Old Girls' Association

Timaru Old Girls Home Association 2011 Report

Timaru High School Old Girls Home Association Annual Report 2011

It is with pleasure I present this 91^st report on the activities of our Home Association

We participated in the inaugural Heritage Day held on Stafford Street on 5^th January 2011.Cameron’s Ladieswear shop window displayed past uniforms, while we erected boards of photographs relating to School & Hostel life at TGHS through the years. These attracted much interest enabling us to further promote the upcoming House Reunion.

That reunion was held at the School over Queens Birthday weekend and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

At our mid-winter gathering held at The Poplars, Pleasant Point highway, we took the opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous support received from the retiring acting principal, Miss Margaret Lafferty. Miss Lafferty was generous with her support of Old Girls, regularly attending functions in Dunedin, Waimate, Ashburton and Timaru, often at short notice. Her thought provoking addresses were eagerly anticipated and always enjoyed.

Miss Lafferty was presented with a suitably inscribed wooden tray, the Gwen Avery book and an orchid plant from the Home Association and Waimate branch. Mrs. Margaret Campbell, Dunedin Branch president, presented Miss Lafferty with a book featuring Central Otago.

Tessa Molloy, nee Wright, of Christchurch, spoke about her biography on Miss Gwen Avery, a long serving, popular teacher and principal at Timaru Girls High. The book can be purchased from the school or directly from the author.

Consultation between the Board and Old Girls Association has continued as we strived to bring the 125^th Jubilee Project to fruition. It is most pleasing to report that an extension to the Drama Suite and refurbishment of the existing suite is nearing completion.

The completed structure is to be known as the Gwen Avery Complex.

Our end of year morning tea was held in the School Staffroom, in conjunction with a special meeting of the Timaru High School Old Girls Foundation. That meeting approved the release of funds to be donated to the School to pay for the extension & refurbishment of the Drama Suite.

Dunedin, Ashburton, Christchurch, and Timaru members have warmly welcomed our Principal, Mrs Sarah Davis, to their gatherings and appreciate her commitment to attend evening and weekend functions.

The Home Association has paid for the photographing and framing, or reframing, of photographs of past Principals, with all the black and white portraits now hanging in the Nora Dickie Hall. The valuable oil painting of Miss Watt, presented to the school by the Old Girls Assn in 1935, has been moved to a safer and more secure area of the school.

Work has begun on the sorting, filing and storage of school archives, with guidance and assistance from staff at Timaru Museum. Thanks are extended to Joy & David Slade, Murray Davies (caretaker) and Dave Batchelor (Museum) for shifting memorabilia and storage units, to enable the task of cataloguing to get underway.

As part of this project we are seeking information about the girls whose names appear on the Preparatory School Honours Board which hangs in the foyer of the administration block, as well as for those girls named on the other Honours Boards.

Contact details are on the School website for past pupils who are interested in retaining an interest in the school by participating in gatherings of Old Girls Association Branches in Dunedin, Waimate, Ashburton, Christchurch, Nelson or Wellington.

Finally, and most importantly, I wish to thank committee members, Adrienne Wood, Bev Stonehouse, Joy Slade, Jude Boraman and Robyn Cassidy, and Beth Strathern (THS Old Girls Foundation President) for their valuable support during the year. Tracey Howe at HP Partners Accountants, has spent many hours reconciling our 2010 accounts and we are most grateful for her work.

In conclusion I wish everyone an enjoyable and healthy year.

Pamela Gibson

President

Home Association

Gwen Avery

Tessa Molloy, a former Timaru Girls' High School pupil has written a book about the life and achievements of the remarkable Gwen Avery, an esteemed and highly respected New Zealand educator and early Principal of Timaru Girls' High School. This book is a must have for any pupil or teacher with TGHS connections and other educators with an interest in the history of education in New Zealand. To order, click this link for the orderform

TGHS OGA

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The most important aspect of the activities of the Old Girls’ Association must be the fellowship and friendship which begins at school and is carried on throughout a lifetime

The first meeting of the Old Girls Association was held in Timaru on June 14 1920. Mrs William Raymond presided and there was an attendance of approximately 100. Branches are active in Otago (Dunedin), Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Auckland, Mid Canterbury (Ashburton), and Waimate.

Our vision is, that through this link, past pupils of the school will keep in touch both with the school, and with fellow old girls within their region, thereby strengthening membership in existing branches, or form new groups in other areas around New Zealand and overseas.

Branches contribute to prize giving and many other facilities around the school and hostel. Presently a small group of past students are helping with maintenance and renewal of gardens and in hostel maintenance. Past pupils and members of the Association play a significant role at prize giving ceremonies – linking past, present and future achievements.

We invite you to join us and help preserve the special character and remarkable heritage of our great School.