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Dunsandel School in the 1950s
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TitleDunsandel School in the 1950s
DescriptionStarting school was hard as I didn’t know any of the other children but I soon learnt to enjoy it and made many friends who still get together today.
In our P1, 2 &3, 1948, class photo, I am sitting third from the left.
The Plunket Ladies usually put on a fancy dress night each year. We would learn some new dances and always finished with the Grand Parade. I was a nurse one year and the Queen of Hearts another. Lots of fun.
We also had our compulsory bottle of warm milk with cream on top, each day. It was hard to drink. We also had apples sometimes. In the winter term we would take a mug to school. The older pupils would make a huge enamel jug of hot cocoa and we would drink it at lunchtime.
The girls would sit in the sun on the veranda and play knuckle bones. The boys would have marbles. We also drew hop Scotch squares with chalk on the concrete and spent a lot of time playing.
Skipping was good with a long rope. A person on each end of the rope would turn the rope and we would run in and start jumping.
A relieving teacher came to school and he taught us several Maori stick games, and we sang Maori songs to go with them.
We also had a school picnic at the end of the year. One year we went to Timaru by special train and spent the day at Caroline Bay. I think we did that twice. Other years we went to Corsiar Bay, Woodend, Karaki, and Diamond Harbour. They were enjoyable days.
We had our school sports day when all the parents would come and watch running races, three-legged races, high jump and long jump. They too were great days. Every year we had a flower show and it was almost compulsory for everyone to make a sand-saucer. Of course, the boys moaned about having to do such a sissy thing.
The Ellesmere Show was another big event. A new dress was a must. It was always a hot day and you would usually get sunburnt. My main attraction was the merry-go-round and candy floss.
The Midland bus would come from Methven each day and go through Dunsandel to Christchurch. In the holidays Mum and I would catch the bus and spend the day in town shopping. Sometimes we would meet my Aunty and cousins and have lunch. We had to catch the bus at 4pm to come home.
We caught Mr Bishop’s bus to and from school, also known as the “fishcart”. He was always good to us and never had an accident the whole time he drove the school bus.
My favourite teacher was Miss Ballantyne because she was a good teacher and very kind. Jack Mackie was the head master and also a good teacher and gave us a great grounding for high school.
June Happer nee Lemon
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date15 September 2022 SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandel
DescriptionStarting school was hard as I didn’t know any of the other children but I soon learnt to enjoy it and made many friends who still get together today. In our P1, 2 &3, 1948, class photo, I am sitting third from the left.
The Plunket Ladies usually put on a fancy dress night each year. We would learn some new dances and always finished with the Grand Parade. I was a nurse one year and the Queen of Hearts another. Lots of fun.
We also had our compulsory bottle of warm milk with cream on top, each day. It was hard to drink. We also had apples sometimes. In the winter term we would take a mug to school. The older pupils would make a huge enamel jug of hot cocoa and we would drink it at lunchtime.
The girls would sit in the sun on the veranda and play knuckle bones. The boys would have marbles. We also drew hop Scotch squares with chalk on the concrete and spent a lot of time playing.
Skipping was good with a long rope. A person on each end of the rope would turn the rope and we would run in and start jumping.
A relieving teacher came to school and he taught us several Maori stick games, and we sang Maori songs to go with them.
We also had a school picnic at the end of the year. One year we went to Timaru by special train and spent the day at Caroline Bay. I think we did that twice. Other years we went to Corsiar Bay, Woodend, Karaki, and Diamond Harbour. They were enjoyable days.
We had our school sports day when all the parents would come and watch running races, three-legged races, high jump and long jump. They too were great days. Every year we had a flower show and it was almost compulsory for everyone to make a sand-saucer. Of course, the boys moaned about having to do such a sissy thing.
The Ellesmere Show was another big event. A new dress was a must. It was always a hot day and you would usually get sunburnt. My main attraction was the merry-go-round and candy floss.
The Midland bus would come from Methven each day and go through Dunsandel to Christchurch. In the holidays Mum and I would catch the bus and spend the day in town shopping. Sometimes we would meet my Aunty and cousins and have lunch. We had to catch the bus at 4pm to come home.
We caught Mr Bishop’s bus to and from school, also known as the “fishcart”. He was always good to us and never had an accident the whole time he drove the school bus.
My favourite teacher was Miss Ballantyne because she was a good teacher and very kind. Jack Mackie was the head master and also a good teacher and gave us a great grounding for high school.
June Happer nee Lemon
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date15 September 2022 SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationDunsandelConnections
CollectionHistory of DunsandelOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary Dunsandel
OrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyEvent150th Anniversary DunsandelAttribution
Researched ByJune Happer nee LemonWritten ByJune Happer nee Lemon
Written ByJune Happer nee LemonClick on the image to add
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Dunsandel School in the 1950s (15 September 2022 ). Selwyn Stories, accessed 16/09/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5239