School gets lesson in history

It's one of Auckland's best-known girls' schools but, for a short time, Baradene College opened its doors to boys. Where are those boys today? asks John Landrigan
Baradene has been one of Auckland's best-known Catholic girls' schools for 100 years - and the hunt is on for its old boys.
Aisling Lithgow, a 17-year-old media studies student, is helping produce a documentary for the Victoria Ave college's centenary year. Part of her task is finding some of the 44 boys who attended the college between 1933 and 1944.
``I saw it as a hidden aspect of the school. I'd been here for seven years and didn't know about boys at the school,' she says. ``We'd like to get in contact with more of them.'
With the help of the school historian, Aisling tracked down the school's only male principal and old boys including Tony Fenwick, of Manurewa.
``It is interesting what he thought of the nuns,' says Aisling. ``We don't have nuns teaching us now. It is the history of the convent school.'
Mr Fenwick, 72, attended the school in 1943-44 when he was 6 or 7 years old. He can't remember exactly why he went to the school but thinks it was because of family allegiances, proximity and the difficulties of life during the war years.
``The school helped my parents. My mother lost two brothers aged about 21 and 22 who were flying for the RAF in Britain. Dad's brother was captured in the desert.'
Mr Fenwick says his mother and her three sisters went to Baradene and the family lived close to the school.
``I have great memories of the old buildings, the spire and the way the buildings were coloured. The chapel was fantastic,' he says. ``There was a great feeling and the nuns were wonderful. I used to play a lot in the gardens and paddocks.'
Catholic primary schools for boys were scarce in the area, so once he was older and had left Baradene, Mr Fenwick travelled long distances to school. ``I had to catch the tram to Pitt St and then another tram to Richmond Rd, Ponsonby to attend St Pauls.'
The school was set up in Mountain Rd, Epsom, by the Religious Society of the Sacred Heart in 1909. It moved to Victoria Ave in the next year. Baradene is rich in history and tradition. The college is holding a series of events throughout the year aimed at bringing people back together to celebrate the anniversary.
Information: www.baradene.school.nz