Our History
From Then to Now: Our Story
In 1919, just 30 years after the first kindergarten in the Dominion was established in Dunedin, two members of the Southland Hospital Board, Miss Helen Birss and Mrs. P. Cruickshanks, later Mrs. A. Walker (both deceased), visited homes, to assist parents suffering the after-effects of the influenza epidemic.
These ladies recognised the need for a “home” for children whose mothers were convalescent, or who were in hospital. Although the public was enthusiastic about these ideas, the Government was not so sure and was little inclined to give the people of Invercargill a grant to start a kindergarten.
The women, however, were not daunted, but it was not until two years of hard pioneering had passed that the first kindergarten was opened in 1921. A public meeting was held to discuss the proposal. Lady Sidey (deceased) of the Dunedin Association, presided, and a Council and a Men’s Advisory Board were formed.
Advisory Board: Messrs H. W. Royds (Hon. Treasurer), R. J. Cumming, F. Burwell (Town Clerk), and H. Farrant.
Ladies Council: Mrs. F. Burwell (President), Mesdames P. Cruickshank, and G. Chewings, (Vice Presidents), J. Strathern, P. Wilson, W. Hamilton, H. Denton, J. Fraser, G. Henderson, A. Hanan, J. D. Campbell, T. Pryde, W. P. Wicks and Miss H. E. Birss, (Committee). Added to the Committee later was Mrs E. McKeever.
The Council had very few funds, and it was through the generosity of the late Sir Robert Anderson, who was then living in what is now known as Kindhaven, that they procured their first property. Sir Robert brought the adjoining section and house owned and occupied by the late Mr Neill and donated this property, which amounted to half an acre, to the Council.
The house was then converted, the front into the two large rooms required by Government regulations. The back, however, was left as living quarters for the staff, as their salaries were not adequate to pay board. This was later known as “Children’s House.” The first directors to the “Children’s House” were Misses Small
and Guthrie, and later Misses Hamilton and King. The new kindergarten was open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day, and the children took their own lunch. In 1933 the parents of South Invercargill, with £30 in hand, and help from the Council, formed a most enthusiastic committee. In 1926 Lady Alice Fergusson visited the city and opened the new South Invercargill Kindergarten.
The first director Miss W. N. Hamilton, and she was assisted later by Miss P. Jenkins (now Mrs H. Rout). When the Director of Education, Mr J. Caughley, visited the city, in March 1927, and inspected the kindergartens, he expressed that the Council would soon be able to open a third kindergarten in the vicinity of Liddell and Clyde Streets. The Pipe and Drum Band, owners of the Liddell Street Hall, offered their buildings to the Council, free of charge to be used as the third kindergarten. By the end of the year the Council felt that it was time to appoint a director for Liddell Street, and Miss Burton of Dunedin was chosen. The land around Liddell Street was becoming more and more industrialised and the roll number was beginning to fall away, and as the Liddell Street building was a public hall, it was both unsanitary and costly to maintain, so the Council and the committee decided to remove to a more central position. The committee purchased a section in Bowmount Street south, for about £50.
In 1931 the Bowmount Street Kindergarten was opened by Lady Bledisloe. As this was the second kindergarten in the southern area the two South Invercargill Kindergartens began to be confusing hence, they were rechristened “Wharepuna” for Bowmount Street and “Ranui” for the original South Invercargill Kindergarten.
As it was the beginning of the depression, the Council was running low in funds. In 1932 they procured a building near the Waikiwi tram terminus, from Thomas’ Nursery, and were able to keep this going for only one year as the Education Department would not grant funds. The reason this kindergarten was not recognised was that the building was on the Main Road, which was considered dangerous for the children as they left the school and it did not have sewerage, although the council had gone to the expense of putting in suitable toilets, and wash basins. At the end of the year, after paying the director’s and her assistant’s salaries, the Waikiwi Kindergarten was forced to close down.
In 1933, the parents of the Kew area formed a committee and although the depression was well on, the enthusiastic Kew residents worked in perfect harmony, this reflected in the satisfactory with a donation from the Reginald MacKinnon Trust, and the use of Wharepuna Kindergarten for weekly dances, money was raised.
