HEADMASTER REVISITS ADOPTED COUNTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 231, 19 December 1927, Page 9

HEADMASTER REVISITS ADOPTED COUNTRY

MR. W. S. LITTLEJOHN OF SCOTCH COLLEGE MELBOURNE, RETURNS

Fishing the lakes and streams of New Zealand is an ideal respite from the responsibility of teaching 1,200 boys in one of Australia’s

largest colleges. Such is the opinion of Mr. W. S. Littlejohn, M.A., Principal of Scotch College, Melbourne, a Scotchman by birth, but a New Zealander by adoption. who returned by the Aorangi this morning for a six weeks’ holiday in what he likes to call his native country. Although born at Aberdeen, Scotland, and educated at that town, he is intensely proud of New Zealand. Mr. Littlejohn spent 22 years at Nelson College, being principal there for five years. In 1904 he went to Australia as principal of Scotch College, a position he has held since as well as being a member of the Council of Public Education, Victoria, and member of the Council and Schools Board of the University of Melbourne. Nevertheless, he calls himself a New Zealander. “It is a wonderful country,” he said this morning, as the Aorangi berthed under conditions which could best be described as Auckland at its best. “New Zealanders I come across in Australia all appear to be doing well,” remarked Mr. Littlejohn. "They are good boys, and lam always proud of them,” stated the kindly and genial headmaster. Scotch College, he stated, was one of what was called the “great public schools” of Australia. It was one of the largest of its kind in the Empire and is well imbued with the public school spirit. A number of very distinguished Australians have passed through its portals, including General Sir John Monash, the distinguished Australian soldier, and the Hon. H. fc>. Lawson, a former Premier of \ ictona. BACK TO “SLEEPY HOLLOW”

Both of Mr. Littlejohn’s sons served with distinction as captains in the medical service during the late war. The eldest, C. W. B. Littlejohn, was a Victorian Rhodes Scholar and rowed in two winning crews for Oxford against Ca it lb ls' d Mr’- Littlejohn’s Intention to visit Taupo and Rotorua for the fishing and, of course, his old home town. “They probably still call it faleepy Hollow’,” he said, “but nevertheless it one of the nicest little places I know" Nelson is due for a visit from Mr. Littlejohn very shortly.