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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
Website Business Directory
* The Foundation’s website is viewed as one of the best of its type in Australasia and is held up as an example of what can be achieved by many schools, foundations and trusts throughout the region.
Our visitor numbers increase each month (May viewers up 8% on April) and over the next year there will be more than 100,000 page views. That represents terrific exposure for the news and information on the site as well as those who choose to be associated with it.
Last week, the Foundation introduced its Business Directory which opens the way for advertisers to gain profile and marketing opportunities for their products and services. It is with great pleasure we welcome our early Business Directory supporters – Peak Golf Queenstown, Brooker United Travel and Cooke Howlison BMW.
You will see their advertising banners as you open various page links on the website (www.obhsfoundation.co.nz) along with further profile for them through the Business Directory link itself. Our supporters also have the opportunity to advertise for staff through the complimentary Employment Directory.
A good number of others have indicated a willingness to take up a mutually beneficial partnership and we look forward to joining forces with them
Anyone seeing value in promoting their business, product or service on the Foundation’s website, are invited to make contact. Contracts of any length (from a month upwards) are on offer as is exclusivity – naturally, at a premium.
Tracking Old Boys
* Your help would be appreciated.
In the last 12 months more than 4,000 Old Boys have been ‘found’. In other words, their contact details have been determined and they’ve been added to the Foundation’s newsletter database. Lawrie Currie (1957-62), our Nelson-based tracking man, is doing a great job in finding alumni and by the time the 150th anniversary celebrations are staged in August 2013 we’re confident of having contact with all 16,500 living Old Boys.
However, we’d like to speed the process and we ask for your support.
If each of the Old Boys on our database was able to supply the whereabouts of one other with whom we’re not in contact, our numbers would double overnight. And if we replicated that process, the job would be almost complete.
Please look through the Class Lists on the Home Page of the Foundation’s website (www.obhsfoundation.co.nz) where you can see who is on the database and who isn’t.
An email and/or postal address for the ‘lost’ boys to either info@obhsfoundation.co.nz or to Lawrie at lawrie-denise@xtra.co.nz would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Foundation members
* Since the May newsletter, the following Old Boys and connections with the school have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation –
Pledges and donations have now passed $1 million, which represents the first of many milestones to be reached in the years ahead.
Reunions
* Three significant Reunions are planned over the next 16 months.
The intake of 1958 will celebrate its 50th anniversary in Dunedin over the weekend of 12th to 14th September this year and further details are available from Bob McKillop (rmmck@xtra.co.nz) or at 04/3849800.
A gathering of Old Boys who attended Otago Boys’ in the 1920s will be hosted in November with around a dozen alumni set to attend.
And progress continues on the 50th Reunion of the intake of 1959.
‘Lost’ boys from that year are being tracked and a tentative programme is being drafted with Labour Weekend 2009 seen as the optimum time for this assembly.
Congratulations
* Retired High Court judge John Hansen (1957-62) was awarded the Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM) for services to the judiciary in this month’s Queen’s Birthday honours list.
In England, following the New Zealand cricket team, John noted the award would be a cause for celebration in what had otherwise been “an ordinary week.” His comments were made in between the second and third tests.
‘‘It will be nice to celebrate. This week has mainly been about commiserations,’’ he said.
Born in Fairlie, John moved to Dunedin with his family when he was nine. After his time at Otago Boys’, he graduated from the University of Otago with an LLB in 1968 and practised as a lawyer in the city before being appointed a magistrate in Hong Kong in 1979. A decade later, he returned to New Zealand and a post as Master (associate judge) of the High Court in Christchurch.
He became a High Court judge in 1993 and often presided over civil and criminal cases in the High Court at Dunedin. John has also been a regular member of the criminal appeal division of the Court of Appeal, was a member of the Supreme Court Rules Committee for 10 years, initiated case management reforms, and worked closely with the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Courts to improve access to justice and timely decision-making.
John has also been closely involved with rugby and cricket, as a player and administrator, and is the code of conduct appeals commissioner for the International Cricket Council and chairman of the Final Independent Appeal Authority for the Rugby World Cup.
Asked his reaction to his Queen’s Birthday honour, John replied it was a ‘‘very great privilege and a recognition of the position I have held, but I also see it as an honour for all the people I have worked with over the years - lawyers, court staff and others.’’
John is a Friend of the Foundation.
* Old Boys and current pupils were to the fore at the ASB Otago Sports Person of the Year awards dinner in late-May.
