St. Stephen's Native Girls' School.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 489, 21 December 1850, Page 1 (Supplement)

St. Stephen's Native Girls' School.

In our last we noticed the formal opening of this School on Monday last ; but that notice was necessarily too brief to be commensurate with the interest of the occasion. We now return to the subject, and shall commence by giving a short but authentic narrative of the history of the School. The Establishment is called " St. Stephen's Native Girls' School," because it is situated on the same block of land — in fact, it adjoins and even stands on a part of the land (near the residences of the Chief Justice and the AttorneyGeneral,) occupied formerly by St. Stephen's Chapel, which, with its burying-ground, was consecrated at the time when Kororarika was destroyed. The "Native Girls' School" may be said to \ date its origin from the commencement of the Rev. G. A. Kissling's labours in New Zealand, at Hicks's Bay. Mr. Kissling did not come as a novice to the work of training an aboriginal race. He had passed fourteen years on the western coast of Africa ; and, — at Fourah Bay, j in Sierra Leone — he had for seven yeats superintended a similar undertaking. From the Institution for the advancement of Christian instruction of which he there had charge, a large number' of native teachers and schoolmasters went forth prepared to labour amongst 3,000 or 4,000 children in that colony ; and four of thoss who were formerly his scholars have since been fully ordained, and are now preaching the Gospel to their own countrymen in the centre of Africa, — producing we trust, by the Divine blessing, happy illustrations of a principle of the validity of which we have long been convinced, namely, that, however indispensable European aid may be in the first instance, Native labour is that which alone | will work out the real and general christianization of deeply-wronged Africa. Struggling against the depressing influence of shattered health, Mr. Kissling engaged in the comparatively easier task of conducting a Female School in New Zealand. But he was not unsupported in the work. He had an " help-meet for him," who, long accustomed to tuition, bore more than an ordinary share in the effort. A serious illness, however, tore Mr. Kissling away from his interesting sphere of labour on the Eastern coast of New Zealand. He came to Auckland for medical aid ; but when he did so, a number of the Rawakawa female>pupils, sympathizing with his affliction, affectionately clung to and accompanied him and Mrs. Kissling. Having settled down at Rohimarama, on the Bishop's premises, the number of scholars, small at first, soon increased. Meantime, Mr. Kissling's health was gradually restored, and all seemed to promise well. But in 1848, another trial came. While he and the inmates of his house were at church in a native village in the neighbourhood, his whole establishment was destroyed by fire, and he with his household, were left houseless and destitute. They were not forsaken, however, either of God or man ; and out of this seeming calamity, arose the present St. Stephen's School. Aid towards its formation was afforded from several quarters. Mr. Chief Justice Martin was, we believe, one of its earliest benefactors, giving a A r aluable portion of land for its purposes, — the earnest of the active and benevolent assistance which he has since steadily rendered to it. The Bishop purchased an adjoining piece of land, and the Govkrnor-in-Chief granted a still larger portion, making in the aggregate about 80 acres, — the whole of which property is now legally settled for the support of a Native Girls' School, the pupils to which are admissible from all parts of New Zealand, and from the Islands of the Pacific Ocean generally. 4? With a view to the erection of suitable buildings, the Government grants allotted to the School were permitted to accumulate for 1

