Orawia School [previously Merrivale]
Record Group
Identifier: A0348
School status
Closed [1898 - 1999] Operated under the name Merrivale School until 1925. Note: the Classification Returns may contain records from the other Merrivale School (previously Raymonds Gap).
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1889 - 1998
Conditions Governing Access
This collection contains RESTRICTED material. Please see notes on individual items for further information.
Biographical / Historical
School site - Section 32, Block 10, Merrivale Settlement, Waiau Survey District
In February 1897, the Merrivale school committee wrote to the SEB asking for a school in their district [Western Star, 6 February 1897, p.3]. In May, the SEB Inspector recommended the establishment of a half-time school to be worked in conjunction with Feldwick, the distance between these being less than between Feldwick and Eastern Bush [Western Star, 8 May 1897, p.3].
Another petition came from the settlers urgently requesting the school was needed as there were 20 children of school age in the district and the nearest school was eight miles away [Southland Times, 7 August 1897, p.4]. In September, as recommended by the inspector, the SEB agreed to a school being established at Merrivale, but that it was to be worked in conjunction with that at Feldwick as a half time school, and that the usual steps be taken to constitute a new school district, elect a committee and secure a suitable school site should now proceed [Southland Times, 2 October 1897, Page 3]. The committee recommended the building should be erected on Section 32, block 10, Waiau. The Board constituted the new districts of Merrivale and Feldwick, and re-adjusted the boundaries of Clifden and Eastern Bush accordingly [Western Star, 8 December 1897, p.3; Western Star, 11 December 1897, p.7].
The tender for the school was let before the New Year of 1898. Mr J. P. Peterson’s tender for £169.10s was for a building to accommodate 40 pupils [MacGibbon, p.32]. The school opened on 29 May 1898 with 14 children and 4 more in the next two days: Susan and Annie MCDONALD; Agnes and Jeannie FINDLAY; Hughina, Alexander and Robert SUTHERLAND; John, Mary, Patrick, Timothy and James CHAMBERLAIN; Edward and Emily ROGERS; and later Norman, Harry and Maude MOFFAT; Harry NORMAN [MacGibbon, p.57].
In June 1898, Mr J.P. Andrews was confirmed as Headmaster and under his leadership the school had nearly thirty on the roll, with an average attendance of over twenty by October. Parents now hoped that their school would be raised to the status of a full-time school, which, considering the number of children in the district and the length of time they were without a school, they considered they are entitled to [Southern Cross, 1 October 1898, p.8]. They also asked for a teacher residence to be built which was agreed to by the SEB. This was built by Mr R Seatter.
Merrivale became a full-time school in 1900 [MacGibbon, p.2]. An additional room was built in 1910, a staff room added in 1941, and in 1956, the Merrivale School building, previously called Raymond’s Gap, was moved to the Orawia site. Further additions were made in 1972 [MacGibbon, pp32-33].
Moves for a name change began early on in the school’s existence. The Education Board were advised of the confusion of a school having one name and the district it served, another. For instance, the new school at Ferdunlaw, just inside Raymond’s Gap, should have been called Raymond’s Gap school, and the school designated Raymond’s Gap should have been called Merrivale, while the present Merrivale School should have been named Orawia. Then, each would thus bear the name of the district in which it is located [Western Star, 9 January 1914, p.2]. Ten years on, in February 1925, the Merrivale School was renamed Orawia [MacGibbon, p.3].
The school merged with Clifden School in 1999 and became the Hauroko Valley School. The Orawia-Feldwick-Merrivale-Pukemaori Centennial was held 6-8 February 1998.
Photographic references
Several photos in both the MacGibbon books
References to staff
Farewell for Miss Boyd, teacher, Western Star, 3 October 1905, p.2
Bibliography
Papers Past, Southland Education Board records
MacGibbon, A. (1973). Orawia School and District History. Invercargill NZ: Times Printing Service.
MacGibbon, A. (1998; Compiler W. Godby). Orawia School 100 years centenary 1898-1998. Invercargill NZ: Craig Printing.
