1828: Paihia School Break-Up

December 10, 2019

By AHNZ

Today in New Zealand history, 10 December, 1828, at Paihia, New Zealand’s first recorded end-of-year school break-up. Both figuratively and literally!

Celebrating the end of the school year, Rev. Henry William’s and his little Mission let off a second round of ceremonial cannon fire from the hills above the settlement. This round did not go well! The haste to keep the booming symphony going led to a poor young man blowing himself to pieces off the face of the hill!?!

The poor bloke survived and recovered but minus a few fingers. That is a rough end to a rough year for this Bay of Islands Mission (same year they had their ship stolen by Maoris, the crew stripped of everything to walk home naked.)

“The Rev Henry Williams […] an old navy salt, had planted carronades on the hill at the back of the station for show, not for defence, and I was frightened out of all my little wits by the banging of guns over my head in honour of the meeting,”

“The noise ended in grief, for a young Englishman in his eagerness to keep the guns going, loaded before the remains of the old cartridge were cleared out, and he, with his ramrod, was blown down the hill, losing some of his fingers, burning his face, temporarily blinding his eyes, and suffering other bodily dilapidation.”

Ref. ‘Notes on Early Life in New Zealand’ (1828), George Clarke

The name of the young Englishman who was ‘broken up’ (but lived on) is not recorded.

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Image ref. Williams, uncredited video clip; Te Ara.govt.nz

Ref also. Explosive End to First School Year; Pressreader.com

Ref. NZH&NH; Facebook

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