A shaky start: Pukehamoamoa School's 100 years of memories celebrated

Charlotte Harding, Millie Harding, Catherine Elliott and Kylie Morrison planting the pohutukawa tree, celebrating 100 years of Pukehamoamoa School. Photo / Supplied

Catherine Elliott's first day at Pukehamoamoa School was one to remember.

It just so happened that it was February 3, 1931. She'd barely got through a single lesson before the Hawke's Bay Earthquake struck.

Catherine, who turned 96 on Monday, said the bell had just rung for students to go outside for morning break.

Her new teacher was still inside when objects started falling.

"She came out and held my hand because I was the only new pupil.

"The whole place was rolling along," she said. "My father came down the road and got as many children in the car as he could."

The principal at the time kept a logbook and wrote down important events that happened.

The school was closed for about two weeks while it was stabilised and the area recovered.

From shaky times, Pukehamoamoa School recovered and celebrated its centenary on Saturday. Catherine was there to plant a pohutukawa tree as the school's oldest surviving former pupil with youngest, Millie Harding, 5, who started on Friday.

five-year-old Millie Harding planting a pohutukawa tree with 96-year-old Catherine Elliott and Kylie Morrison for Pukehamoamoa School's centenary. Photo / Supplied

Catherine said when she attended the rural Hastings school there were only about 10 students and just one classroom - whereas now there are many more students and five classrooms.

School principal Pania McVay-Stewart said over 200 people attended the celebrations.

Pukehamoamoa opened on February 14, 1921, and had a roll of just 22 students - many of which were the Harper Family.

The first principal of the school was Mr Bedingfield, who lived in the principal's house situated on the school's land where Taihape and Matapiro roads meet.

The first entry in the logbook was on February 21, 1921 and told the reader about how the students had been taught in the shelter shed but hoped to start work in the actual classroom soon.

Mrs Alva Harper was the first student to be enrolled at the school.

At the 75th jubilee, held on Saturday 13th November 1993, she cut the cake along with the then youngest student.

Pukehamoamoa loosely translates to the "Hill of the Moa Stones" as there are small pebbles in the hills around the school that are similar to the stones from the moa's gizzard that helped them digest food.

Current principal McVay-Stewart said the school today continues to go from strength to strength.