several years ; and the Governor- in-Chief byvarious official and private acts of kindness urged on and fostered the undertaking. In Mr. Kissling's words (on Monday,) " Faith still held firmly the tree of promise in her hand ; the little birds still hovered around to nestle under its branches ; Charity assisted Faith : Faith and Charity brought forth Patience: and Patience prepared the way for St. Stephen's Native Girls School." The issue has been the construction of the present buildings, of which the following is a brief description. The entire length is 120 feet, with two wings each 56 feet long. In the middle it is 17 feet wide, and in the wings 15 feet. In the centre of the building is ths principal room called " The Hall," and adjoining and connected with it by a moveable partition, is the School-room. On the other side of the Hall is the Kitchen. ' The East. Wing is appropriated as the residence of Mr. Kissling's family ; and in the West Wing are the dormitories. In the rear of the main buildings, at a distance of about 60 feet from them, are the laundry, bakehouse, &c, which, however, are not yet completed. In walking through the different apartments, we were much struck by their admirable proportions and general arrangements, and by the effective manner in which thorough ventilation is secured. In every thing connected with its architectural plan and execution the Institution is deeply indebted to the skill and zeal of the Rev. Frederick Thatcher, under whose superintendence the whole was devised and constructed. The number of Girls in the School in the year 1 849, was thirty -five, when a debt was incurred amounting to £1 1 1 . The embarrassment which might thus have been produced was happily relieved by the liberality of Sir George Guey, who placed at Mr. Kissling's disposal a private donation of £100, and did so, we are informed, " in a manner not less hand* some than the gift itself." During the year 1850, the average number of girls has been twenty-one: — the expenses, £148: — the income £ 1 20 ; leaving the School at present in debt, £28. The formal opening on Monday last will, we cannot doubt, give a salutary impulse to the progress of the Institution. The number and respectability of the parties present on the occasion afforded strong evidence of the interest excited by it. The Bishop of New Zealand himself conducted the proceedings, the order of which was arranged nearly as follows. — The Bishop, in the first instance, read the regular Church service for the evening, in the course of which, a Maori hymn was delightI fully sung. At the conclusion of the service, his Lordship called the girls of the school by name one after another, presenting to each a Prayer-book. Archdeacon W t Williams then briefly addressed the scholars in their native language, impressing upon them that — however sound the form of words contained in those books might be — it was essential in order to their praying aright, that they should engage in their devotions with sincerity, and from the heart. After this, an interval elapsed, during which the agreeable episode of a substantial dinner was given to the Natives present on the occasion. On the re-assembling of the company, a very interesting, and rather amusing scene took place. Several of the lads from St. John's College, presented offerings as tokens of regard to the girls of St. Stephen's school. For instance, the printers and book-binders presented to each girl a copy of the College Almanac for the ensuing year ; and the spin- , nets and weavers presented a large piece of cloth of a very substantial fabric j and little fellows who had nothing else to give, brought nosegays; and, in short, all did what they could, and the result seemed mutual and entire satisfaction. Next came a vocal performance in which the young Maories sung a number of pieces, moVe than pleasingly, enunciating the English words with marked distinctness, and affording a new confutation of the libel that the natives have not an ear and a taste for music. Considering that most of the singers have been only a short time under instruction, and that from unavoidable circumstances, their instruction has been given without that regularity which European teachers declare to be essential to progress, the performance was not merely gratifying, but almost surprising. A high meed of praise is due in this paiticular to the Rev. A. G. Purchas, whose taste, ability, and assiduity have produced such musical effects, as we, with many others, enjoyed and appreciated on Monday. The subsequent proceedings assumed much of the character of an united School and Mis- ,

sionary Meeting. The Bishop, in a lucid and eloquent address, recapitulated the facts in the history of the School which we have already stated, and then gave some accouni of the late Conference of Bishops in Sydney, with especial reference to the proposition that there should be an Australasian Board of Church of England Missions, having affiliated with it Diocesan Boards, it being suggested that the Missionary Association here should merge in the Board for the New Zealand Diocese. His Lordship, however, expressed a doubt whether that would be a suitable occasion on which to effect such a decision ; and this appearing to be the prevailing opinion, no step was then taken in the matter* We therefore ourselves pass it by for the pre* sent, intending at an early day to lay before our readers an account of the conclusions which, on this and other matters, were arrived at, by the Episcopal Conference in Sydney. Subsequently the meeting was addressed by the Rev. G. A. Kissling, Mr. Chief Justice Martin, Archdeacon W.Williams, (who strikingly contrasted the state of New Zealand when he commenced his labours in it twenty-five years ago, with its present condition and prospects), the Ecv. R. Maunsell, Pkrcival Berrey, Esq., Captain Pitt, (who, on behalf of his Father, his Excellency the Lieutenant-Go-vbrnor of New Ulster, expressed cordial concurrence in the objects of the meeting),- and Mr. Vidal. Bishop Kgnn's well known " Evening Hymn " was then sung with touching effect by Mr. Purchas's Maori musical pupils, and the Bishop having pronounced the Benediction, the deeply interesting proceeding* of the day terminated. Although our narrative of the circumstances connected with the occasion have, almost imperceptibly to ourselves, extended to a considerable length, we cannot doubt that it will be acceptable to the friends of such sound and scriptural education as is impaited in this and other schools, which are aided by the provisions of the Education Ordinance, and forwarded by Sir George Grey's lively personal interest in, the training up of the aboriginal race on right principles. We shall sincerely rejoice if our having brought the St. Stkphen's School somewhat prominently before our readers should help to secure for it augmented and still in* creasing sympathy and support.