideas from the conference with classes already and my job now is to work alongside our mathematics staff and assist them to incorporate activities that look useful into their programmes.
The development of statistical software to assist the teaching and learning of Statistics is an area of rapid growth.
Whether to stick with Excel with statistical add-ons, explore the widely used FATHOM or R systems, look at the popular but expensive TINKER-PLOTS package, or await the currently being developed GENSTAT system is something that we will have to address.
A school wide approach across curriculum areas is needed and the GENSTAT system looks very impressive and is rapidly gaining popularity and support.
We are isolated in New Zealand and the opportunity to attend an international conference and mix with educators at the forefront of development is very important.
The Foundation is to be congratulated on the leadership that they are showing and I thank them once again for the opportunity that I had.
The Staff Development Scholarship is awarded every year and staff are encouraged to apply through a written application that is then put to an independent panel for consideration.
The OBHS Foundation and the Old Boys’ Society are joining forces to bring this thrilling test match to life.
Otago Boys’ High School and our famous ground of Littlebourne will be the place to be when Australia and New Zealand clash in the biggest secondary school rugby test match of 2010.
WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2010
OTAGO BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
To mark this event the OBHS Foundation and the Old Boys’ Society have joined forces to present a luncheon prior to the game.
TICKETS COST - $20pp
INCLUDES A LIGHT LUNCH & A COMPLIMENTARY BEER. GUEST SPEAKER – OTAGO COACH PHIL MOONEY
Doors open at 10.30am with an early lunch being served at 11.00am. Phil will speak at 11.30am with kick-off scheduled for 12pm.
The game is being covered by Sky Television and will be an event not to be missed!
OBHS Foundation and the Old Boys' society have joined forces again to finish the year off with a bang by presenting one of Dunedin's funniest dinner theatre shows - Faulty Towers!
This show is exclusive to all Otago Boys' Old Boys', staff, parents and their connections (in other words anyone you know!)
Pack your Sybil (Wife or Partner) and a few Manuel's (Friends) into the car and get along to what is being hailed as the best comedy act in Dunedin.
Basil and Sybil are off on holiday but find their restaurant in full of diners. Always keen to make a buck Basil launches head first into action, Sybil is screaming at Basil for booking all the guests and where is Manuel?
Show includes 3 course buffet dinner, 2 hours of hilarious entertainment and a guaranteed stomach workout!
Book now by contacting the foundation office on admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz or calling 03 477 2546
The Foundation has fielded many phone calls over the past month from our 1940’s Old Boys enquiring as to when the will be held.
We are pleased to announce that work has finally begun on the 1940’s Decade Reunion which will see our Old Boys’ return to the school and reconnect with their alma mater.
The reunion is scheduled for February 2011 with actual dates to be released once the 1st school term of 2011 has been set.
It is envisaged the reunion will be held to coincide with the 125th anniversary cricket match between Christ College and Otago Boys’.
To pre-register - send an email to the below address with ‘Register 1940’s’ in the subject line
admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz. Please include your full name and the years you attended Otago Boys’.
REGISTERED SINCE LAST NEWSLETTER 20
TOTAL REGISTRATIONS TO DATE 430
MAKE SURE YOU ARE PART OF THIS
HISTORICAL EVENT BY REGISTERING NOW!
Contact the Foundation admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz with ‘Register 150th’ in the subject line or a call +64 3 477 2546, and leave a message. Include your full name and years of attendance.
* Since the August newsletter, the following Old Boys and connections with the school have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation –
We are genuinely appreciative of their continued support and belief in the Foundations objectives. If you wish to find out more about how you can make a pledge or donation please click here or contact info@obhsfoundation.co.nz
If you find a story on an OB’s Old Boy share it with us all!
Send it to info@obhsfoundation.co.nz and we will do our best to include it in the next newsletter.
