Labour Weekend reunion for St Augustine’s students
Reunion organisers Kate O’Byrne, Sharyn Snowden and Faye Turnbull. Photo: Neil Wilson.
School milk, folk dancing, and well-remembered teachers like Rev Mother Sylvester and Sister Rosa will be recalled at a reunion to be held in Takaka at Labour Weekend. Former students of St Augustine’s Catholic Primary school in Takaka are planning the reunion and registrations are starting to arrive.
The school opened in 1946 and closed in 1969. St Augustine’s had two classrooms, one for children between Primer 1 and Primer 4, and the other for those in Standards 1 to 6. When the school closed, the classroom building was moved further down Commercial Street, where it became the Senior Citizens’ Hall. The nun’s residence next to the school eventually became Te Whare Mahana. The actual site of St Augustine’s is on adjacent land now owned by the Reynish family.
Former St Augustine’s pupils Kate O’Byrne, Faye Turnbull and Sharyn Snowden formed the reunion committee because they realised that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the school’s closure.
“We’re hoping to gather a good crowd of our old schoolmates, both locals and people from away,” said Kate. “We’ve put a letter in The Nelson Mail and had things put in parish newsletters. We’ve used OldFriends on Trademe as well. We’ve found quite a few people and we’ve sent out 92 invitations. We think we’ve gone about as far as we can go.”
“It’s up to people to register so we get a good indication of numbers for catering and so on,” said Faye. “We’re organised for a crowd of 140-160 people, including partners, and we’re really grateful for the people who have registered early. Anyone who knows former St Augustine’s pupils should check with them to make sure they know the reunion’s on.”
“Registrations close on 1 September,” said Sharyn. “This reunion is a last chance, really. Because the school’s closed down we’re the last generation of former pupils.”
The reunion will feature story-sharing, class photographs, a social at the Pohara hall and a celebration Mass. The Reynish family has agreed to open their property to people wanting to visit.
The committee said that they had received a generous donation from a local person who was keen to support the idea of the reunion. “There was a strong community feeling around the school,” said Sharyn. “We’re expecting plenty of representation from families like the Nalders, the Reillys and the Smiths. We’re hoping that the Bests, Callaghans, Versteegs, Kerrs and Schwasses will all be there too.”
The reunion is sure to trigger plenty of memories for everyone involved. Nostalgia will be the flavour of the weekend as people recall music lessons, 20-cent bought lunches, swimming lessons at the high school pool, fundraising garden parties and plenty of sport.
“We were very good at art and craft, sport and piety,” said Sharyn.
Registrations can be sent to Kate O’Byrne at 511 Abel Tasman Drive or by email at <takateo@xtra.co.nz>.
Neil Wilson
