Newsletter - October 2006

12/10/2006

Foundation members

Since the September newsletter, the following Old Boys and connections with the school have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation –

Mrs Gregory Aim – Friend. Mrs Aim’s husband Greg, who died in April last year, was a proud Old Boy (1948-51) as is his brother Malcolm (1952-56). Malcolm is also a Friend of the Foundation. Their father Edward (Ted) Aim was the school’s 10th Rector from 1948 until January 1963, when he died aged just 56. At the time of his appointment, Ted Aim was the youngest secondary school principal in New Zealand. He is remembered through the Edward James Aim Trophy which is prize for the winner of the annual First XV interschool rugby match between Otago Boys’ and Christ’s College. Otago Boys’ currently holds this trophy
Otago High School Old Boys’ Society – Associate Fellow
David Kirkland (1944-46) – Friend
Wilson Montgomery (1955-57) – Old Boys’
Derek Brown (1956-60) – Friend
Bill Robertson (1962-66) – Associate Fellow
Geoffrey Davies (1961-63) - Fellow

Congratulations

* Graeme Marsh (1947-51), noted Dunedin businessman and philanthropist, and Patron of the Otago Boys’ High School Foundation, was acknowledged at a function in Dunedin last week for his 50 years of membership of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

* There is every prospect of Otago Boys’ dominating the local basketball scene for several years to come.

The squad, split into two teams, finished in the top two places in the city's secondary school competition and also qualified for the national championships to be contested in Christchurch in late-September.

Averaging a winning margin of 80 points, it seems likely there is more to come. No fewer than seven of the 11 squad members are in Year 11 (5th form), signalling a period of domination over the next few years.

Ten of the squad were named in this winter's Otago Under 17 team while three also represented the province's under 19 side. Three players - Paratene McLeod, Morgan Nathan and Hayden Miller- are members of the New Zealand under 16 squad.

An exercise is currently underway to assess the viability of the Otago Boys' squad travelling to the United States for a series of matches in late-2007.

* Stoked, but shocked'.

That was the reaction of James Adams (1994-1998) as he received the accolades for winning the annual Otago Daily Times' Aria in the city.

A baritone, James took out Otago's premier aria competition with his performances of Britten's Within this frail crucible of light and Gounod's Avant de quitter ces lieux.

James celebrated receiving his $2,000 prize with 'a couple of drinks' before heading back to Wellington where he is studying at the New Zealand School of Music.

The aria is one of the Otago Daily Times' longest-running sponsorships.

Headlines

* Great news for fans of Jonathan Lemalu (1989-93).

He'll be back in Dunedin in May next year as part of a NBR-sponsored tour of the four main centres along with Napier.

The NBR New Zealand Opera is joining forces with Chamber Music New Zealand to host the tour where Jonathan will sing arias from Falstaff, Eugene Onegin and Don Giovanni.

He is now one of the most sought-after talents on the international concert, operatic and recital circuits with bookings years ahead and a three-year contract with EMI Classics.

* Otago and New Zealand cycling fans engrossed in the Tour de France over the next decade will have a special reason to take note.

Greg Henderson (1990-94) has just signed with the elite German professional team T-Mobile and while it may not happen next year, he seems certain to start in the Tour in the years ahead.

Greg will now contest the crack European road circuit, fresh from a terrific United States-based year where he finished second on the rankings behind the seemingly doomed 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

A world scratch race track champion in 2004, Greg has been granted an early-release from the US team Health Net-Maxxis.

Where are they now?

* The Hon Robert Smellie (1945-48) officially retired from the bench in 1998 but continues to preside in the Cook Islands, Fiji and in various arbitration courts in New Zealand.

After graduating from Otago University with his LL.B in 1958, Robet practised until 1976, being awarded the Bruce Elliott Memorial prize, for service to the law and the community, in 1972. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1979, became a Member of the New Zealand Law Society's Disciplinary Tribunal and was appointed Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Tribunal in 1982.