Peter Matthews (1952-56) and his wife has just returned from London where they represented the school at the unveiling of Otago Boys’ finest hero – Sir Keith Park. He writes of the experience…
A few moments before 3pm guests were sitting silently. They waited…
Thenprecisely on the hour, the distinctive sound of a Merlin engine could be heard, and there it was - directly over us, a lone Spitfire flying at low level. It turned, banked steeply over the Thames, and then roared in again, dipping its wings in salute before heading over Piccadilly Circus.
The short yet moving ceremony of unveiling the statue to Sir Keith Park (1909-1910) had begun, with emotion rising, and a lump in my throat.
The Chairman of the Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign, Mr. Terry Smith, welcomed guests and spoke briefly about the campaign. The unveiling thentook place, performed by Ms. Leigh Park, representing the family, and Wing Commander Robert Foster,one of theBattle of Britain Veterans.
A prayer and blessing were given by the RAF Chaplain-in-Chief. This was followed by short but succinct addresses by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, and the New Zealand Minister of Defence, the Hon. Dr. Wayne Mapp.
All speakers stressed the leading role that Sir Keith had played both in the Battle of Britain and then in his later Commands, and the disproportionate part New Zealanders played in the Second World War.
The New Zealand and British National Anthems were played, and once againa lump came to my throat. The Queen's Colour was paraded and the salute taken. Then it was all over. A brief but most impressive ceremony.
All the many guests then proceeded to Waterloo Gardens for a garden party.
We returned to the statue next day to take photographs andread the plaque. As we approached, a lady was standing and reading the plaque. It was then we noticed the tears in her eyes. Nothing was said. The plaque read:
DEFENDER OF LONDON 1940
AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR KEITH PARK COMMANDED NUMBER 11 GROUP FIGHTER COMMAND WHICH DEFENDED LONDON AND SOUTH EAST ENGLAND SUCCESSFULLY DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HOUR BY HOUR DECISIONS OF 11 GROUP NEW ZEALANDER KEITH PARK EPITOMISES THE ROLE PLAYED BY THOSE COMMONWEALTH AND OTHER ALLIED COUNTRIES ALONGSIDE BRITISH FORCES IN SAVING THE NATION FROM INVASION.
This inscription was repeated below in Braille.
It was a great privilege for my wife and I to be able to accept the invitation from London and to be the representative of Otago Boys’ at this moving ceremony.
A few days later, we ambled across the fields at Runnymeade in the Thames Valley, passing the memorial to the signing there in 1215 of the Magna Carta by King John, which gave the English people personal and political liberty.
Weclimbed up through the trees behind, to the top of Cooper's Hill where we wandered through the colonnades of theCommonwealth Air Forces Memorial. Inscribed are the names of 20,000 young airmen who lost their lives. From thatbeautiful memorial we were able togaze over the green pastures below, to the East and see the tall sunlit buildings of London.
Suddenly,the connection between the events of the last few days dawned on us - Keith Park, memorials, the Magna Carta, freedom, London, and the efforts and sacrifices of so many.
Emotion was upon us again.
Thank you Peter for sharing this incredible experience and for representing our school at this most significant event. We stand tall and proud to be able to say “Sir Keith is Otago Boys’ finest hero”. Best regards – Doug Kamo CEO Foundation
Keith Rodney Park (1909-1910) was born in Thames, New Zealand on June 15th, 1892 the son of Scotsman Professor James Livingstone Park and his wife Frances. His father had an international reputation as a geologist and a hunger for success. No doubt this is where Sir Keith established the standards by how he led his life.
Educated until 1906 at King’s College, Auckland, and then at Otago Boys’ High School, Dunedin where he spent a year and a-half as pupil, twice coming back to visit in later years.
After he completed his education at Otago Boys High School, Keith Park did not really have any ambition at that stage to become a military soldier. In June 1911, just before his 19th birthday he started work at the Union Steamship Company as a Cadet Purser and within a year was promoted to Purser. He was granted war leave in December 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War.
Park sailed to Egypt in January 1915 as a lance bombardier with the 3rd Reinforcements and served with a howitzer battery at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, from 25 April. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in July, he took part in the Suvla Bay landings in August and then transferred to the British Army, serving with the Royal Field Artillery until 2 January 1916, when his battery was evacuated to Suez and sent to the Somme front in March. Wounded in October and shipped to England, he gained a long-sought transfer to the Royal Flying Corps in December 1916.