World rowing champion Hamish Bond (1999-2003) received the ultimate award, having been named the Speights Otago Sportsman of the Year earlier in the evening. He wasn’t able to be at the sell-out black tie dinner in the Dunedin Town Hall with the New Zealand crews leaving the next day for their European buildup to the Beijing Olympics where he will again stroke the four.
Hamish was the stroke of the men’s coxless four which took the world title in Munich last year, that selection having already been acknowledged as the New Zealand Team of the Year at this year’s Halberg Awards. He also won three national titles during the qualifying period of 1 April 2007 to 31 Match 2008 - in the coxless pair, coxless four and quadruple sculls at the New Zealand championships at Lake Karapiro.
Sport Otago chief executive John Brimble said ‘‘Hamish had an outstanding year and realised the promise he showed as a junior rower . . . he has displayed outstanding leadership qualities and a fierce determination to achieve’’.
Also in the line for the Otago Sportsman of the Year title and overall champion was world-class cyclist Greg Henderson (1990-94), who is a five-times winner of the Otago Sports Person of the Year Award.
While Otago cricket coach Mike Hesson (1988-92) missed out on the Air New Zealand Otago Coach of the Year award, he had the satisfaction of seeing his Otago Volts’ side named as the Aotea Electric Otago Team of the Year.
The Otago cricketers took this summer’s State Shield one-day title after qualifying in third spot. Otago beat Canterbury in the semi-final and then trounced Auckland in the final to take a national championship for the first time in 20 seasons. As well as guiding Otago to its long-overdue success, Mike was involved in coaching at New Zealand A level this past year.
And this year’s Sparc Services to Sport Award went to veteran Otago Daily Times sports report, Alistair McMurran (1951-55).
Since joining the Otago Daily Times’ sporting staff in 1975, Alistair has covered all manner of codes with club rugby, track and field, bowls, rowing and swimming being special interests – and the Otago Daily Times is a better newspaper for his tireless work with many so-called ‘minor’ sports benefiting enormously due to the profile he has generated for them.
Alistair is a former winner of the New Zealand sports journalist of the year award and is the only multiple (2004 and 2007) winner of the national bowls writer’s award.
He is also a middle distance running coach of significant note. His greatest success story was Dick Tayler, whom he guided to Commonwealth Games gold in 1974. He also coached Olympians Euan Robertson and John Campbell, Commonwealth athletes Stuart Melville and the late Chip Dunckley, and was the middle-distance coach of the New Zealand team at the Pan Pacific Games in Australia in 1977. More recently, he coached New Zealand junior 10,000 metre record-holder Blair Martin and national 1,500 metre champion Richard Olsen.
As a promising runner himself, he once defeated future Olympic Games medallist John Davies to become the Otago Boys’ cross-country champion. Later, he won the Ness Cup mile race at the Caledonian Ground. He could also wield a cricket bat, as an opener at both 1st XI and senior club level.
The dinner was opened with a performance by the highly-acclaimed Otago Boys’ High School choir.
* It has been a long and patient wait but Lindsay Dey (1962-67) finally cracked it when he won the New Zealand duathlon title at Auckland earlier this month.
A Dunedin chartered accountant, Lindsay convincingly won the masters aged 60-64 title in a time of 1hr 55min 43sec for the standard 10 kilometre run, 40 kilometre cycle and 5 kilometre run course.
He took the lead near the end of the cycling stage and his superior fitness gave him a 4min 19sec win over Murray Vaile (North Shore), 2hr 02sec, and John Edwards (Palmerston North), 2hr 02min 45sec. Lindsay was 41sec behind Lawrence O’Neill (Christchurch) when he completed the 10k run in 38min 59sec. But he caught up on the cycling leg, completing that in 56min 22sec. He was also fastest on the 5km run in 20min 22sec.
Lindsay first competed in national events in 1966 at the New Zealand junior athletics championships and in the intervening years grabbed three placings - but the gold medal had always eluded him. So it was with a glow of satisfaction that he stood on the winner’s podium and the gold medal was placed around his neck.
His best performance national level came in 1971, when he won a silver medal in the senior men’s 5,000 metres at the New Zealand track and field championships at Inglewood. His other national championship medals have come in the duathlon, where he has previously won a silver and a bronze.
Lindsay’s top international showing was in Australia in 1969, when he won the silver medal at the trans-Tasman university cross-country championships. It was a clean sweep that day for Otago University students with Alastair Hasell (1959-64) winning the gold and Chip Dunckley finishing third.
Lindsay is also a renowned coach and two of his charges performed strongly in Auckland … with Anna Stott finishing third in the women’s 20-24 grade in 2hr 02min 19sec and Amelia Kinnaird third in the secondary schoolgirls under-19 event in 44min 01sec.
