23/05/2026
Tairua School
It was as far back as 1877 that Tairua had its first public school although it appears it was only open for the first two terms of that year. The school roll back then was eight boys and fifteen girls with one teacher - Captain Thomas Broun. By the following year, the school roll increased with thirty-eight new admissions and by 1879, sixty-three children were enrolled but that fluctuated for the next decade or so. The site that the school was built on belonged to the mill.
In 1938 a grant was applied to the Director of Education to acquire a site (where the school is situated today) and to build a two-classroom school. A request was also made that the adjoining one-acre section be available as a playing area. But between then and 1940, the school roll had dropped dramatically from thirty-nine pupils to sixteen and, as some families had left Tairua owing to very little work, there was little to no chance of the roll increasing, It was decided to reduce the size of the building and the new, smaller school was built in 1941.
Ann Goodhew recalls that she was one of the first pupils at the new school and how they were taught to grow vegetables and flowers for the school garden. Her first teacher was Donald Shaw, who later became headmaster at Hikuai and was a fantastic musician, playing at all the dances in the district. She recalled how, during the war, there were no male teachers so Mrs Bennett and her daughters arrived to teach. The school was in dire straits when Ann left as there were only nine pupils! Out of interest, between 1877 and 1950, there were twenty-four teachers, one relieving teacher, thirteen assistant teachers, one pupil-teacher in 1898. and in 1949, no permanent teacher at all.
John Purdon, headmaster from 1965 – 1985 remembers when in 1972, and the Hamilton Education Board had plans to build a bigger school, and they decided to take the old school rooms away. Here is his account:
I said, “You can’t remove it. You won’t be able to get it over the hill.” They said they didn’t want to demolish it so I said, “Well, I tell you what, the Golf Club could use it.” And they said, “Well alright, as long as it doesn’t cost us anything.” So, it cost the Golf Cub $900 and we brought it up and it’s still there. That big hall at the Golf club is the old kauri schoolroom.
References: Bennett. F (1986) Tairua. pp 59, 88,165,. Arrow Press, Morrinsville, NZ.
Rushforth. D. Tales of Tairua in Ann Goodhew. pp 72. Moth Publications, Tairua.
Rushforth. D. Tales of Tairua in John Purdon. pp 102. Moth Publications, Tairua.
The photos relate to: (1) Tairua School with children around 1924.
(2) The ‘new’ school in 1941.
📜Stay tuned -Next week I’ll try delving into the history shelves of our Library.
Follow our Tairua Heritage Society page as we continue sharing the stories that shape Tairua. Visit us at our Tairua Heritage Society Centre at 223 Main Road, Tairua and experience our history for yourself - we’d love to welcome you!