Keith Park, was taught to fly at Netheravon on Salisbury Plain, then spent four months teaching others before joining No 48 Squadron, equipped with the excellent two-seat Bristol Fighter, in France in July 1917; he commanded that squadron from April 1918 until the armistice. He and his various rear-gunners probably destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, damaged (perhaps fatally) at least a further 13 and drove away scores; they protected artillery observation aircraft and gathered valuable information from flights behind enemy lines. These feats earned him a Military Cross and bar, a DFC and a Croix de guerre.
In November 1918 he married Dorothy Parish (Family had strong links to Argentina) in London and they had two sons. He attended the very first course at the world’s first Air Force staff college at Andover, Hampshire in 1922. Later in 1926 after three years Egypt, he went to the headquarters of Air Defence of Great Britain at Uxbridge, where plans for the country’s air defence was discussed. A succession of prestigious postings followed, including command of his own fighter squadron (1927–29), chief air instructor at the University of Oxford, two years (1934–36) as air attaché to all the independent South American states, and culminating in an appointment as air aide-de-camp to King George VI in 1937, the coronation year. That year Park attended the Imperial Defence College, near Buckingham Palace, where senior officers of all three services made useful contacts.
Prior to 1940 he was appointed senior air staff officer to Sir Hugh Dowding where together they built a bond where they had the greatest respect for each other. At the beginning of the WW II, when Fighter Command was divided into Groups, Dowding had no hesitation in placing Keith Park as the C-in-C of 11 Group. The most important Group in Fighter Command, as it was this group that was not only to protect the southern coastline of Britain and South-East England from enemy attack but to protect London as well.
It was during the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk that Keith Park organized the air protection, shuttling his fighters back and forth across the English Channel and intercepting the Luftwaffe before they could attack the tired and exhausted British troops on the beaches. Park had limited aircraft that could be deployed on these missions, and what aircraft did take part could only spend limited time over the battle area before they were left with only enough fuel to return to base.
Unfortunately, soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force greatly criticized the RAF for not doing enough and providing greater cover for them, and further placed much of the blame for the number of casualties sustained on the beaches to the RAF. After the evacuation, it was not safe for a pilot of the RAF to mingle or be seen near any Army soldiers; he was spat at, assaulted or verbally abused. It was not until the success of the Battle of Britain did the RAF get the respect, even then many soldiers could still not forgive the RAF for what happened at Dunkirk.
Keith Park was relieved of his command of 11 Group soon after the Battle of Britain, taking up a position with a training squadron. He stayed with the RAF until the end of the war commanding squadrons in Egypt in 1941, Malta in 1942 and in South-East Asia in 1944-45. He was made a KBE in November 1942, Air Marshal in 1944, and appointed KCB in January 1945, Park became air commander, South-East Asia Command, in February. His outstanding achievement there was joint direction, with the Americans, of a huge air supply operation to support Burma’s liberation from Japanese control.
He was made a commander of the US Legion of Merit in 1945. His last year of RAF service (he retired as Air Chief Marshal in December 1946 with yet another decoration, the GCB) was spent winding down a vast military machine and creating its peacetime successor.
"If any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I do not believe it is realized how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgement and his skill, did to save, not only this country, but the world."
Lord Tedder - Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Air Force February 1947
In retirement, Sir Keith, looking for opportunities in business, saw a future in civil aviation. He went to Argentina in 1947 on behalf of the Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Company to negotiate a sale of aircraft. With the help of an old acquaintance – Juan Perón, his mission was successful. In 1948 the company offered him a position as its Pacific representative, based in Auckland; he held this position until 1960.
In 1951 Park became chairman of the Auckland International Airport Committee. By 1955 he had persuaded a reluctant government to purchase a site at Mangere. Construction began in 1960 and the airport opened in 1966. Park served three terms (1962–71) as an Auckland city councillor and was active in the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, the New Zealand Epilepsy Association, and the King George V Children’s Health Camp; he retained his love of yachting, continued his business interests and played bowls.
