SCHOOL JUBILEE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 69, 20 August 1947, Page 5

SCHOOL JUBILEE

TANEATUA-OPOURIAO NORTH EARLY HISTORY Appropriate to the coming Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Taneatua-Opouriao North School is a resume of the progress made since the Opouriao 'estate was settled in 1896 under the Government Land Settlement scheme; when the first farms were ballotted for, as were the acre and a half-acre sections set aside for the Taneatua village. The first business opened in Taneatua was the general store and bakery established by the late Mr Geo. Wilson. By all accounts Mr Wilson was a most generous gentleman, his Xmas box to each family being a fruit cake or the ingredients with which to make one. (Taneatua grocers please note). Mail was brought in from Whakatane twice weekly, Taneatua mail .being left at the store and mail for Opouriao carted on to a small hut near Mr Rust’s farm, which served as a post office to the southern end of the valley. Opening of School The school was opened in August 1897 as a part-time establishment with Mr Pocock as sole teacher. The southern end of the valley already boasted a school, one having been established there in the previous May. Old residents recall the time when the village school was the centre, of social activity, dances and socials being attended not only by

local residents, but by sailors who rode from Whakatane to add tone to the party. This was in the days when boats considerably larger than those now frequenting the Whakatane Harbour, were able to berth at the old wharf. The hall, known for so many years as the Drill Hall, was built for the old volunteers in 1902. Sheep, Cattle and Maize "When first settled the Opouriao •district was mainly given to sheep and cattle grazing and maize growing, but disastrous frosts two years in succession prompted the settlers to go in for milking, and in 1900 a one-vat cheese factory was opened about a mile south of the Taneatua village with Mr Tabor as manager, and Mr J. Moody, secretary. This gentleman still retains this position after 47 years. The first seasons payout was 7id per pound butterfat. Settlers sufficiently enterprising, churned butter and had it shipped to Auckland to the market. Butter 5d Per Lb. One gentleman recalls selling odd pounds of butter to the towndwellers in Whakatane at 4d per lb. A butter factory was opened at Otangihaku some three miles north of Taneatua, but it only, functioned for about four years. The Opouriao Factory started producing both butter and cheese. With the increased production it became necessary to rebuild in 1927 a new 8-vat capacity factory.

In 1905 the seeds of what has blossomed into the Whakatane-Rangi-"taiki A .and P. Show were sown, the first being held in the Taneatua Hall in that year; sponsored mainly by those enterprising early settlers of Opouriao. Hotel’s History In 1908 Mr H. Selman built and opened “Glenmore” boardinghouse which he afterwards sold to Mr G. IPeebles. This building is now the ‘Taneatua Hotel. The Post Office in Taneatua was

established in 1911, Miss Luistea being the first Postmistress and the late Mr C. Garlick the first mail contractor.

1913 saw the bridge over the Waimana river opened for traffic, and this was indeed a red letter day for the settlement. It meant that the floods v ere no longer the bogey they had been to farmers taking their milk to the factory. The drought of 1918 was broken by the opening of the Taneatua Hotel under the management of Mr Percy Isaacs. In 1926 the opening of the railway which had been eagerly awaited by all, really eventuated, another milestone on the way to progress for Opouriao. Of the early settlers the late Mr W. Reid, for many years County Chairman, and the late Mr A. Peebles were two who might be singled out for mention, both gave unstintingly of their health and time to furthering the interests of Opouriao and Taneatua, and Mr A. McGougan who is still in harness, is another gentleman of whom the valley might .justly be proud. The township of Taneatua itself has net grown to the extent one might have expected but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality, and the Jubilee Ceelbrations will be another occasion on which Taneatua will show its hospitality. SCHOOL RECORD OPOURIAO AND TANEATUA With growing interest attending the forthcoming school jubilee of the Opouriao and Taneatua schools it is interesting to recall that the first school was opened in 1897 as a part-time school with Mr Pocock as sole teacher. Mr Pocock spent three days at Opouriao and three days at Opouriao North, as Taneatua was then called.

Later Mr G. Somerville took over Opouriao as a full-time school. Two classrooms were added at various times and as the district grow, the Library, Presbyterian Sundayschool and the sports pavilion were all used as axuiliary classrooms. The Education Department had some years previously, purchased land on the Waimana Road for the erection of a school, but some of the settlers were of the opinion that a more central site should be selected. Finally agreement was reached and in 1939 a modern open-air' school was opened with Mr N. S. Fox as headmaster.

In the year 1920 the name was changed from Opouriao North to Taneatua as confusion had arisen on account of the two schools bearing the same name. Of the many teachers who have given such excellent service to the school and district, Mr C. J. Rogers was outstanding, he having spent over twenty years as headmaster during which time he had a direct hand in educating many of the districts leading residents. DETAILS OF PROGRAMME The following details of the programme to be observed have been drawn up:— 10 a.m.: Entertainment by present pupils. • 10.45: Bus trip round Valley by old ex-pupils. 12 noon: Lunch. 1 p.m.: Five minute speeches by representative speakers. 1.30: Roll-call and parade in tenyear groups. 2.45: Dress parade in fashion periods. 3 p.m.: Afternoon tea. 8 p.m.: Social and Dance, Taneatua Hall.