Old Boys in the news
* Ron Esplin (1962-63) and Gavin Craw (1961-65) did not blast the recent London Marathon field apart, but they are the proud recipients of the centenary medals given to runners who finished the course.
And the fact they ran their slowest marathons did not diminish the elation they felt when they crossed the finish line.
There were 35,000 starters in the 100th running of the famous race with Gavin finishing 19,602th in 5 hours 7 minutes and Ron coming home in 21,751st place in 5 hours 30 minutes 23 seconds. Ron has a best time of 2:54.07 while Gavin’s is 2:57.
While the elite athletes start at the front of the field, those slower spend the first 10 to 12 minutes walking with spectators lining the route, slapping the hands of all those passing by. Bands played and there was a carnival atmosphere as the runners wound their way past Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the House sof Parliament and Buckingham Palace before finishing at the Mall.
Both Gavin and Ron wore their New Zealand Masters Games T-shirts in the event.
* Larnach Castle managing director Norcombe Barker (1982-86) will be very warm this winter, with the castle having just commissioned 14 new chimneys.
After months of the flued gas fires being out of use, the fires are now roaring thanks to a $73,000 grant from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, matched by the Barker Family, which has owned the castle for more than 40 years.
Set in three stacks — two containing five chimneys and one stack containing four — the 14 chimneys had deteriorated over the years and the grant had enabled the Oamaru stone chimneys to be replaced.Replacement stacks were carved out of large blocks of Parkside Oamaru stone with each weighing three tonnes.
When the old stacks were removed, the workmen from Bingham & Co noticed that the 19th century masons had carved their initials into the 1871 originals. It’s possible they’ve added some of their own 140 years on.
* Dunedin City Councillor Michael Guest (1963-67) recently had a close encounter with a bedroom fire in a Dunedin hotel.
Michael had been appearing as an employment law advocate at an Employment Authority hearing at the Kingsgate Hotel when the cross-examination was interrupted by screams from two female guests. He ran outside and was alerted by the guests to a fire in their nearby twin room.
After attempting to smother the flames, Michael quickly checked the area below the room’s window, shouted a warning, and, with the help of his client, threw a burning double bed into a driveway area outside.
‘‘It was scary for 30 seconds there,’’ he said. The fire had resulted from a short-circuit involving an electric blanket control unit, Fire Service officials said.
Where are they now?
* Professor Bill Cullen (1946-51) is an internationally recognised expert on the chemistry, biogeochemistry, and microbiology of arsenic.
He has been Professor of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia for the past 50 years working with arsenic compounds and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Bill is also a Friend of the Foundation and he has recently published a book which has the hallmark of a best seller.
How’s this for the blurb?
‘Sex, drugs, rocks, gold, murder, war, mass poisonings, the deaths of Napoleon, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and others are all linked by one element - arsenic! Arsenic has been around since the beginning of time and the word has become a metaphor for poison with associated shock value. The general public is fearful of any possible exposure to it and yet it holds a certain dark and eerie fascination! The average person has only one idea about arsenic - it is poison - and this reputation has a sound base. Some arsenic compounds are very toxic and have been used with criminal intent from the time of the ancient Romans to the present day.
‘Up until now, there has been no book that covers arsenic with such breadth. This book is a general appreciation of how much the element, arsenic, has become part of our lives in an entertaining style covering the years 1,000 BC to the present day. The coverage of the chemistry, toxicology, and medicinal aspects is deliberately kept at a level for the general reader to understand. It covers the way in which this ubiquitous element and its compounds have influenced the lives of the people of the world. The author's objective in writing this book was not to elaborate on the vast chemistry of the element, but to try to reveal to the general reader how the element and its compounds have become embedded in our social fabric, for good and for ill. No other element comes close in this regard and he uses the word socio-chemistry to describe this interface between society and chemistry.
‘The book covers a broad range of topics including the use of arsenic in human medicine in many cultures from Chinese medicine to the beginning of chemotherapy. This peaked in the western world in the early 20th century, with Ehrlich's discovery of salvarsan, an arsenic-based cure for syphilis that gave rise to the field of chemotherapy. Salvarsan and related compounds were eventually displaced by antibiotics such as penicillin. Arsenic trioxide has staged a comeback, however, and is being used as a successful treatment for a form of leukemia.
