EARLY THORNTON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 228, 21 October 1940, Page 5

EARLY THORNTON

MORE ABOUT THE SCHOOL CHURCH SERVICES AND SOME, OF THE MINISTERS To-day we conclude the reminiscences of early Thornton contributed by Mrs Laura H.\ Sheat, former well known' pioneer of that district and now living in retirement in Auckland. I remember the coming of each teacher. When Mrs Mills, the retiring teacher left, a Miss Adams came in the spring of 1915. She resigned after the summer vacation, and her place was taken by Mrs Fyers, from Rangiriro, a most energetic teacher, who stayed 3 years doing excellent Avork. Miss Haddow, from Auckland, then came in 1918 when there were only 11 pupils, and the great influenza epidemic was such a setback. She pioved a good teacher and stayed till the end of June 1919, resigning and going to Ohinew T ai School. Relieving teachers living in the district were appointed. Miss Tresider for 3 weeks and Mrs A. Sheat for 9 weeks. The school roll then went up to 26. It was difficult to get a teacher in the war years, but eventually we heard of Miss V. Ellmers, of Gisborne.," who was teaching in a private family, and was only 18 years of age. She arrived in October 1919 and worked well, leaving at the end of 1920 and the roll went up to 40. Miss Ellmers later passed through

the Teachers' Training College at Wellington and had a successful teaching career. The war being over and more teachers available we were fortunate in securing from the Auckland Training College C. R. French, who remained for 15 years at the Thornton School, and,was an excellent teacher. After a year or two in the "old tin shed" Mr French was settled in a new up-to-date school of two class rooms, built on the site we had so long striven to acquire. The four acres were laid out in lawns, gardens and. tennis courts. So the old tin shed was vacated for the new Academy of Learning. How I remember the great hollow in front of the school! In winter it was full of muddy water, where sows with their offspring wallowed and grunted—a most realistic setting for an Academy! What a number of pupils have passed through the old tin shed—where are they now? It would have been interesting if one could have got them together at the Silver Jubilee in August 1937. What pleasant evenings we have spent there! But the years have brought changes with them. Thei-e are those who never knew life in the "old tin shed"' or the flat and raupo of the old Bohemian days, when our neighbour was one wlh.o helped us out oi a bog or a rut. when we were all draining the sw ami), living in hope. We can never forget the happy days in the old school and the organ which helped to fill our lives with music. ,

Church Services at Thornton. Church services were held in the Thornton School till the Presbyterian Hall at Edgecumbe was built, with a Manse there and Minister in residence. About that time a Clhurch Hall was built at Thornton on the corner section adjoining the school, an acre donated by Mrs Troiitbeck, who desired that a Church should be built there in memory of her old friend Canon Jordan, of Tauranga, and a Public Hall for the use of settlers. However, this was not done, and a: Church Hall was built to serve the needs of the community . Pioneer Preachers of Rangitaiki. I remember the names of some of the Presbyterian Ministers and Anglican clergymen who conducted services in "the old tin shed," when it served all denominations as a place for Church services. Among them were the Rev. William Piatt (Presbyterian), who used to ride on horseback, with his books in a saddle bag, preaching at Matata in the morning, Thornton in the afternoon, and Whakatane in the evening. The roads were passable only by horse,back in those 1914-18 years. There were also the Revs Adam Madill, Prebble, L. H. Ker, Ravin, Patterson, Klingender, Chatterton, William Gow and W. Butterworth, and on occasions the Bishop of Waiapu. Some of these preachers have "passed on," but we remember them still, and the little organ, and all they stood for in our little community of Thornton of long ago. They will be with us while memory lasts. "Man goeth forth to his work And his labour, until the evening."