Spring in the Archives A special

SPRING

Returning to our roots Sir Edwin Mitchelson in the School gardens with Headmistress Miss Ethel Sandford.

in the archives

Once again, another spring comes to the south of the world and the sequence of blossoming trees and vivid new green lifts the spirits after the long dull months of winter. Particularly lovely from the archivist’s point of view is a new young Awanui cherry sapling planted on School House lawn – just now in full flower – a joy to see not just because of its current profusion of blossom, but also because of the promise it represents for years of blossom to come.

As a reasonably competent gardener, the archivist knows what an act of faith it is to plant a tree. One plants not knowing what the coming years will bring, but in hope that such a tree will thrive and will grow to delight those who are not yet here.

I can imagine that for founding Board Chair Sir Edwin Mitchelson, establishing the School was something similar. In fact, at his passing, Miss Pulling recorded the many times Sir Edwin, commenting on the School’s opening on a mortgage debt, had said, “This School was built on faith and nothing else.” But then Sir Edwin was a keen gardener too, often coming up to the School with gifts of flowering shrubs and perennials. Born in Auckland around 1846, raised with stories of gardens back in England, like many inhabitants of early Auckland, the young Mitchelson must have taken so much pleasure with each new introduction of European garden flowers and trees.

A fitting tribute Mitchelson family members at the plaque dedication at Purewa Cemetery in September. Right: The Mitchelson plaque.

Recently the archivist was privileged to join with descendants of Sir Edwin, together with Principal Heather McRae and Development Director Angela Coe, to represent the School as a memorial plaque in Sir Edwin’s honour was specially dedicated in the Mitchelson plot at Purewa Cemetery. It was a glorious morning and the event coincided with the feast of St Matthew the Evangelist. Sir Edwin had a long association with St Matthew’s Hobson Street, attending the Church School built on the site in 1849 and eventually donating two (possibly three) windows in the morning chapel of the present church. These windows by Clayton and Bell are very fine examples of late Victorian church glass and depict Christ in majesty, St Mary mother of the Lord and St Matthew.

In reflecting on Sir Edwin’s life and achievements in both business and politics, it was an inspiration to hear just how he used the wealth and position he earned by hard work in the colonial timber trade to give back to his community in long years of service as a member of Parliament, as Acting Premier, as Mayor of Auckland and in service to the Diocese and many other positions on local boards and societies. Clearly Sir Edwin would imagine the School he helped create from scratch would also be doing well enough to give back and blossoming like the trees of which he was so fond.

Also dedicated last weekend was a plaque commemorating early Auckland solicitor Francis Dart Fenton. Fenton has a somewhat mixed reputation. He arrived around 1950, a young London-trained solicitor, and proceeded to work in a variety of legal and governmental roles including some 30 years presiding over the Native Land Court.

Modern historians disparage his establishment of the Ma -ori Land Court as a means by which land was expropriated from Ma -ori. However, on Saturday we heard how Fenton was concerned that Ma -ori could hold titles to land in a manner which European law would be able to recognise, in order for Ma -ori to be better able to safeguard their ancestral lands and papaka -inga. Fenton was also a keen amateur musician and did much to develop and support the Auckland Choral Society.

In so far as Diocesan goes, at least two of Fenton’s granddaughters are known to have attended the School in the past. In fact, family were very proud to note two of their ancestresses are named on honours boards in the School Hall. Mitchelson family members were similarly proud that we may soon have a fifth generation of Mitchelson girls enrolled at Diocesan.

As spring moves into summer, perhaps it’s a time to consider the ways in which students and staff, parents and all the School family are planted in the deep soil of this place, seedlings and grown trees alike, each planted in faith and coming to flower in their own way. Evan Lewis, Archivist

Fenton family members at the dedication ceremony.