The attempts to grow a school at Kikiwa

In July 1923, F. G. Robertson’s tender of £311 for the erection of a new school building at Kikiwa was accepted.

The school was built temporarily on Mr Lucre’s land with an agreement that the committee would move the school free of charge when the reserve site became available, an issue that had caused some bitterness.

The school was opened on Friday, 16 November before a large group of residents from the district.  The chairman of the Education Board (Mr F. Smith) was accompanied by Mr E. Scantlebury, member of the East Ward, Mr H. J. Thornton, secretary, and Mr A. Leaper, architect.

The new building, measuring 17ft by 17ft and capable of seating around 24 children, was built to be portable so that it could be taken apart and removed in sections, having been fastened together by 2cwt of bolts.

This building was the second of the new style of portable schools erected within the Nelson district.

During the opening, parents were encouraged to uphold the prestige and dignity of the school, to stand by their teachers and to not allow any discord to occur.

At the time of opening there were nine children, with the prospect of another nine joining the school soon after.

There had been some difficulty in getting the schoolroom built, as it was not the usual custom to establish a school for such a small number of children.

But the Minister agreed to make a grant for a portable school which, if the attendance did not warrant keeping it open, could be moved elsewhere.
Mrs Carlsson cut the ribbon and declared the school open.

The schoolroom was decorated with flags, ferns, evergreens and Chinese lanterns with the word ‘welcome’ painted on them.

A Christmas tree sat at the end of the room, laden with items for every child.
Back outside, the children cheered the arrival of Santa coming up the road, riding on a decorated sledge drawn by a white horse.

Santa, aka Mr Nicoll, then gave out lollies, coins and the presents from the tree. Nicoll did such a good impersonation that not even his own children recognised him.

The first teacher, Mr A. Giblin, battled with poor attendance and only 11 months after opening there was a question hanging over the school of closure and removal.
By 1928 there was not a great deal of improvement, and tenders were invited for the removal of the school.

What happened between then and 1933 is a little sketchy, but in August of 1933 a dance was held in the old Blue Glen homestead with around 70 people present to raise funds for prizes for the school, which had reopened at the beginning of the year.

A very proud event occurred in March 1937 when Mabel Tomlinson won the Nelson Bush and Bird Preservation Society Shield for keeping a nature diary.

Teachers arrived and left but the school students did well in their learning and attendance, and in 1941, a proposal was made to remove the Owen Valley schoolroom to Kikiwa due to an increase in roll numbers. By mid-1945, there were only six children attending the school.