At the school, evidence of his presence can be found - if, like archivist Dave Goodman, you know where to look for it. A photograph of him taken in Malta adorns an office wall. In another office, there is a print of fighter planes in action gifted by Sir Keith during one of his visits. In the small museum Mr Goodman is trying to bring to order, there is a collection of memorabilia including letters, photographs and school magazines that mention Sir Keith's school-boy achievements and his visits in 1946 and 1969.
Much of this story comes from the Otago Boys’ High School Museum and Archives along with general research. As we move closer to our sesquicentennial celebrations our museum will be put under the spotlight as Old Boys’ wish to spend time reminiscing about their past.
The Old Boys’ Society has committed funds to upgrading the museum but as always we need as much help as possible to lift the standard and profile of this invaluable resource. If you wish to make a donation to the Otago Boys’ High School Museum to assist with this upgrade please contact the Foundation direct on info@obhsfoundation.co.nz or call +64 3 477 2546
The New Zealand Post Book Awards celebrate excellence, identifying the very best books written by New Zealanders. Brian Turner’s (1957-61) love affair with his Central Otago home lies at the heart of his rich and compelling new collection of poems ‘Just This’ which won him the poetry section in New Zealand Post Book Award recently, for what judges described as "dangerous poetry".
The award is an honour and a reward for persistence, and came with a monetary prize that meant a great deal for a writer in the poetry genre, Turner said. "I've been second several times; it’s an honour to have won it, it's not to be sneezed at."
Judge Elizabeth Smither described the book as "a life's work in its reach, its depth and its deceptive plainness of surface". "It is dangerous poetry, because it addresses ethics but, at the same time, it is leavened with a sweet and sly self-awareness as it searches for something you can have faith in, swear by. The journey from the first poem to the last is a revelation."
Brian is one of New Zealand’s leading poets. His first collection, Ladders of Rain (1978) won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and his sixth, Beyond (1992), the New Zealand Book Award for Poetry. He was New Zealand Poet Laureate 2003-2005.
His acclaimed work in other genres includes co-authorship of the autobiographies of All Black stars Josh Kronfeld and Anton Oliver, a biography of Colin Meads, significant contributions to Timeless Land and The Art of Grahame Sydney, and his bestselling 2008 essay collection Into the Wider World: A Back Country Miscellany.
Congratulation’s Brian!
From the archives…
The past 100 years has seen more pervasive change than history has recorded for the previous millennia, with major innovations including broadcast radio and television, the fax, phone, and internet all evolving at a rapid pace.
Dunedin is noted as the pioneering centre of radio because of Professor Robert Jack's broadcast from the physics department at the University of Otago on November 17, 1921. It is accepted as the country's first radio broadcast, but the city and Otago Boys’ has an even earlier claim to fame.
In 1908 three Dunedin teenagers, two of them pupils at Otago Boys’ High School, gave the country’s first public demonstration of wireless telegraphy. Rawson Stark (1905-1907), Stanton Hicks (1906- 1907) and Cyril Brandon had already been fiddling around with radio gear for at least a couple of years, swotting up on textbooks from the Athenaeum and scrounging electrical gear from various sources.
On the evening of September 10th 1908 a semi-public exhibition on the efficiency of wireless transmission was demonstrated. A link was made between Starks Anderson's Bay home and Hicks residence in Ravensbourne where several messages were swapped across the inlet. A station was later setup at Kew under the control of Cyril Brandon.
The transmissions across Otago’s Harbour were not strictly legal as the government enforced a monopoly over data transmission and forbid any person to conduct or establish a station without first obtaining official consent. The Dunedin lads were undeterred by this threat and transmitted a message for Prime Minister Joseph Ward, which was then telegraphed to him in Wellington. The PM sent a telegram reply to the boys: "The setting up of a wireless telegraphy station and the successful transmission of messages reflects the highest credit upon the boys. I congratulate them upon the possession of such inventive faculties, which augurs well for their future success in life."
