31, March
We would like to thank everyone involved in donating such wonderful prizes and selling so many tickets for our very successful Year 7’s raffle and congratulate our prize winners: Winners 1st...[...]
Archives – Tracing Our History
We love receiving images, memories and keepsakes from our old boys and their families. The stories that unfold enrich our archives and highlight the importance of our alumni sharing the history of our unique school.
Following the success of our 1945 Whole School image below, we are now focusing on the 1966 Form 2 class picture. This 1966 Form 2 image is pretty special as we don’t have a lot of archive material from the 1950s-60s and we would love to get the remaining names. There are 29 boys in this class, and we need four more names, and two more first names (so six in total). Do you recognise any of these faces. Interestingly, Richard Wilkins (who is now a well known presenter at Channel Nine in Australia) is in this image, he attended Wellesley from 1963 – 1966. Further, Paul Schon was the Head Boy (and went onto also be Head Boy of Hutt Valley High School) and Anthony Fowler was DUX 1966.
Uploaded 20 August 2022
Below are a few highlights that have come out of the archives recently. These treasures tell the History of Wellesley. If you have any treasures at home that you would like us to feature please email the Foundation Office. Also if you recognise any of the Old Boys in any of the images we would love to hear from you.
Boys who were known pupils at Wellesley in 1945, and could be in the photo, but have not yet been identified:
Lewis, Peter Michael
Treahy, Richard St. J – either Christopher or Richard or both
Calder, R. H.
Spender, D. J. – either D.J or Paul or both
Spender, Paul – either D.J or Paul or both
Holyoake, Roger
Capper, Ian
1945 Whole School Photograph
Old Boy Peter Hargreaves (at Wellesley 1945 – 1948) has done a wonderful job creating an interactive PDF of this 1945 image and would love some suggestions of the remaining 14 names. Together with the Development Office, and other old boys including David (Edwin) Smart and Gerry Pallo, Peter has referred to the ‘Wellesley – A History’ by Peter Harcourt, including Roll Lists, and his own recollections, to name a significant amount of the boys.
Peter has also made a list of boys that would have been present in this photo but not specifically identified – it would be great if you can assist with connecting these names to the correct face and/or identifying any of the remaining missing names in this image. You can email Peter directly or email alumni@wellesley.school.nz
(Version 9, last updated 09 November 2021)
Wellesley 1st VX Rugby 1971
Its 50 years on and special to look back on the Wellesley 1st XV from 1971. Fast forward today and we have our current boys having a fabulous start to their season with games against HIBS, Scots and Hereworth in a busy month of June 2021.
Wellesley Cricketers – 1957
Old Boy Neil Collie (at Wellesley 1955 – 1960, Dux and Best Boy 1960) provided this image of the 1957 cricket squad to our archives collection back in 2015 and would still love some help with name suggestions. Neil and his older brother Craig (at Wellesley 1952 – 1958) have managed a few with Neil adding “almost every boy in that pic rings a bell with Craig and me but putting names is of course much harder. I don’t know the coach but would not be surprised if it was Ivan Bowden, given he was the ‘sportiest’ of the male teachers at that time.”
Thank you Neil and Craig, what a fantastic start you have made – lets see what bites we can get to fill the blanks.
Wellesley Tennis Team 1970
Margaret Barns was a teacher at Wellesley 1941 – 1972. She was a Standard 3 and PE teacher and tennis coach. She is pictured below with her tennis team in 1970. Can you spot any familiar faces?
In 2019, Margaret celebrated her 104th birthday, at the Rita Angus Retirement Village in Kilbirnie Wellington where she remained until her death in 2020. Wellesley stays in touch with Margaret’s daughter Jenny who also resides at the same retirement home. If you have any more information about the members of this team, please send any leads to Rosie in the Wellesley Foundation office
Wellesley Boarders 1947
David (Edwin) Smart attended Wellesley as a boarder between 1943 and 1951. Do you recognise any of the fellow boarders? David has written his memories while being a boarder which you can read here.
We also have a few stories of his time at Wellesley which can be downloaded and were featured in At the Bay.
The Wellesley Recorder 1928
This 1928 edition of the Wellesley Recorder (annual school magazine) was given to Wellesley by the daughter of an Old Boy, James Wilton-Blyth who attended Wellesley (then on the Terrace) between 1926 and 1928. Great-grandson Tom Evison who attended Wellesley in 2019 and 2020, was present at the handover of this and other treasures from Wellesley’s past. If you would like to read more about James’s story which was featured in At the Bay in 2019 you can using this link.
1957 Boarder prefects from the Ross Andrews Collection. The boys pictured are: Frank Long, T. Gooderidge, Ross Andrew, A. Collier.
Paul Harper Collection
Paul Harper attended Wellesley from 1952 – 1957 (and his brother Alain 1952 – 1955) and has managed to download some precious video footage from his late father’s 8mm projector recordings. There is various family life, holidays and general scenery captured in the footage (saved over the three files) and it is wonderful to also see glimpses of Wellesley staff, boys, sport and the community at Days Bay between 1953 and 1957. Who do you recognise?
Footage 1: Wellesley athletic and tennis footage runs from frames 12:20 – 14:18 and shows Wellesley Headmaster William ‘Hoppy’ Stevens (1940 – 1965) in one of the cuts (talking to Mrs Margaret Barnes), also boys playing on Days Bay beach.
Footage 2: Wellesley athletics footage, 1955, runs from frames 3:35 – 4:12 and shows Alain Harper and Brent Elder racing
Footage 3: Wellesley athletics footage, 1953, runs from frames 1:29 – 2:57 and shows Hoppy Stevens, parent races and also the Harper’s visit to Tangiwai (the day after the disaster which occurred 24 Dec 1953).
Our most grateful appreciation to Paul Harper for providing us with these precious not seen before recordings from the 1950s. 70 years on, and look how far technology has come but this is truly special. Thank you!