You are here : Home : News & Events : Newsletters : Newsletter - September 2007
Update Your Profile
By Filling In This Form
Update Your Profile
By Filling In This Form
The Otago Boys' High School Foundation
PO Box 11,
Dunedin, New Zealand
Tel +64 3 477 2546
Fax +64 3 477 5468
Fantastic!!!!
Iconic rowing identity Fred Strachan isn’t known for his smile.
In fact, it’s rare to see Fred anything other than totally focussed on the job in hand – and that has been guiding the sport for 50-plus years as a competitor, selector, manager and coach. Fred has filled just about every position going during a lifetime of service.
In recent years he has played a leading hand in the redevelopment of rowing at Otago Boys’ and it’s a fair bet to suggest that even his stern visage would have broken into a cheery grin at the sight of Carl Meyer (1995-1999) and Hamish Bond (1999-2003) storming to World Championship victory in Munich earlier in the month.
Carl and Hamish (Head Boy in 2003) were part of the gold-medal winning coxless four which powered to the world title after being sixth and last at the half-way mark. After winning a World Cup race in Amsterdam earlier in the winter, the four were seen as an outside chance of a medal. To have won the gold blew most pundits away and there is every prospect now the crew will be kept together for next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.
Fred was in Munich to see his charges taken the honours as were Carl’s parents, Quinten and Susan. Hamish’s parents Graeme (1961-64) and Shirley were joined at their Twizel home by Fred’s wife Kate to watch the race unfold on television.
School news
* The annual Otago Daily Times ‘Class Act’ publication again features two terrific pupils from Otago Boys’.
Head Boy David Thompson is joined by fellow Year 13 high achiever Aaron Hendry.
For full details, check out the headlines on the Foundation’s website.
* The final winter inter-school has been contested with Waitaki Boys’ making the trip south.
The results are –
Golf Otago Boys’ 5 Waitaki 1
Chess Otago Boys’ 5½ Waitaki 2½
Football - junior Otago Boys’ 4 Waitaki 2
- 1st XI Otago Boys 5 Waitaki 0
Basketball - junior Waitaki 64 Otago Boys’ 53
- senior Otago Boys’ 83 Waitaki 72
Badminton Waitaki 4 Otago Boys’ 2
Squash Otago Boys’ 5 Waitaki 0
Trap shooting Waitaki 268 Otago Boys’ 252
Hockey Otago Boys’ 17 Waitaki 1
Debating Otago Boys’ 289 Waitaki 287
Rugby - 2nd XV Otago Boys’ 52 Waitaki 7
- 1st XV Otago Boys’ 60 Waitaki 5
Overall result Otago Boys’ 10 Waitaki 3
* The rise of Otago Boys’ on the national secondary schools’ hockey chart has continued with the naming of Hugo Inglis and Kane Russell in the New Zealand under 16 selection.
They’ll be part of the national side in three matches against a touring Queensland side in Auckland in October.
Being named in the New Zealand lineup for the squad is a step towards full national representation and it seems the pair has what it takes. Otago hockey chief executive Chris Aubin is effusive in his praise.
‘‘They are certainly very talented players and have been identified by Hockey New Zealand as potential future Black Sticks,’’ Aubin said.
‘‘The road has been opened in front of them and they’ve just got to keep walking the path they’re on.’’
Hugo and Kane follow in the footsteps of Nick Ross and Blair Tarrant, who made the tiger turf squad last year, and are part of a strong school team which has swept all before it in this year’s interschool programme. Kane is also a very good rugby player, was a member of the school’s under 14 cricket side which shared the national title with Hamilton Boys’ earlier in the year and is a talented track sprinter.
* It would probably pay not to get into a heavy discussion, let alone an argument, with 15 year old Kurt Purdon.
Kurt is a member of the Otago/Southland debating team and has enjoyed a fine interschool season.
He shares a spot in the four-person regional side with young women from Columba College, St Hilda's Collegiate and Otago Girls' High School and, as such, is one of the top debaters in the country.
His philosophy is simple - 'debating stops narrow-mindedness and bigotry. A lot of the cultural and social problems in society today are created by the inability to see someone else's point of view'.
* For many years Des Smith was an institution at Otago Boys' - and a popular one.