Ward's prediction was certainly accurate; Rawson Stark later became an Engineer at the Federated Metals Division U.S.A.
Stanton Hicks had an outstanding student career at the University of Otago, graduated in MSc, MB in 1915, and ChB in 1923. After being awarded a Beit medical research fellowship in 1923, he travelled to England and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. Under the fellowship he also carried out research in Switzerland, Germany and the United States of America. He took up a fellowship and lectureship at the University of Adelaide in 1926. In January 1927 he was appointed to a new chair of physiology and pharmacology at the University, a post he held until 1957. Sir Cedric Stanton Hicks was knighted in 1936 for his services to medical science.
His other great contributions were in a book he published in 1972 on his wartime catering experience under the title, ‘Who called the cook a Bastard?’ Sir Cedric's memoirs, Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, were presented by Lady Valerie Stanton Hicks in 1993 through the University of Adelaide Foundation.
Thomas Facer (2006) showed his class in beating Anthony McCullough (Chisholm Park) 6 and 5 in the final to win the Otago Schoolboys' Championship at Chisholm Park recently.
Despite playing at home, McCullough was no match for Facer - the Otago No 6.
He edged ahead by one after six holes but won the seventh and eighth with pars and the ninth with an impressive birdie 3 to lead by four at the turn.
The pair halved the 10th but Facer went 5-up when McCullough was forced to make two chips from thick rough near the 11th green. Another birdie at the par-four 12th put Facer dormie 6-up and the match finished when both players parred the 13th.
The Nugget forward, Tom Rowe (2004 -08) gave an impressive performance to help his local league team St Kilda beat the Magic 77-64 and claim the Dunedin club title this month.
Tom has been a star player with Basket Ball since his days at Otago Boys High School. His credits include the NZ U18 team, Junior Tall Black, Otago Nuggets and Honours 2008 NZ Secondary School tournament team.
Tom’s career highlight is scoring his first NBL points and his career ambition is to start in the NZ Breakers starting five.
Greg Henderson (1990-94) finished third overall in the Tour of Britain and took the sprint title after the race's eighth and final stage around east London this month.
In front oflarge crowds, Henderson riding for the British Sky team, finished fourth in the closing circuit race behind German winner Andre Greipel.
Henderson took third for Team Sky and also claimed the point’s classification title.
Otago Boys High School defeated Maniototo Area School 6-5 in the final of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Curling Championships at Dunedin Ice Stadium recently.
The result reversed the morning’s semifinal, when Maniototo won 9-5, but Otago Boys’ got another chance when it beat Auckland Grammar 8-1.
Otago Boys High was represented by Byron Dodge, Sam Blakely, Joe Anderson, Josh Weyber and Michael Sharpin.
The plight of many Canterbury families in the wake of this month’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake has galvanised Otago Boys High School parents and pupils to help.
Coordinated by the school’s prefects and office manager Tina Fridd, the school body has collected about $2000 worth of canned and non perishable foods for distribution by the Salvation Army in Christchurch.
‘‘We have requested that the food goes to families in the hardest hit areas of Kaiapoi, Bexley, and Avonside,’’ Mrs Fridd said. The food was packed up on Friday and has been carried to Christchurch free of charge by Northern Southland Transport.
Like many others in Dunedin, Otago Boys High School had strong connections to Christchurch, through family and friends, rector Clive Rennie said.
‘‘The whole school was very keen to do something for those families who are suffering,’’ he said.
For nearly 40 years, John and Sue Aspinall have always been ready to lend a hand, a tractor or a phone to Otago Boys' High School pupils and staff experiencing the great outdoors in the Matukituki Valley, on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park.
The Aspinalls, of the remote high country farm Mount Aspiring Station, provided the land for the school's "lodge" in the valley which thousands of pupils had visited as part of the school's outdoor education programme.
It was support the school greatly appreciated and it recognised the family's contribution with the presentation of a specially commissioned John Toomer painting in a school assembly yesterday.