‘Other chapters cover arsenic compounds which were widely used in agriculture and wood preservation during the 20th century and their associated myths as well as arsenic compounds as chemical warfare agents and the resulting stockpile. The topic of arsenic in the environment is discussed in depth - arsenic is all around us - in our soil, our water, and our food, and our bodies have adapted to its presence and it does not usually pose a problem. However, the natural presence of high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water currently threatens the lives of millions of people in India, Bangladesh, Mexico and elsewhere. It also covers mining and pesticide manufacturing which can lead to high local arsenic concentrations in soils, slag heaps and mine tailings which, when located close to human activities, can produce human health risks.
‘Other topics covered in Bill’s book include -
Compulsory reading for those with a specific leaning towards the topic but also enough there to be picked up of the bookshelf by the general public.
Rugby test message
* Thank you to those who have bought tickets (and the many who have investigated the possibility of purchase) for the All Blacks vs Springbok rugby test at Carisbrook on July 12th.
The Otago Rugby Union is excited by the response received from Otago Boys’ Old Boys with pre-public sales reaching close to 30% of the ground’s capacity. That is a very good response prior to last week’s first offering to the public.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased through www.ticketdirect.co.nz (password CARISBROOK) or by ringing Hannah (03/4664263) or contacting her at hannahc@orfu.co.nz and telling her you are booking through the Otago Boys’ Foundation.
Old Boys’ Society
* The number of Old Boys’ taking up membership of the Old Boys’ Society is on the increase, opening the way for the Society to support various school projects.
As of this morning, the Society’s numbers tallied 345 (up from last year’s final membership of 281) with the payment of subs warmly acknowledged by the Society’s executive.
These funds are used to assist the school with scholarships, sports days, travel requirements for various teams and groups and a number of other deserving ventures.
Memberships for the 2007/2008 year (at $30 for the annual subscription and $350 for the Life Membership option) can still be paid, through the Foundation at P.O.Box 5077, Dunedin. Cheques should be made out to the Otago High School Old Boys’ Society (for annual subs) and to the Otago Boys’ High School Foundation (for Life Memberships).
Interschools
* The first winter interschool has been completed with Otago Boys’ running out victors over Southland Boys’ 5-3.
Individual results were –
Trapshooting Southland Boys’ 268 Otago Boys’ 253
Basketball Otago Boys’ 95 Southland Boys’ 64
Squash Otago Boys’ 5 Southland Boys’ 0
Badminton Otago Boys’ 6 Southland Boys’ 0
Football Otago Boys’ 6 Southland Boys’ 2
Hockey Otago Boys’ 19 Southland Boys’ 2
2nd XV rugby Southland Boys’ 15 Otago Boys’ 13
1st XV rugby Southland Boys’ 23 Otago Boys’ 13
School news
* Otago Boys’ cross country and road relay teams have been in the news lately, racing to victory in major provincial championships.
The senior boys’ team of Bryce Morgan, Ryan Shanks, Keegan Watson and William Scorgie led throughout the recent annual Otago Secondary School road relay at King’s High.
Bryce ran the first leg and gave Otago Boys’ a flying start with his time the fastest of the day.
Forty-four teams contested the championship, a 30 percent increase on last year’s field.
And the junior selection of Daniel Adams, Michael Ogle, Jack Hunter, Nick Rapley, Jared Hewitt and Ben Watts took out the Otago-Southland secondary schools cross country relay in Milton earlier this week.
This year’s event attracted 54 teams, up from last year’s 33.
And while it’s not the summer season, Otago Boys’ track athletes are also making headlines.
Todd Johnston (Year 12) has been selectedto representNew Zealand at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India in October. Todd will compete in the 100 metres as well as both relays – 4 x 100 metres and 4 x 400 metres.
He dominated the junior sprints at this year’s South Island Secondary School Championships, winningboththe Under 16 100 metre and 200 metre titles, and enjoyed a successful national Secondary School meeting last December in Wanganui where he took silver medals in both the 100 metre and 200 metre races as well as being a member of the Otago Boys’ junior relay team which broke the New Zealand record.
William Scorgie (Year 11) has been named in the New Zealand Development Team and will competein an international meeting against teams from Asia and the United States on the Gold Coast in Australia in July. William is the current national secondary school junior boys’ 3,000 metres title holder.
* In the wake of Carl Meyer (1995-99) and Hamish Bond (1999-2003), Otago Boys’ rowing has enjoyed another fine summer.
The season culminated with the awarding of the Otago School Rower of the Year title to Robert Mears at the recent Otago Rowing annual prize giving.
As well as Robert, Otago Boys’ had three other crews nominated – these were in the following categories:
Crew of the Year, Under 16 double sculls – Joe Latta and Robert Mears.
