Selwyn_Times: September 21, 2022

Selwyn Times Wednesday September 21 2022
10
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Time to reminisce as Springfield
• By Susan Sandys
FORMER PUPILS of Springfield
School are looking forward to
reminiscing as they prepare
to celebrate the school’s 150th
jubilee next month.
They have memories and
memorabilia stretching back
generations, as far as the 1800s.
Among them
is Bob White, 84,
of Darfield, who
vividly recalls
his first day at
school, during
World War 2.
A troop
of soldiers
Bob White
marching through Springfield
stopped off at the school. They
were travelling from Burnham
army camp to the nearby Mt
Torlesse area for final training
before heading off to battlefields
overseas.
“It was unbelievable how
many there were, they seemed
to stretch for miles and they had
marched all the way from Burnham
camp,” Bob said.
One of the soldiers was the
husband of his teacher Mrs
Sutherland.
Bob said he and fellow children
were duly impressed as Mr
Sutherland and fellow soldiers
showed off their military equipment.
“It blew my mind as a fiveyear-old,”
Bob said.
During the war years, the
school would raise the New Zealand
flag on Monday mornings,
when staff and pupils would
together sing God of Nations.
Another memory was of one of
the school’s teachers, renowned
botanist Harry Talbot.
“We used to think he was a
stern old bugger. But really, when
we look back on it now he was an
incredible teacher,” Bob said.
On field trips, Mr Talbot
would offer sixpence to the first
pupil to find a living creature.
“My favourite trick was to
grab a plant and say it’s a living
thing,” Bob said.
However, one time he fairly
won the offered prize, when he
found a lizard.
He fondly recalled gardening
being an important school pursuit.
Children would have one
hour every Friday to tend their
own gardens. Seeds were provided
by the Education Board,
for girls to grow flowers and boys
to grow vegetables.
Springfield was a railway town,
LONG HISTORY: The original Springfield School building in
the year it opened in 1871, when it was called Kowai Pass
School. Above: Many gathered for the official opening of
Springfield School’s new building in 1931.
and may of his fellow pupils were
sons and daughters of railway
workers. Vegetable gardens were
situated across the railway line
from single men’s quarters, the
occupants of which would make
known what good use they were
making of the boys’ produce.
“We didn’t mind, at least
someone was getting use of the
vegetables,” Bob said.
Then there was the daily experience
of being delivered almost
undrinkable bottled milk.
Schoolchildren nationwide
received a half pint of free milk
between 1937 and 1967, in a Government
initiative to improve
their health.
“I don’t remember anybody
drinking much of it actually. It
had been sitting on Christchurch
railway station for a day, the
train for a day, and then Springfield
railway station for a day.”
Another former pupil, Maurice
Milliken, 82, of Springfield, has
an association with the school
stretching across four generations.
His father Leslie and
siblings attended, when it was
called Kowai Pass School, while
his children and grandchildren
have also attended.
MEARES WILLIAMS
LAWYERS
SELWYN
SPORTS CENTRE
CORPORATE FLOORBALL
Tuesdays
Skills Session 25 October, 6.30–7.30pm
Games 1–29 November, 6.30–9.30pm
Begin the floorball league with a skills session to hone your floorball skills,
fitness and agility, run by National Floorball players.
Games commence 1 November and run for 25 minutes with an additional
15 minutes warm up.
ENQUIRE AT
SELWYNSPORTSCENTRE.CO.NZ
SELWYNSPORTSCENTRE
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