Kamo couple celebrating belated 60th anniversary alongside former school

Raewyn and Ross Douglas return to where they met 61 years ago, accompanied by daughter Laura who is now a staff member at the school. Photo / Michael Cunningham

When Raewyn McInnes alighted the Hikurangi bus on the second day at her brand new high school, local Kamo boy Ross Douglas was waiting in the bus bay checking out the country bumpkins.

He liked what he saw. The two became an item and, still together 61 years later, the two foundation members of Kamo High School (KHS) will be celebrating both the 61st anniversary of their own relationship, and the school's 61st anniversary this weekend.

Their three children and their grandchildren attended the school, with one recently serving as head girl, and their daughter is now a staff member. In addition, the founding principal was MC at their wedding eight years after they met.

Ross and Raewyn hold a photo of their founding principal Bruce MacLean, who they later asked to be their wedding MC. Photo / Michael Cunningham

In 1960, the school was brand new and an intake of 183 third-form (Year 9) students started.

"It was a pretty special year being the foundation students," said Raewyn. "There were only two other high schools [Whangārei Boys' and Girls'] and this new school was going to be co-ed and we thought 'wow!' We had a nice green uniform and they had the traditional blue. We were the seniors all the way through."

Sharron de Villiers (nee Boaz) and her granddaughter Lale Willcocks wearing Sharron's foundation summer uniform. It was seen as a great change from the old navy gymslips other schools had in that era.

Zoning involved those within certain boundaries having no choice but to attend the new northern high school, unless they had an older sibling already at Whangārei Boys' or Girls' high schools. Raewyn, hailing from Hikurangi, arrived by bus where local "city [Kamo] kids" waited in the bus bay checking out the new kids on the block.

A photo of Raewyn and Ross soon after they met in the bus bay at Kamo High School. Photo / Michael Cunningham

"We thought we'd check out all the country girls and I said to my mate, 'Oh, she looks a bit of all right'," winked Ross.

Although they had their mix of good and testing times during those high school years – "like typical teenagers" – they married at 21, with their principal Bruce MacLean as MC. The two then trained as teachers and enjoyed long teaching careers in Whangārei.

"Most kids had a really positive experience and we got to know the teachers really well. The school had its ups and downs but we've always thought it was a great school."

The 60th reunion was originally planned for last year but Covid hit and a last-minute call was made to postpone a year. As a result, the reunion will be marking 61 years and around a dozen Australian-based foundation students will be joining part of the celebration via Skype.

The reunion kicks off with a school assembly this afternoon, followed by a barbecue in the evening. Tomorrow, a bus trip will travel around the school catchment area, with lunch at Tutukaka and a formal dinner with a planned Australian function to coincide via Skype.

Raewyn Douglas points out herself and now husband Ross in the photo of foundation students at Kamo High School. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The ex-pupils will be joined by some of the teachers from the era, including Mrs Chic Vercoe (nee Cullen). Foundation student Jan Boyes (nee Smeal) is also on the organising committee and has found that the last few reunions have rekindled friendships with school friends who have moved away.

"The foundation year pupils at KHS were quite unique in that some of us really had no choice about where our secondary schooling would be, while others did have the option of enrolling at Whangārei Boys' or Whangārei Girls' high schools (if we had older siblings attending those schools). I remember a lot of parental discussion about the merits or disadvantages of a co-ed school, where focus on the opposite sex could hinder educational progress. We all survived, and most of us thrived!

"A significant number of this intake were from rural full-primary schools, so many of us
attended only two schools in our lives. Kamo Intermediate was not built at the time KHS
opened. Significant schools we know of today eg Tikipunga Primary and High, Totara
Grove, Hurupaki, were opened some time after KHS was opened, and today's St Francis
Xavier was formed from a combination of St Mary's and St Joseph's Schools.

"As a small group in a new school, we felt we got special treatment. This varied from new textbooks to brand new labs and workshops."

The first block of classrooms opened in May 1960 for end-of-term exams. Until then, temporary classrooms were used.

Boyes remembered the school being the then-new design H block, which education department officials thought would be suitable for the "baby boomers" who had just reached secondary-school age, with replicas built throughout the country. She also remembers planting the row of trees still lining the boundary today and students having to do "emu parades" around the field picking up stones to make way for the new school sports field, as the school was literally built around them.

Raewyn said many of the foundation students pursued careers as dairy farmers, doctors, nurses and teachers, as well as local business owners such as Terry Hooper of Kamo Hammer Hardware, Tom Watson – Watco Plumbing, Jim Milne - Kensington Refrigeration, Denise McNaught - Johnson Richards Plumbers and Grant Adams of Adams Trimmer Insurance.

The tech and commercial classes were segregated. Included in form 3AT are Terry Hooper, Tom Watson, Arthur Appleton, Murray Hood, David Brackfield and teacher Kevin Lacey.

In their midst is Ron Dixon, father of professional racing driver Scott Dixon, and four foundation students have daughters who were Black Sticks hockey players.

Founding student Angela Low (nee Yates) had stayed in the area, with her children attending the school, and used her genealogical skills to track down many of the fellow classmates. Around half the attendees this weekend will be hailing from regions outside Northland, including the foundation principal's son, and Boyes and the Douglases were looking forward to some good catch-ups.

"After the 50th reunion, the foundation pupils organised a 55th mini-reunion. A lot of friendships were rekindled at the reunions," said Boyes.

"There'll be lots of talking, that's for sure," added Raewyn.

While they have lost a few members of their crew over the years, Boyes said the class of 1960, who are all approaching their 75th year, plan to make the most of "what may be the last official reunion for many of them because of age and health".