Hukarere Girls’ College in the early 1900s on Scinde Island, Napier (Mataruahou). Photo / Collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 4456
OPINION
Cyclone Gabrielle hasn’t been the only disaster to befall Hawke’s Bay’s Hukarere Girls’ College over its nearly 150-year history.
Its founder, Bishop William Williams, fled in 1865 with his family from the Waerenga-ā-Hika mission station near Tūranga (Gisborne) to avoid the threat of Pai Mārire (Hauhau).
The Williams family escaped to Napier by the government steamer St Kilda and were hospitably taken in by residents.
They soon left Napier on the Ladybird for Horotutu, Paihia, where William established a Māori missionary training school.
No doubt impressed with Napier, William in 1867 brought his family back there.
William Williams had become in 1859 the first Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu, from the location of his mission station in Waerenga-ā-Hika, Turanga (Gisborne).
When Bishop William Williams decided to live in Napier in 1867, the Napier cathedral then became the centre of the Diocese of Waiapu.
At Waerenga-ā-Hika, William had established a boarding “Native Girls’ School,” which was left behind when they fled in 1865 on the Hauhau.
Together with his nephew, Reverend Samuel Williams of Te Aute, William began to plan how to re-establish his school for Māori girls in Napier, to match the Māori boys’ Te Aute College.
When in 1870 William’s sister Catherine offered to lend her nephew Samuel Williams £700 to build Te Aute College, he accepted, and gave “a moderate rate of interest on it”.
Samuel stated to his Aunt Catherine, that “there is another important thing to be taken in hand. That is the Hukarere School for the girls”.
When the £700 was repaid in 1872, the money was again loaned to build Hukarere College.
Bishop Williams’ home was on Scinde Island (Mataruahou) and Hukarere school was built on land adjacent to his property. When the Pacific Ocean was running a heavy sea, the spray would reach the hilltop, hence the name “Hukarere – flying foam”.
When the school opened in 1875 there were seven pupils, and William’s daughter Anna Maria was principal, assisted by her sisters.
In 1876 there were 30 girls, and in 1877 the school was enlarged to take 60 girls.
Bishop William Williams passed away in 1878.
A big change occurred in 1892 when the Hukarere Native Girls’ School Act was passed, giving control to the Te Aute Trust.
Samuel Williams never lost interest in Hukarere, and between 1901 and 1904 had donated £2,375 to assist with extending the school and developing the grounds.
Pupils were taught history (probably just European), arithmetic, singing, drawing, gymnastics, needlework, hygiene and home nursing.
They had to be reasonably fluent in speaking and writing in English. The girls were then of course, drawn from rural marae, where te reo was mainly spoken.
The “more gifted girls” were encouraged to go to university.
In 1897, a conference at Te Aute College drew attention to the shortage of Māori nurses.
As a result, two Hukarere girls were selected each year to train at Napier Hospital as day pupils. At first it was a year-long course, and later extended to two, and then three years -which enabled them to become fully qualified nurses.
Their training was only given on the understanding they would return to work among their own people.
Disaster occurred in 1910. One of the girls awoke thinking she could smell smoke, and managed to alert the school before fire engulfed it. Everyone escaped – except the building was destroyed.
The girls were accommodated in the Diocese of Waiapu’s homes at Burlington and Selwyn Road.
A decision was made to rebuild ‒ but on a new site – a church property at 46 Napier Terrace. The insurance payout of £2,000 wasn’t enough to rebuild in ferro-concrete, so the Bishop of Waiapu – Bishop Averill, began fundraising for the additional £5,000 needed.
The new school opened in October 1912.
Before the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, Hukarere had a roll of 55 girls. Their building was damaged badly, so the girls were sent to Carlile House in Auckland to continue their schoolwork.
When the school reopened in March 1932, there was a roll of 49 girls. The Great Depression meant “Māori parents are finding times just as hard as our Pakeha friends are – and of course the number of our government scholarships has been reduced”.
The next crisis to visit the school was the worst of all – it closed in 1969 due to financial pressures.
However, Hukarere operated as a hostel with girls attending Napier Girls’ High School.
This continued until 1991, when again financial pressures caused the hostel to close.
With permission of the Te Aute Trust Board, a private group in 1993 leased the Hukarere property at 46 Napier Terrace.
In April 1995, Hukarere became a state-integrated school when the Te Aute Trust Board agreed to take the school over from the owners. This meant Hukarere received funding for each student, but the land and buildings are privately owned.
Another significant development in the life of the school was the April 2003 shift to Herepoho in the Esk Valley.
Almost 20 years later, the school was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.
Rebuilding in the same location was ruled out, and Hukarere searched for alternatives.
The Te Aute Trust Board purchased a Havelock North motel in Arataki Road as a hostel for the girls in 2023, and then purchased 31 Napier Road for a school.
In April 2024, community leaders and representatives of secondary schools in Havelock North, welcomed the girls and their teachers to Havelock North.
Michael Fowler is a Hawke’s Bay author and historian mfhistory@gmail.com
Michael will be doing a talk on the history of Napier’s Thirty Thousand Club and their legacy on the Marine Parade. All proceeds donated to the MTG Foundation. Please book at MTG Hawke’s Bay website or at their premises in Tennyson Street, $20. Some door sales. Wednesday 15 May, 5.30pm, Century Theatre, Herschell Street, Napier.