Celebrations in order for Durie Hill School’s 150 years of education in Whanganui

Whanganui's Durie Hill School principal Sheena Stampa. Photo / Finn Williams

Whanganui’s Durie Hill School is set to celebrate 150 years of education, with students past and present to come and take part in the festivities.

School principal Sheena Stampa said it was significant for the school to make it to this milestone and celebrate its history.

“Having travelled overseas, I’ve been in the UK for 10 years, for me historical events and history are pretty significant and you learn a lot from the past.

“There’s a lot that has happened in education and in school and even in Durie Hill School,” Stampa said.

The celebration is for both the current school and its original incarnation as Mars Hill School.

Mars Hill School opened in 1873, situated on a piece of farmland named Mars Hill, around 3km down the No 2 Line from where the school is today.

In July 1911 the education board decided to move Mars Hill School, which only had a role of 20 at the time, to Durie Hill.

The population of Durie Hill had increased and some children who lived on Durie Hill attended Mars Hill, while others went into town, so it was decided a more central location was needed.

At the end of the school year on November 27, the schoolhouse was jacked up and transported by horse and traction engine to its new site, where it remains to this day.

The school, now renamed Durie Hill School, reopened on January 29, 1912, with a roll of 79 pupils.

These days the school has a roll of about 230 students, with new enrolments throughout the year boosting it to about 260.

The celebrations will take place from Wednesday, October 18 to Saturday, October 21. Stampa said they would start with current students taking part in events on Wednesday and Thursday.

“We’re going to have a grandparent’s morning, we’re going to have a dress up parade, we’re going to have traditional games happening throughout the school where our community will be invited to be part,” Stampa said.

On Thursday the school will also have a hāngī shared lunch with students and parents, with drinks and light food to be had after school in the school hall on Friday.

For Saturday morning a morning tea and welcome will be held at the school, with guided tours of the facilities and a tree planted to commemorate the milestone.

Those in attendance will also be invited to lunch at the Wanganui East Club from 1pm to 3pm.

Stampa hoped the events would allow past pupils of the school to reconnect and reminisce as well as celebrate how far the school had come.

“The aim is to reconnect, come back together, share those memories, acknowledge the successes that have happened here at Durie Hill School and even just to appreciate where we’ve come and where we’re heading.”

The celebratory events also tied neatly into the school’s new Aotearoa history curriculum, which is part of the nationally revamped education curriculum.

Part of this had been a localisation effort for history classes, for which Stampa said the celebrations and the history of the school were a great topic.

“We’ve done quite a bit of work around our localised curriculum and this is a really great opportunity to look at where we fit in the community,” she said.

Stampa has been the principal of Durie Hill for only one term, after longtime principal Geoff Simes retired at the end of term two this year.

She said Simes still had a role at the school and was involved in the celebration but it had been a very easy transition and a great first term as principal.

“It’s definitely been a successful term,” she said.

People who wish to attend the Friday and Saturday events need to register on the school’s website.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.