Coxswain of the Year – Jamie Burgess.
Novice Crew of the Year, Under 15 four – Lachlan Landells, Brodie Hume, Ken McLellan, Cooper Gilmour and Aaron Woodhead.
Lost contacts
* The sending of the May newsletter revealed the fact that a number of Old Boys had changed their email addresses … so we have temporarily lost contact with the following:
Graeme Wilson (1976-79), last known address being Dunedin
Clive Greenwood (1967-69), last known address being Christchurch and involved with Channel Publishing
Allan Cockerill (1990-94), last known address being Wellington
Steve Dunbar (1987-91), last known to be living in Australia
Paul Johnston (1984-88)
Andrew Hore (1987-91), last known address being Wellington and involved with the New Zealand Rugby Union (not the Hurricanes and All Black hooker)
Chris Finch (1991-93), last known as living in Nelson
Wayne Smallman (1963), last known as living in France
Bill Radford (1957-59), formerly of Springfield in Canterbury
Donald Boyd (1967-69), last known as living in Dunedin
And we’ve heard that Lance Bardwell (1946-47) is now living in Peru. If anyone has a contact address, that would be appreciated.
Recent deaths
* We extend our condolences to the families of the following Old Boys –
Ralph Pile (1935-39), died at the Montecillo War Veterans’ Home in Dunedin on 4th June 2008, aged 86. Ralph was a retired sheep farmer from Dunback who served as chairman of the Waihemo County Council for 20 years up to 1989. He was awarded the QSO in 1989 for services to local government and community. Ralph was the father of Steve Pile (1961-65) and Nigel Pile (1966-70) and the grandfather of Chris Pile (1985-89) and Mike Pile (1989-93). He was the brother of the late Frank Pile (1939-41).
* We also extend our sympathies to –
Simon Hall (1990-94) whose mother Janie in Christchurch on 13th April 2008.
Peter Gilmour (1957) whose mother-in-law Margaret Barrow died in Dunedin on 11th May 2008.
Mervyn Read (1967-69) whose mother Rose died in Dunedin on 12th May 2008.
John Styles (1967) and Derek Styles (1968) whose father Charles died in Masterton on 13th May 2008.
Hamish Brown (1971-73) and Richie Brown (1977-81) whose mother Ngari died in Oamaru on 14th May 2008.
Evan McHutchon (1971-74) whose father-in-law Milton Chittock died in Gore on 14th May 2008.
Dr Lindsay Quennell (1951-55) whose brother-in-law Keith Love died in Alexandra on 14th May 2008.
Warren (1992-2001), Scott (1999-2003) and Tyler McKee (2002-06) whose grandfather Bill McKee died in Gore on 15th May 2008.
Kevin Gallon (1965-66) whose father Bill died in Brisbane on 16th May 2008.
Stuart Laing (1979-82) and Dougal Laing (1981-85) whose aunt Heather Laing died in Christchurch on 17th May 2008.
Dr Ray Harlow (1958-62), a Friend of the Foundation, whose father Syd died in Dunedin on 18th May 2008.
Steve McCurdie (1966-70) whose mother-in-law May Chapman died in Dunedin on 19th May 2008.
Herman Veltman (1978-82) whose father Jan died in Dunedin on 20th May 2008.
John Halligan (1961-64) whose mother Peggy died in Mosgiel on 21st May 2008. Peggy was also the mother of the late Alastair Halligan (1964-69), grandmother of Jarrod Halligan (1990-94) and Sam Halligan (1990-95), sister of the late Ewing Scorgie (1931-35), sister-in-law of Graeme Anderson (1940-44), cousin of David Kirkland (1944-46), and aunt of Jim Scorgie (1967-71), Don Scorgie (1973-76) and Michael Scorgie (1973-76).
Colin Barkman (1951-54) whose wife Annette died in Dunedin on 21st May 2008. Annette was the sister-in-law of Watson Barkman (1943-47), Don Barkman (1947-48) and Wyndham Barkman (1952-54).
John Gillespie (1957-60) whose mother Marjory died in Christchurch on 4th June 2008.
Peter Warren (1965-68) whose sister Denise died in Dunedin on 5th June 2009.
Nick Borren (2003-2007) whose grandfather Bert Matthews died in Dunedin on 8th June 2008. Bert was the father of Lee Borren, a long-serving member of the Parents’ Association and who now works in the school office.
Blair Dale (1981-83) and Aaron Dale (1983-86) whose mother Anne died in Dunedin on 9th June 2008.
Steve Davie
Chief Executive
