In its 150th year of operating, Brunswick School's roll is bigger than it has ever been with 103 students. Photo / Bevan Conley
In its 150th year of operating, Brunswick School's roll is bigger than it has ever been with 103 students. Photo / Bevan Conley
Stories will be shared and history celebrated when past and present students of Brunswick School come together for its 150th jubilee.
The rural school 15km outside Whanganui will celebrate 150 years of education with festivities on Friday and Saturday, October 20-21.
Principal Jane Corcoran said the anniversary was significant as a way for the community to come together and reminisce on an important part of the rural community.
“I think celebrating history is really important for the current students and staff, as well as all of the past students and their families,” Corcoran said.
She thought the school had attained such longevity thanks to strong support from the rural community in Brunswick.
“We have fourth-generation students coming here, so even if the families aren’t farming the land they still want their children to come here so they send them out to school here.”
In recent years the school has experienced significant growth, expanding from two classrooms to five.
The school has recorded its largest roll this year with 103 children.
Recent additions to the school include a new main deck, library cabin and vegetable garden, among others.
Office administrator Judi Huthnance was working at the school when it celebrated its 125th anniversary so had witnessed its growth first-hand.
When she first came to the school, her children attended and the roll was around 20.
The school field back then had sheep on it.
“The children ran around among all the sheep poo, they had to clean their feet when they came in,” she said.
The old Brunswick School house, which was originally across the road from where the school is now. Photo / Supplied
For her, the biggest change over those 25 years was the implementation of technology as computers were only just starting to be used in classrooms when she began.
“Our principal at that stage was quite good on a computer, so we were well ahead of other schools probably.
“When I started here as a teacher aide and an office worker we used to photocopy books into big books and paint them ourselves.”
Corcoran was brought up in the area and attended Brunswick Pony Club, which was near the school, so one of her first memories of the school was of children riding horses to and from school.
She was pleased to see some continued to do so today.
“It’s really lovely after school seeing some kids still riding home ... kids going home on horses, on motorbikes, on tractors, it’s really nice,” she said.
The biggest change the school had gone through since she became principal was becoming an enviroschool and the resulting changes in their practices.
Brunswick School class of 1976. Teacher on the left Mr W Goodgame and Principal on the right Mr G Grenside. Photo / Supplied
The jubilee will start on Friday night with a meet and greet at Brunswick Hall to allow past students to reconnect and share stories as well as look at photographs and memorabilia from the school’s past.
Saturday will start with a powhiri by the current students to welcome past students and their whānau, after which there will be a cake cutting by the eldest living pupil and youngest current pupil of the school.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe will plant a tree with the oldest pupil.
Groups will be taken on guided tours around the school to see its new developments and enviroschool practices.
There will then be a shared lunch before the jubilee concludes with a dinner at Wanganui Golf Club on Saturday night.
People interested in the festivities needregister online for organisational and catering purposes.
Corcoran and Huthnance hoped a lot of people would come to the school on the Saturday as it would givepast students a chance to reminisce and catch up with their peers.
“I hope it’s a time to reminisce and share stories of the fun things or the not-so-fun things that happened at school.”
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.
