Ngapopatu School,
1896 - 1911

Home | School History

Ngapopatu School

For pupils living at Annedale, Springhill and northern parts of the Manawa/Annedale Road, Tinui School was a long way away, with some students reportedly having to travel 10-15 kilometres to reach Tinui School - impractical on foot and quite a stretch for younger children on horseback.

In 1896 the public-spirited Robert Langdon set aside some land for a school on Ngapopatu Station and the community got together to build a schoolroom and offered to underwrite a teacher's salary to the tune of £70 per annum, at a time when teachers were earning about £90 per annum.

Naturally the Wellington Education Board accepted this offer and the school opened in 1896.

Unfortunately no records of this school remain, although it was in operation for 17 years - apart from a list of some of the first students (below) and items in local newspapers. 

20th October 1896 

Some public-spirited settlers at Ngapopatu near Tenui, in the Wairarapa, have built a school at their own expense, and now offer the Wellington Education Board to guarantee £70 a year for the salary of the teacher. The offer will no doubt be accepted.

22nd October 1896 

WANTED, a Teacher for an Aided School salary, £70 annum. 

Applications to be sent to Robert L. Langdon, Ngapopatu, Te Nui.

24th December 1896 

Opened a month ago; 20 children. 

3rd April 1897 

School Committee:  Messrs 

Robert Langdon (Chairman)
James Langdon,
James Cameron,
John Jepson,
William Bovey. 

24th November 1897 

Fanny Ahradsen, resigned Ngapopotu aided school.

28th July 1898 

Miss M. Robinson, of the Spit School (Probably at Napier), was appointed teacher at Ngapopotu.

9th May 1899 

Teacher, Ngapopotu School average, [students] 20. Salary. £90.

23rd May 1899 

Teacher Ngapopotu (£90), £10 housing allowance. 19 applicants.

1st June 1899 

Grants were allowed the Ngapopotu Committee for the purchase of a tank, £2 

14th July 1899 

Miss Helen Kean, who has been on the staff (Masterton School) for six years, has been promoted to the charge of the Ngapopatu School, and has received instructions to take up her new duties at once.

26th April 1900 

The question of the removal of the Ngapopotu School to a more central site was left in the hands of the Board's Chairman. 

27th February 1901 

H Kean, Ngapopotu, £90; £10 housing allowance 

26th April 1901 

School Committee:

R L Langdon,
T Dillon,
I D Langdon,
W I Dickens,
W Bovey.

25th August 1902 

Miss Kean, who has been teaching the Ngapopatu School for nearly three years, has been removed to Wadestown, Wellington She will be greatly missed in various ways. The school children, who have got on well under her careful teaching, were very fond of her. 

She has acted as Organist at the Church services at Tinui, which has been a great help to the Vicar and congregation. All wish her every success in her new sphere of labour. 

4th February 1904 

Sole Teacher, Ngapopatu, Average roll 12. Salary £69. 

7th May 1904 

The Ngapopotu Committee had also approved the selection of Miss Higgins, of Newman, as sole teacher for its school.

23rd January 1905 

On Thursday last a grand picnic, organised by the Committee of the State School, was held at Ngapopatu in a paddock kindly lent by Mr Robert Langdon. The day was brilliantly fine, though a trifle windy. There was a large gathering of children, parents, and friends, all of whom seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. 

In the afternoon a most enjoyable cricket match was played between Boys v. Men, which resulted in a win for the boys by seven runs. 

A long programme of sports was gone through, all the events being keenly contested. 

The crowning event of the day was a race for married women, which finished amid loud cheers and much laughter. The committee desire to thank all those who contributed to the day's success.

11th May 1906 

Ohariu.  Miss Higgins, promoted from the Ngapopotu School 

5th Sept 1907 

On Thursday last the annual picnic of the Te Nui State School was held at Ngapopatu, in a paddock kindly lent by Mr Robert Langdon.

 Ngapopatu or Ngapapatu?

Both spellings were used and strangely, National Archives has no record of this school. For a school open for 17 years there was very little written information. 

Records of some first day pupils: 16th November 1896, below.

Top of page

Home | School History