TE AUTE COLLEGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1918, Page 5

TE AUTE COLLEGE.

DESTROYED BY FIRE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, Last Night. At an early hour yesterday morning a fire occurred at Te Ante, the'greater part of the Maori College building being destroyed. The fire started between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. in the kitchen. In two hours the buildings, which were- of wood, were burned to the ground. The main building; headmaster's residence, and a number of outbuildings were all destroyed, with the exception of a quantity of furniture from the headmaster's residence. The chapel and class, rooms were unharmed. The boys of the school were heavy losers. The sum of £SOOO had recently been spent in effecting improvements and additions about the buildings. The insurances were for £5400 in the National Insurance office and £IOOO in the Royal Exchange office The pupils have been sent to their homes for the present, but temporary arrangements for accommodation will be made in a fortnight. The Te Auto College was founded in 1872 by Ven. Archdeacon Williams, and is administered by a board of trustees. It occupied a splendid situation on the crest of a small hill, and was an extremely picturesque old building. The college owns about 7000 acre 3 of land round Tc Aute. This was granted to the school partly by Sir George Grey's Government and partly by the Maoris themselves.