In February 1897, the Merrivale school committee wrote to the SEB asking for a school in their district [Western Star, 6 February 1897, p.3]. In May, the SEB Inspector recommended the establishment of a half-time school to be worked in conjunction with Feldwick, the distance between these being less than between Feldwick and Eastern Bush [Western Star, 8 May 1897, p.3].
Another petition came from the settlers urgently requesting the school was needed as there were 20 children of school age in the district and the nearest school was eight miles away [Southland Times, 7 August 1897, p.4]. In September, as recommended by the inspector, the SEB agreed to a school being established at Merrivale, but that it was to be worked in conjunction with that at Feldwick as a half time school, and that the usual steps be taken to constitute a new school district, elect a committee and secure a suitable school site should now proceed [Southland Times, 2 October 1897, Page 3]. The committee recommended the building should be erected on Section 32, block 10, Waiau. The Board constituted the new districts of Merrivale and Feldwick, and re-adjusted the boundaries of Clifden and Eastern Bush accordingly [Western Star, 8 December 1897, p.3; Western Star, 11 December 1897, p.7].
The tender for the school was let before the New Year of 1898. Mr J. P. Peterson’s tender for £169.10s was for a building to accommodate 40 pupils [MacGibbon, p.32]. The school opened on 29 May 1898 with 14 children and 4 more in the next two days: Susan and Annie MCDONALD; Agnes and Jeannie FINDLAY; Hughina, Alexander and Robert SUTHERLAND; John, Mary, Patrick, Timothy and James CHAMBERLAIN; Edward and Emily ROGERS; and later Norman, Harry and Maude MOFFAT; Harry NORMAN [MacGibbon, p.57].
In June 1898, Mr J.P. Andrews was confirmed as Headmaster and under his leadership the school had nearly thirty on the roll, with an average attendance of over twenty by October. Parents now hoped that their school would be raised to the status of a full-time school, which, considering the number of children in the district and the length of time they were without a school, they considered they are entitled to [Southern Cross, 1 October 1898, p.8]. They also asked for a teacher residence to be built which was agreed to by the SEB. This was built by Mr R Seatter.
Merrivale became a full-time school in 1900 [MacGibbon, p.2]. An additional room was built in 1910, a staff room added in 1941, and in 1956, the Merrivale School building, previously called Raymond’s Gap, was moved to the Orawia site. Further additions were made in 1972 [MacGibbon, pp32-33].
Moves for a name change began early on in the school’s existence. The Education Board were advised of the confusion of a school having one name and the district it served, another. For instance, the new school at Ferdunlaw, just inside Raymond’s Gap, should have been called Raymond’s Gap school, and the school designated Raymond’s Gap should have been called Merrivale, while the present Merrivale School should have been named Orawia. Then, each would thus bear the name of the district in which it is located [Western Star, 9 January 1914, p.2]. Ten years on, in February 1925, the Merrivale School was renamed Orawia [MacGibbon, p.3].
The school merged with Clifden School in 1999 and became the Hauroko Valley School. The Orawia-Feldwick-Merrivale-Pukemaori Centennial was held 6-8 February 1998.
Photographic references
Several photos in both the MacGibbon books
References to staff
Farewell for Miss Boyd, teacher, Western Star, 3 October 1905, p.2
Bibliography
Papers Past, Southland Education Board records
MacGibbon, A. (1973). Orawia School and District History. Invercargill NZ: Times Printing Service.
MacGibbon, A. (1998; Compiler W. Godby). Orawia School 100 years centenary 1898-1998. Invercargill NZ: Craig Printing.
Extent
1 box(es) (Boxes 1 - 3)
Language of Materials
English
Existence and Location of Originals
School photographs, uniform and magazines held at Southland Museum as of 29/6/1999.
Processing Information
This collection has been partially arranged and described. A small amount of unprocessed material remains in Accessions ICA01.004, ICE46. Contact Archives staff for details.
- Title
- Orawia School
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
