JOHN McGLASHAN COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 7

JOHN McGLASHAN COLLEGE

Twenty-first Anniversary Dominion Special Service. DUNEDIN, March 20. Founded by the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand and opened on February 12, 1918, John McGlashan College, Maori Hill, will this week celebrate its twenty-first anniversary. Its immediate origin was the gift of their house “Balmacewen,” on Maori Hill, by the daughters of John McGlashan. As well as establishing a memorial to his name, they were fulfilling a very strong ambition of their father, for as early as 1848, in the first number of the “Otago Journal,” of which he was editor, John McGlashan had set forth the plan of tin academy for both boarders and day boys "where a sound and liberal education, including instruction in the Scriptures” was to be provided for the children of Otago. John McGlashan was the only secretary of the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland for promoting the Otago Settlement. After five rears’ work in this capacity, in 1852 he sailed for New Zealand. Later he was provincial treasurer and solicitor, as well as deputy superintendent. He should be remembered also for his work for education, for his advocacy of large reserves, and for his zeal for his church. The school that bears his name can now, having reached maturity, look back on 21 years of good service to the community. The young men whom it has trained have had a good measure of success in academic life, specially in science and medicine, and are now, many of them, scattered throughout the Empire. Others are gaining responsibility in the commercial and agricultural life of Otago and Southland. The school has always endeavoured to give cultural advantages wider than mere qualifications for various callings and to train in independence. Two men who have done much for McGlashan College will be much missed next week. One is Mr. C. M. Gilray, for 12 years headmaster and now headmaster of Scotch College, Melbourne. The other is Mr. J. A. Dunning, for many years senior science and mathematics master as well as games master, now headmaster of Scots College, Warwick, Queensland.