Rector Clive Rennie said the Aspinalls, who had recently handed the station on to son Randall and retired to Wanaka, had been a special part of the school, as was the lodge.
"It's an integral part of school life . . . and has made a huge impact on Otago Boys' students."
Assistant principal Bill Trewern said without the support of the Aspinalls, the lodge would not have been built.
Over the years, Mr Aspinall had helped out many times when weather and machinery conspired against them.
"It's been a comfort to know they're always there and happy to assist if required."
Mr Aspinall said his father, Jerry, had attended the school in the 1930s, he had in the 1960s and his son in the 1990s.
His family took great pleasure from its association with the school, its staff and pupils.
"We've made many great friends and have enjoyed sharing the environment, particularly with people who respect it, and we hope by going there you learn about the environment, how to respect it and how to survive it," he told pupils.
If you wish to let us know what you are up to now drop us a line!
Send it to info@obhsfoundation.co.nz and we will do our best to include it in the next newsletter.
Ian Robertson (1956-59) has been working in Russia since 1987, mainly in the Far East. We take a quick look at his background.
His first 4 years there he worked for the New Zealand Dairy Board, living on an island off mainland Russia called Sakhalin Island, and at that time he was the only foreigner based there. He set up the Dairy Boards infrastructure throughout the Russian far east and was the project manager for several joint ventures building cheese and meat factories.
Since then he has had 2 companies in Russia; Vostok Services Ltd which is a consulting company and also exports cartridges and cartridge components for the New Zealand Army.
His other business is New Zealand Natural Products which exports food products to Russia; mainly ice cream and meat products.
In 2004 Ian finished a Masters Degree in Russian History, which he described as a “labour of love”. He is the chairman of the Auckland University European Institute Advisory Committee and a guest lecturer for Auckland University’s Business School, lecturing on business in Eastern Europe.
He is currently working in an advisory capacity for NZ Foreign Affairs on a Free Trade agreement with Russia.
He has lead a most interesting life for a boy from North East Valley. Ian now lives in Auckland and commutes to Russia on a monthly basis.
A lack of jazz improvisation education for young people is being rectified by Music Education Otago.
Chairman Errol Moore said jazz tuition for intermediate and junior high school pupils was missing in Dunedin, which created flow-on effects for musicians later in life.
He organised a workshop, for beginner performers, and invited Christchurch's Chisnallwood Intermediate specialist music teacher Judith Bell to tutor.
She brought her jazz band, of 19 pupils, who joined about 50 year 7 to 10 Dunedin pupils for a day of performance and learning at Dunedin North Intermediate this week.
He invited Mrs Bell to assist because of her "knowledgeable and inclusive approach". Mrs Bell believed in the importance of learning jazz younger and said, traditionally, not enough of it was being taught in schools.
By learning jazz, rather than just classical, pupils could take on board both straight and swing styles, which also freed them up to improvise and be creative with their playing.
All Foundation card holders receive 5 cents per litre discountto the national pump price for petrol and diesel. Discounted petrol and diesel can be purchased at all BP,RD Petroleumand most Gasoline Alley retail sites along with Truck Stops.
HOW IT WORKS:
If today the national price for a litre of 91 octane is $1.729 cents. The cost to you would be $1.679 cents. If on the West Coast 91 is currently priced at $1.909 cents per litre and on the Coromandel Peninsula it’s sitting at $1.959 cents per litre – those with Foundation fuel cards will still pay $1.679 cents per litre. That’s a 28 cpl saving!
This offer is open to all Otago Boys' High School - Old Boys', staff, parents of a student and their immediate family members so please pass this on to a New Zealand based family member you think may well benefit from joining the program.
There is an annual fee of $20.00 + GST per card of which $10.00 comes directly back to the Foundation in the form of a donation from RD Petroleum. On top of this RD Petroleum gifts 0.05 cents for every litre poured. There are no additional transaction fees.
Cards are linked to a bank account with all payments being made by direct debit. Fuel bought one month will be billed for the 20th of the following month. Card holders will receive an invoice giving ample notification of the amount to be debited against their account.