Whether teaching, as the senior master, as hostel manager, coaching the First rugby XV or in simply being prominent in all school activities, Des gave tremendous service to the school.
In recent times he has worked with the Otago Rugby Union, being a very fine manager of the Otago and Highlanders' teams, and he's now involved with the Otago Secondary Schools' Sports Association.
Des and his wife Raylene celebrated a milestone in their own partnership last month, marking their ruby (40th) wedding anniversary. Raylene is heavily involved with Otago Cricket as the Smith tradition of service to and a love of sport continues.
We congratulate them both.
* It has been a great couple of weeks for Otago Boys’ on both the national and world sporting front.
Not only did Hamish Bond (1999-2003) and Carl Meyer (1995-99) take a world rowing title as part of the New Zealand coxless four in Munich, but Richie McCaw (1994-98) and Byron Kelleher (1990-95) made an immediate impact in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup in France.
On the national scene, the school has enjoyed an impressive fortnight of endeavour.
Ethan Todd claimed a gold medal in the under 16 85kg class at the New Zealand wrestling championships in Hamilton and also finished a creditable fourth in the under 21 class.
His efforts were the forerunner to a purple patch, beginning with the school's senior basketball team taking out the South Island secondary schools’ title, the route to victory including impressive wins over former champion Aranui High School and arch-rival Christchurch Boys’. The 58-53 win against Waitaki Boys’ in the final give Otago Boys’ top South Island seeding for the national tournament later in the year.
The Otago Boys’ first hockey XI proved irresistible in the national India Shield series with spectacular successes recorded against St Bedes, Waimea College,Timaru Boys’ and Rotorua Boys’. A come from behind 3-1 win in the semi-final against St Kentigern’s from Auckland opened the pathway to the final, where Otago Boys’ dismantled Wanganui Collegiate 9-4. The week’s effort has lifted the team into the Rankin Cup series for next year, the elite secondary boys’ tournament.
Also sharing in the spoils was the first football XI which won the South Island banner – the Jim Wishart tournament. In pool play, Otago Boys’ accounted for Timaru Boys’ and Waimea College with a 1-all draw with St Andrews setting up a quarter-final again Logan Park High School. A 1-nil result gave Otago Boys’ the chance to play St Kentigern’s in the semi-final with another 1-nil result secured, Regan Coldicott scoring the winners in both games. The final against St Andrew’s was even closer with a nil-all result at fulltime forcing the teams into a penalty shootout. A 4-3 win to Otago Boys’ earned the team promotion into next year’s division one tournament.
Foundation members
* 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 –
Pledges and donations have now passed $730,000.
Dinner with Merv Hughes
Tickets continue to sell quickly for the Foundation’s dinner on Wednesday, October 3rd featuring Australian cricketing character Merv Hughes.
As of this morning, more than 400 tickets have been booked.
The dinner will be hosted in the Dunedin Convention Centre, Melville Street, Dunedin with tickets priced at $80 - this including a three-course meal, pre-dinner drinks, wine, beer and non-alcoholic refreshment at the table, Merv’s humour and an excellent night’s entertainment. To keep prices to a minimum, a cash bar will operate once the complimentary service ends.
Bookings can be made through the Foundation office (‘phone: 03/4778977, mobile: 027/4370335, email: info@obhsfoundation.co.nz)
Help - please!!!
We have made some terrific progress in recent times with track ‘lost’ Old Boys – and the Foundation’s database is growing accordingly.
That allows us to send the newsletter, keep Old Boys up to date wit developments and also to begin preparations for 150th register to be published at the time of those celebrations in just six years.
We all know alumni and we all have contact details – and I would encourage you all to look through the Class Lists link on the website’s home page. Contact information about those we haven’t yet tracked would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Lost contacts
In recent weeks we’ve lost contact with the following Old Boys and any help in determining their new addresses would be welcome –
School photos – can anyone help?
* Chris Kenny (1968-71) has lost his class photos and is keen to resurrect his collection.
He recalls he was in classes 3G1, 4G1 (or 4G2) and 5GI and was also involved with the sea cadets in the 4th and 5th forms. Some of the teachers he remembers are Messrs Greer, Bell, Shields, Duncan, McLean and Ragg along with Des Smith, Andy Curtis and Mrs Tilley.
