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Orepuki or Aropaki - Town & District Schools, Class Photos from 1920-1942

Orepuki or Aropaki - Town & District Schools, Class Photos from 1920-1942:

IMAGES
Photo 1 - Orepuki School class, taken c1939 to 1941; Sepia Tone Class Photo of 26 children. Known pupils are: Shirley Alison Lee, at left of front row; Elsbeth (Betty) May Macdonald in front row 2nd from right; Neil McAllister is fifth in from left in second row. And if you recognize anyone else from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please get in touch or pop the names in a comment

Photo 2 - Orepuki School pupils outside the School "War Memorial Gates", but no year; Sepia Tone Photo of school children with the school behind the gates. Known pupils are: Elsbeth (Betty) May Macdonald in second row from front and 4th from right. If you recognize anyone from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please get in touch or pop the names in a comment

Photo 3 - Orepuki School class, taken c1941-42; Black & White Photo of 28 children. Known pupils are: Elsbeth (Betty) May Macdonald later Higgins in the front row 6th from left or 4th from right and she was born March 1931. We have been told that its likely to be Shirley Lee in the second row first on the left, by her daughter (Shirley appears to have been born September 1930, so these names fit the date). If you recognize anyone from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please get in touch or comment with names.

Photo 4 - Orepuki School class, taken c1937; B & W Photo of 30 children. The known pupils are: Elsbeth (Betty) May Macdonald later Higgins in the back row first on left. If you recognize anyone else from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please get in touch or comment with the names.

Photo 5 - Orepuki School class, taken we think in the late 1930's; B & W Photo of 30 and 1/2 children (should be 31, but sadly 1 is half chopped off on right!)
It is thought that the girl in the striped jacket on the right in the back row may be Myra Hogg (she was born in 1931) & Raymond George Herrick (born 1928) is said to be in the front row third from left by his own daughter, so we will presume this is correct. These dates do fit presumed year for photo. If you recognize anyone else from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please do get in touch, or put the names in the comments section.

Photo 6 - Orepuki School Class, taken 1920; B & W Photo of 23 children; The known pupils are: Doris May Finn later Macdonald in the back row second from right. We have also been told that the child in the middle row on the far right is Bessie Butler later Lee. If you recognize anyone else from your family or if you have a named copy of this photo, please get in touch or comment.

The school at Orepuki (or originally Aropaki) has a varied and extremely interesting background, as does the township, more of which can be read in the early history written further below.

Formerly a large gold town, after that had dried up and coal mining was overtaken by the Nightcaps companies, along with the Shale Works closing in 1902, most of Orepuki ended up deserted. It became only the farming community that stayed on to support the township in its fight for survival.

Of course, the school was also affected, as it was downsized considerably. It somehow struggled on over the years though and stayed open. Over the 1-4 of Feburary 1934, is when the Orepuki School had its 50th year Diamond Jubilee. We would love some photos of this event, do you have any that you can contribute to our Community Archives of this event?

The newest Orepuki School was not built until 1968 and it was erected directly behind the old school that was moved there prior, then the old building was then taken down. From this point on, children in the Orepuki township and district could attend their local school only up until the old Standard Four, at which time they had to then bus to the Aparima College in Riverton, which had the old Forms 1-7. For many years the Orepuki School, which somehow managed to carry on, continued to contribute its students to Riverton’s new Aparima College. But in 2003 the school at Orepuki was finally closed.

But this did not end the controversy over getting children from Orepuki to school safely. In 2017 it was reported that plans to move the school bus stop had been withdrawn, after Aparima College, Riverton ...
Central and Western Murihiku Southland Archive via DigitalNZ

http://api.digitalnz.org/records/59454316/source

#Settlers #Murihiku #Pioneers #Southland #Farming #EarlyTravel #School #Education #OrepukiOrAropaki #GarfieldAnd #Gold #Mining #Railways #ShaleWorks #OtagoEducationBoard #SouthlandEducationBoard #Nightcaps #Aparima #Churches #TownHalls #TimberMilling #SchoolBuses #Waiau #MacdonaldFamily #Orepuki #OrepukiSchool #ClassPhotos #WesternSouthland #LongwoodsDistrict #Goldfields #Classmates #DigitalOnlyImageInArchive #CentralAndWesternMurihikuSouthlandArchive