If interested in joining please download the appropriate forms below and return directly to RD Petroleum, PO Box 1487, Christchurch 8140 or if you have any queries call them on 0800 44 00 14.
Important:
Individual Application – Click here
Limited Companies Application – Click here
This may be a current student who wishes to extend their design capabilities by working on actual projects or an existing designer that wishes to lend support to Otago Boys’ High School.
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A man who gave so much, Don Harley (1959 – 1961) had battled the odds with motor neurone disease with the same positive spirit he displayed when playing rugby for Otago.
Sadly we note his passing on August 27th aged 64 years.
Don played 44 games for Otago between 1970 and 1976 as open-side flanker. He will be remembered by Otago Boys’ in the years and decades to come having gifted to the school the Harley-Taylor Trophy.
The Harley – Taylor Trophy was contested at Carisbrook for the first time between Otago Boys’ and Kings 1st XV sides. Never in the 72 years that Kings and OB’s have contested this match has there been a trophy to acknowledge the clash. Last year the Old Boys’ reunion of 1959 decided to introduce the trophy for this fixture naming it the Harley – Taylor Trophy in recognition of the competition and camaraderie which came from Don Harley (OBHS) and Evan ‘Bugs’ Taylor (Kings) going on to represent Otago division one and remaining friends for life.
Before his passing he spoke to the Otago Daily Times when at Carisbrook watching the Super 14 match between the Highlanders and the Blues earlier this year.
"I'm a bit reluctant to talk about my health problems," Harley said. "Lots of other people have illness and there are others who are worse off than me." He mentioned the late Ross Mee, who became a tetraplegic after injuring his neck in a fall, and Paul Sapsford, who died in a boating accident late last year.
That night at Carisbrook brought back memories of the happy times when Harley was a key member of the great 1975 Otago team, where it won 17 of its 19 games and was named the best team in the country by Rugby News. Otago beat Scotland 19-15, thumped Auckland 22-4 and was unbeaten on its North Island tour.
"We had a great bunch of guys in the team and we got on well," he said. Harley also played a few games for Otago Country and kept playing club rugby for Becks until the age of 38.
After finishing his career, Harley coached the local school team for a few years and followed the fortunes of son Richard, who was a member of the Otago Boys 1st XV as an openside flanker immediately after Richie McCaw left Otago Boys’.
Don was the third child of the Harley family who were hard-working with a strong family focus. No doubt this is where he established the standards by how he led his life. As a much admired man throughout the province - Don spent two terms on the Otago Regional Council, three years on the Otago Community Trust and was heavily involved in many community events.
Ivan John (Jack) Wallace Blythe (1929-1934) - Passed away on the 13th August 2010 in Auckland aged 94 years. Jack served in World War II between 1939-45 after this experience he later wrote the book called "Soldiering On" - A Soldier’s War in North Africa and Italy which is still being read today from public libraries. The book tells a story of Jacks remarkable personal account of an ordinary New Zealand soldier in World War II from an antipodean angle – of the boredom and frustration interspersed with the tensions and terrors of combat, and fatigue, disillusionment and despair.
Graeme Beckingham (1955-58) - Passed away peacefully on the 30th August 2010 at his home in Dunedin.
Barry John Cameron (1959- 1963) - Passed away on the 19th September 2010 in Dunedin.
James Scott (1948 – 1953) Head Boy 1953 - Passed away on the 26th September 2010 at Bundaberg Hospital, Queensland aged 76.
Alec Cassie (1972-1976) - whose mother Valma Cassie passed away on the 10th September 2010 at St Andrews Home, dearly loved wife of the late Eric Cassie (1940-1942).
Craig La hood (1979-1984) – whose mother Shirley La Hood passed away peacefully at Ross Home on the 12th September 2010 in her 86th year
Newsletter researched and compiled by Darlene Williams & Douglas Kamo
The Otago Boys’ High School Foundation acknowledges the assistance it receives from
Konica Minolta with all of its office printing requirements