If anyone from the years in question has photos which they can scan and email, please make contact with Chris on chris.kenny@aipp.net.au
He would be most grateful.
Congratulations
* Geoff Adams (1947-51), editor of the Otago Daily Times from 1989 to 1998, has been elected a life member of the Otago Art Society.
Geoff has served two terms as the society’s president and was actively involved in the relocation of the art society from the former Dunedin North Post Office to the Dunedin Railway Station last year.
As well as managing the retail gallery at the Art Station, he is a self-described ‘casual’ artist, dabbling in oil and acrylic paintings and collages.
Where are they now?
* Mike Barrio (1975-76) moved to Spain with his parents soon afterleaving Otago Boys’where he picked upthe language so quickly he was soon passing as a Spaniard.
Mike taught English as a foreign language for a number of years in Leon where he met his wife. The couple moved to Scotland whereMike worked in the motor trade for 16 years as a parts manager.
However, there was always the love of the outdoors and he has spent the last six years establishing a trout fishing business in Aberdeenshire along with researching and developing a range of fly fishing rods and fly lines.
You can check in on Mike through his website - http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk
Recent deaths
We extend our condolences to the families of the following Old Boys –
Kenneth Warwick Thomson (1966-70), died in Sydney on 12th August 2007 from a brain tumour.
Douglas Edward Gunn (1945-46), died in Nelson on 12th August 2007 aged 78.
Russell John Hampton (1951-53), died in Tuatapere on 14th August 2007 aged 69. Russell was the brother of Ronald David Hampton (1950-51) and the late Colin George Hampton (1955).
Cas (Edward Casley) Iversen (1955), died in Mosgiel on 20th August 2007 aged 68. Cas was the brother of the late Gary Beaufort Iversen (1950-51) and the late Tony (Anthony) Carl Iversen (1960-61).
Dr Jim (James Frederick) Moodie (1929-34), died in Ashburton on 25th August 2007 aged 90. Jim was the brother of the late Alfred Whitling Moodie (1927-32).
Archie (Archibald Charles) MacDonald (1930-31), died in Lawrence on 29th August 2007, aged 90. Archie was a retired farmer who has spent much of his time on the land at Bowlers Creek.
We also extend our sympathies to –
John Julian Charteris (1955-58) whose father-in-law Geoffrey Orbell died in Dunedin on 14th August 2007. Among his many achievements in a long and industrious life ‘Doc’ Orbell rediscovered the takahe in Fiordland in 1948, decades after the bird was thought to be extinct.
Ronald George Chave (1960-62) whose mother Margaret died in Dunedin on 17th August 2007. Margaret was the widow of Stewart Matthew Chave (1926).
Martin Douglas Paice (1977) whose father Douglas died in Adelaide on 17th August 2007.
Bevan William Craigie (1958-61) and Clive Craigie (1961-63) whose mother Avenell died in Balclutha on 18th August 2007. Avenell was the widow of the late George William Craigie (1930-31).
Rod Alexander Archie (1954-57) whose mother-in-law Alice Johnston died in Dunedin on 19th August 2007.
Shay Carwyn Ashton (1987-90) and Ryan Gareth Ashton (1990-94) whose grandmother Rose Ashton died in Dunedin on 21st August 2007.
John Wallace Nixon (1970-74) whose father-in-law Peter Jacobs died in the Montecillo War Veterans’ Home in Dunedin on 22nd August 2007.
Warwick James Connor (1974-78) whose mother Jan died in Dunedin on 25th August 2007.
James Fletcher Porteous (1964-68) and Grant (Douglas Grant) Porteous (1969-73) whose mother Gwenda died in Wellington on 31st August 2007.
Kayne Daniel Duerden (1995-99) whose grandfather Reg Almond died in Dunedin on 1st September 2007.
Bill Nichol (1964-68), Christopher James Nichol (1966-70) and Martin Rutherford Nichol (1972-74) whose mother Beth died in Dunedin on 1st September 2007. Beth was also the aunt of John Macky Somerville (1966-69), Phillip James Somerville (1969-73), Andy William Somerville (1971-75) and Rob (Robert Thomas) Somerville (1973-77).
Steve Davie
Chief Executive