Orepuki or Aropaki (Garfield, Hirstfield) - Town & District Schools History, 1910-1930

Orepuki or Aropaki (Garfield, Hirstfield) - Town & District Schools History:

The school at Orepuki (or originally Aropaki) has an interesting background, as does the township. In 1872 the first school in the area was established, and ended up being run under the name of Garfield-Orepuki School, in the newly moved township of Garfield. The Otago Education Board who were the oversight for the new school at Orepuki, used its “difficult and remote location” to justify not visiting the school to do the usual reports on the building and teaching.

The roll in the beginning was just 16 children, but by the time the first year was out, the roll stood at over 30 students, and kept growing steadily from its opening date. This made the school itself too overcrowded and unsuitable and it was to be rebuilt twice – the first time four years after it opened, when the original building was turned into the schoolhouse for accommodation of teaching staff. As it was one of the first of many buildings eventually erected in the township, many district events were held on the site and in the building, which doubled as a public hall, dance hall, and even a church.

The second school also proved inadequate, and it was replaced again by a much larger three roomed affair, but this was not to remain where it was either, even though it was the last building to be moved from the Garfield site. Fascinatingly, miners ended up digging a rich vein which led them right to the School Reserve in the Gully. The school land plus that of the whole township was mined, after a resolution was reached with the Education Board for the miners to pay to move the school!

By 1874 a School Committee was formed, in line with the requirements of the Education Act. This was made up of the following men: Chairman, D Hunter; Secretary, JL Currie; plus - J Callaghan, H Creasey, R Cupples, TH Devonshire, AJ Jolly, FH McLean, and R Riddle.

An interesting news report from 1882 tells us the school was closed (again!) and that this was a regular occurrence over the last three years. More details emerge about the rain “driving in through the windows like a shower bath”, leading to all the children having to be moved away from the back. It was also noted that there was a current contract let for repairs to the schoolhouse at this time.

After Garfield was demolished by gold mining, the school was forced to relocate to the third and final resting place of the ever moving local township, which came about from its closeness to the local coalmining works and the 1885 railway connecting the two. After the railway opening, the newly erected town of Orepuki was to grow and prosper beyond all belief over the next 20 years with around 3,000 people living there at the height of its existence. By 1900 there was a huge township, which necessitated the continual enlarging of the local public school. The photo shown here is of the old school after it had got its 3 room extensions built.

But after the gold dried up and coal mining being overtaken by the Nightcaps companies, along with the Shale Works closing in 1902, most of Orepuki became deserted again. It became only the farming community that stayed on to support the township in its fight for survival. Of course, the school was also affected, as it was downsized considerably. It somehow struggled on over the years though and stayed open. Over the 1-4 of Feburary 1934, is when the Orepuki School had its 50th year Diamond Jubilee. We would love some photos of this event.

The newest Orepuki School was not built until 1968 and it was erected directly behind the old prior moved school. The old building was then taken down. From this point on, children in the Orepuki township and district could attend their local school only up until the old Standard Four, at which time they had to then bus to the Aparima College in Riverton, which had the old Forms 1-7.

For many years the Orepuki School, which somehow managed to carry on, continued to contribute its students to Riverton’s new Aparima College. But in 2003 the school at Orepuki was finally closed. But this did not end the controversy over getting children from Orepuki to school safely. In 2017 it was reported that plans to move the school bus stop had been withdrawn, after Aparima College, Riverton Primary School and Waiau Area School had agreed to leave the current stop where it was.