Later timeline
1934 – The Kew Kindergarten was begun in the St. Aidan’s Hall, but this was not particularly suitable, so the Council procured a half-acre section on the corner of Selwyn and Conon Streets.
1936 – The most outstanding event in this year was the opening, on the 26 May, of the Kew Kindergarten, built entirely without Government assistance. Later the quarter acre section not in use and owned by Kew was sold and the money used to lay concrete.
Up until 1936, the kindergartens were without Mother’s Clubs, and when these were formed, they proved a great help. In 1936, Miss Joyce Barns, now of Wellington, was appointed assistant at Ranui, before going to Dunedin for training. The “Children’s House,” in Gala Street was now proving itself to be unsatisfactory, and in this year, preliminary movements were made towards establishing a new kindergarten further east. The property was sold and the kindergarten temporarily moved to the Sunday School in Ritchie Street, “Sylvan Bank.” Help was given by the First Church Deacons Court, and Miss Nola Scandrett (now Mrs J. Robertson), was appointed director.
March 1937 – Mr R. J. Cumming, purchased the section in Mitchell Street. This previously was part of the Dougan property and was bought for £165.
1939 – The new Mitchell Street Kindergarten was opened with £900 paid on the building. This left only a small amount to be paid off. The late Hon. Peter Fraser was asked to open the new school, but he apologised that he was unable to: The position of Association Treasurer which had been occupied by Mr R. J. Cumming, became vacant and the office was filled by Mr C. Francis.
1946 – Miss Birss retired from President and Mrs A. H. Aldridge took over.
1947 – The Invercargill Council had not sent an official delegate to the Union Conference. The matter was taken up by the various committees and a special meeting was called, where it was decided that, as Invercargill was the fifth Association affiliated, Invercargill should be like Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington, and send a delegate. Mrs Aldrige was nominated.
1948 – A meeting was held on the 10 March, at the Wharepuna Kindergarten, to discuss with Committee representatives the regulations of the New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union and to consider the proposed rules carefully as well as the constitution. Up until now the association had had no proper constitution. Later, another special meeting was called to substitute the constitution of the Wellington Free Kindergarten Association.
July 1948 – The President explained that the association had adopted the new constitution and rules to participate in the Government subsidising scheme. This meant that all affairs must now be carefully recorded. Miss Gallagher, of Education Department. Pre-School Services addressed the meeting. and explained fully the Department’s scheme for increased financial aid and the association’s responsibilities and duties under the new arrangement All the meetings of the council and advisory board were held in the board room of Adamson, Francis and Harrington’s office.
May 1949 – Two ladies from the Gladstone area met the executive at a special meeting to consider the building of a kindergarten in their area. It was suggested that the All-Saints Hall would be suitable but after the council had re-considered everything the President explained it would not be at all wise to open again in any hall.
1950 – The council had a building fund of £250, invested in the Southland Building Society, and it was decided to buy a section in the Gladstone area, and if possible, in the North Invercargill area. A section was inspected in Lees Street, part of which had not been formed. This was purchased for £375, and a committee appointed to carry out the arrangements.
1952 – On 11 March, the Invercargill Free Kindergarten Association (Inc.), held a meeting in the North Invercargill Methodist Church for residents of that area interested in building a kindergarten in the vicinity of Herbert and Ward Streets on a Government. It was thought that this area did not warrant a kindergarten, but it was decided to apply to the Department to purchase a section on the corner of Exmouth and Bourke Streets. However, this section was too small to meet the Government sections. Further steps were taken, and the George Street section was purchased.
Residents of Heidelberg were interested in building a kindergarten and the association procured a section in Centre Street East (from Mr F. Sutherland) and a Committee was formed in 1959 to raise the necessary finance. By 1964 sufficient funds had been raised to qualify for a position on the Union’s priority list.
2025 – Now we have 24 kindergartens all the way from Te Anau to Bluff, where we nurture over 800 tamariki with open hearts and open minds.