A Judge of the High Court in Auckland from 1985 to 1998, Robert continued in the role after compulsory retirement, taking the reins as Acting Judge for a further five years.

His work didn't stop there. He was the Chancellor or Vice Chancellor to the Archbishop of Melanesia from 1975 to 2004, was appointed the Complaints Review Officer to the Auckland City Council in 1999, was made a Life Member of the LAWASIA, a member of the Commonwealth Lawyers' Association and a member of the New Zealand Bar Association.

Since 2000 he has been the Judge of the Court of Appeal in Fiji and has filled the same role for the Cook Islands since 2001.

Robert was awarded the New Zealand Commemoration medal in 1990 and made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2000.

Reunion

A weekend reunion for the year groups 1965, ’66 & ’67 is planned for early-July 2007.

Details are available by making contact with Ross Graham or Mike Esdaile.

Their email addresses are - rmgraham1@aapt.net.au and takeme.2.net respectively.

Archives

The Foundation has recently received two wonderful gifts – from the collections of Old Boys.

It is the Foundation’s intention to assist with the development of a high quality museum at the school, this facility to house the history of our great institution.

David Campbell (1935-37) has gifted the Dux medal presented to a relation of his in 1882, Charles Thomas Little (1877-82). Charles was the Senior Provincial Scholar; a junior and then senior University Scholar; he graduated from Otago University with a Master of Arts degree in 1889 and then from the Medical School as MBChB in 1893; and practiced medicine in Culverden and Waikare, being keenly interested in all local activities. He died in Waikare in 1918.

We are indebted to David, who is a Friend of the Foundation.

As we are to Dr Kelvin Bremner (1939-43), a Fellow of the Foundation, who has gifted a set of his school magazines.

These are in terrific order and give a wonderful account of school life and activities during the early years of the Second World War.

While the construction of a purpose-built museum is a little way off yet, the Foundation is happy to act as a conduit through which to donate archival material. If you have items you believe would be of value to the museum and its collection, please make contact with the Foundation office.

Class lists

Class lists are now available for viewing on the Foundation's website Home Page.

Please check your year and others. The majority of Old Boys still remain unaccounted for and your assistance with the tracking process would be gratefully received.

Recent deaths

William Isbister Laing (1937-1941), died in Auckland on 3rd September 2006, aged 82. William was a retired agricultural officer who spent many years working in the Solomon Islands.

Bob (William Robert) McIlroy (1947), died in Dunedin on 5th September 2006, aged 73. Bob was a registered and chartered structural engineer who worked at JRG Hanlon in Dunedin.

Fred (Frederick John) Robinson (1934-36), died in Dunedin Hospital on 18th September 2006, aged 85. Fred was a design engineer during his working life with much of that time spent at Farra Brothers in Dunedin. He was the first Patron of the Balmacewen Bowling Club.

Bill (George William Turner) Christie (1950-53), died in Assisi, Italy while on holiday on 20th September 2006, aged 69. Bill was a highly respected businessman and a long-serving deputy mayor of Dunedin City.

Russell Blair Read (1951-54), died in Sydney in mid-September.

William George Coleman (1933-36), died in Christchurch on 23rd September 2006, aged 86. George served in the Fleet Air Arm in the Second World War and was a retired school teacher

Ken (Kenneth Allan) Campbell (1949-53), died at Ross Home in Dunedin on 27th September 2006, aged 70. Ken was a retired pharmacist and a long-standing member of the Old Boys' Society.

Geoff (Charles Geoffrey) Lindley (1956-60), died in Dunedin on 28th September 2006, aged 63. Geoff was a retired primary school principal and a successful rugby coach at premier club level.

Peter James Scott (1944-46), died in Christchurch on 29th September 2006, aged 76. Peter served for many years as the company secretary for the Alliance Freezing Company in Invercargill.

Alan James Hellyer (1958), died in Dunedin on 2nd October 2006.

Steve Davie

Chief Executive