Hutt Valley High School: Meeting the Needs of its Community
It is interesting that Hutt Valley High School and Petone College share common origins
and were closely linked in their formative years.
The beginnings of co-educational state schooling in the Valley occurred when the
growing industries in Petone, such as the Gear Meat Works, and the Railway workshops,
required the formation of Petone School in 1904. A secondary department was added as a
District High School in 1905 and operated from Prices Building in Sydney Street. It
shared the same site as the Technical school (which provided technical education for
workers in the evenings) from 1915 to 1925.
Meanwhile, the Hutt Valley increased in population, due to the improved communication
with Wellington; the work of the River Board in providing stopbanks; and general urban
growth during this period.
From 1910 onwards there was an active group of Hutt Valley citizens who had a vision of
a High School in the Valley, and who approached the council to acquire a site for the
school. In 1915 the Education Department purchased the 18 acres which became the present
site of the school. However it took ten years of appeals to the government before Hutt
Valley High School was formed.
It was created by amalgamating Petone District High School and Hutt District High
School. The new school had to stay on its Petone Site, but shifted to the present site on
May 31st 1926 .and it wasnt until further population growth of the valley led to the
creation of Petone Memorial College in 1930. The schools first principal was Mr. H.
P Kidson and at that time the new school comprised nine classrooms and one laboratory,
being half the proposed school.
In those early years Hutt Valley High school had a rural atmosphere, for the grounds
were farmed for a year or two with the local farmers lending sheep, The first school
caretaker, H.J.M. Stirling, was employed by the school until he died in 1959, at which
time a memorial sundial was unveiled by the Prime minister, Walter Nash. The sundial is
today a memorial to students of the school who died during their time at Hutt Valley High
School.
Despite the caretaker, in those days it was expected that "The girls by voluntary
labour keep the flower beds in order". This was however a subject for a school debate
in the 1930s, "That boys as well as girls should help with the school
gardens".
The boys, however, were probably busy in the Cadet Company, which featured rifle-drill;
parades; and was the Guard of Honour at the opening of the Riddiford Baths. This training
corp, funded by the armed forces, was later added to by the formation of the Sea Cadet
Corp, and the ATC. No doubt they welcomed the introduction of a Rifle Range at the school
in 1955. I wonder how many of those young men of the training corp went on to become part
of the schools Roll of Honour. In the yearbooks of the 1940s there is photo after
photo of smiling young men, who died in the distant theatres of World War Two.
This was also the era when air-raid shelters were part of the school environment. (They
were still being maintained as late as 1955.) The school was also affected by outbreaks of
Polio, closing early in 1947 and opening later in1948.
Hutt Valley High School has always had a reputation for scholarship and many honours
have been awarded to its students. The schools first Rhodes Scholarship was
awarded to D. Vere- Jones in 1957; he had been Dux of the school in 1953.
A wide range of sporting pursuits and excellence has been another feature of the
school. Some families have become noted for their involvement and development of sport;
the Grant-Taylor family, for example, have a long involvement in fencing. Public speaking
and debating have also been an important strand of school life.
The school has staged many drama productions over the years - Oklahoma, Our Town,
Brigadoon, Bless the Bride and many others. The diversity of talent they reveal enriches
school life.
Music, too, has long been a rich part of school life, from the early "Girls
Choir" to todays "All Comers Choir", from Dance Band to Jazz Band.
HVHS has been swinging through the decades. Another feature of the early Years were the
annual French Evenings, while more recently, changing times are reflected in the
Multi-Cultural Evenings.
The Tararuas and the Orongorongos have held an irresistible attraction to pupils and
teachers alike, for tramping clubs and the Duke of Edinburgh tramps. Many tramps have
lured groups of students in organized excursions into the Bush. Sadly, we lost a teacher
in a snowstorm in the Tararuas in the 1940s and during one Easter two students were
drowned while in the same area.
In the 1930s the nationwide housing shortage was met by the construction of state
housing, Naenae, Taita and Epuni being major areas of housing development. This meant
there were many more teenagers. During the 1950s the need for a further secondary school
in the Valley was recognised.
Hutt Valley High School Board managed the new Naenae College for a year before it
became fully independent, meeting the need of the new housing areas. Further schools were
established - Taita College in 1957 and Waiwhetu Girls College in 1958. There was some
concern that Waiwhetu Girls College would compete with Hutt Valley High School for pupils.
Despite this, the first Principal, Miss Martin, had been Senior Assistant Mistress at
HVHS.
"Rebel without a Cause" hit the picture theatres and during the 1950s
the school also encountered the new "teenage culture" through new ideas and
events such as, "The milk bar cowboy" and the teenage "immorality
trial" of 1954. These momentous events were of concern to the
schools Principal and Board. They responded by consulting with parents and the
Minister of Education.
By 1968 the roll had grown to 1300 and accommodation was stretched. The Waihine Storm
of April 10 1968 didnt help, as roof tiles were dislodged and prefabs lost roofs,
windows were blown in, and the school was closed while volunteers salvaged books and
equipment.
In 1969 Hutt Valley High School became home to the "Outpost" - a Secondary
Teacher training facility for those unable to train in other centres. The 1960s also saw
the arrival of the first "international" student, from Malaya, a trend which has
increased over the last 20 years, adding an international atmosphere to Hutt Valley High
school.
Once again consultation with parents was required, as the school entered the 1970s, and
the NZ Secondary Schools Student Association published "The Little Red School
Book" - a hand book of "student rights". This was the era when students
rebelled against hair length regulations and the uniform code. One staff member referred
to such behaviour as an "outburst of defiance and insolence" but it was in tune
with the era of demonstrations against the Vietnam War, and the Hippie phenomenon.
The 1980s saw further growth and expansion of the school. With the closure of Petone
Memorial College, and the incorporation of the two sites under one administration, we see
a further evolution of the dream envisioned by those far-sighted citizens so many years
ago.
|