But then in 2018 there was continued angst from the residents about plans to move the school bus stop yet again. W...
Central and Western Murihiku Southland Archive via DigitalNZ

http://api.digitalnz.org/records/50737132/source

#Settlers #Murihiku #Pioneers #Southland #Farming #EarlyTravel #School #Education #OrepukiOrAropaki #GarfieldAnd #Gold #Mining #Railways #ShaleWorks #OtagoEducationBoard #SouthlandEducationBoard #Nightcaps #Aparima #Churches #TownHalls #TimberMilling #SchoolBuses #Waiau #DigitalOnlyImageInArchive

Tūātapere History - Business and Industry, Railway Station Renovations, 8th Sept 2023

Tūātapere Railway Station & yards during recent (2023) renovation work:

Images - taken by our Community Archive Heritage Hub Manager, Suzie Best, as part of our records for the future. These can be freely shared under a CC BY licence, please use attribution to us at the "Central & Western Archive".

NOTE: more photos of the railway station after the above renovations on both the outside and inside of the Tūātapere Railway Station and others through the years are already covered in these online collections. Photos of the opening are numbers CWA.012.105.001 and also CWA.012.105.002

TŪĀTAPERE BRANCH RAILWAY & STATION MILESTONES:
Opened on 23rd September 1909, but some buildings were not finished!

FIRE… On 9th January 1915, the station is lost in a blaze. It was rebuilt.

On 20 October 1925, this branch line was extended out to Ōrawia.

From June 1968, no more steam locomotives ran, the line was dieseled.

On 1 October 1970, the later Ōrawia extension ceased to operate.

On 30 July 1976, finally the line to Tūātapere was also closed down.

Various local enterprises ran from the old Station for some years until Colin Brown, Fairfax rail enthusiast got the buildings to protect them.

For many years the buildings had not been used and were left derelict.

Recently, Tūātapere Te Waewae Community Board secured both the historic buildings & the site, to develop for the township’s benefit.

During 2023, local Fiordland scenic painter, handyman and Chair of the Tūātapere District Promotion Incorporated, along with being a Tūātapere Te Waewae Community Board member, Wayne Edgerton and his helpers, have been renovating the Railway Station.

At the beginning of 2024, the Southland District Council put out an RFI or request for information from any interested parties to take over the ownership and operation of the Tūātapere Railway Station as a going concern. The Tūātapere Te Waewae Community Board voted that the Railway Station be passed over to a local group set up to restore it, once they gained Charitable Trust Status, which happened early in 2025.

This transfer of the Railway buildings and land has now taken place and plans are currently afoot to have the station restored and operating as a Rail & Heritage Precinct, which includes an Information Centre and Cafe. The expected date for completion of this project is now 2026. Watch this space!

This entry will be updated as progress is made. Those townspeople who had long hoped to see it retained as a community heritage asset, await this new development with anticipation. Our Community Archive Hub sits adjacent to this building and we have photo and information of Railway history in our windows facing it. We also look forward to the old Railway Station once again being a hive of local activity, as we both tell tales of our past - the station by story boards and objects, and the Community Archive with records, photos, stories and news of the branch line and buildings.

HISTORY OF THE STATION:
The first station was erected at the time the railway was built, but it did not last long. On the 9th January 1915 the Tūātapere Railway Station was completely destroyed by fire, according to local news. Then the second railway station was built, it is still in existence today, and that is the focus of this entry, as it is currently being refurbished. We had also hoped to see this old building restored to some of its future glory and being used for heritage, so eagerly await further development of this, currently set to be operational from during 2026. We wish them good luck.

Sources used for the above are the excellent book, on Tūātapere, 'The Hole in the Bush, a Tuatapere Centennial Review', compiled by Des Williams, 'On The Edge of the Bush', by Sheila Natusch, West to the Fiords', by FWG Miller also published news items from Papers Past, Tūātapere Te Waewae Community Board Reports, local Stuff News Reports, Railway Enthusiast Facebook Groups and local news bulletins.

Hopefully this entry will be added to as more information comes to hand. If you or anyone you know has any more information or photos to share or accounts of the Tūātapere Railway during the years, please do share this with us in the comments section. You can do this by making a comment in the space provided under the image page. Or you can make contact with us as per the archive front page.
Central and Western Murihiku Southland Archive via DigitalNZ

http://api.digitalnz.org/records/53545456/source

#Settlement #Buildings #Business #EarlyTravel #Railways #Fire #TrainStations #CentralAndWesternMurihikuSouthlandArchive