Gibson Girls' Whaea Ora morning tea

Felicity Williams, RROGA president has a natter to some alumnae who recall their days at Rangi, the good, the bad and the mischievous.

Jennifer Barrer ‘Victor Peters was our music teacher. He taught me to conduct. At 17 years old, I trained with Dame Ngaio Marsh, straight out of school. I did lots of Shakespeare. And then in 1964, my first television drama. I loved being a Rangi girl. I biked through the park to school. Natalie Lough was my English teacher. I became a poet and have published six books of poetry.’

(Jennifer Barrer is our cover girl. Read more about her incredible life on Page 28)

Gill Rich (Bishop) 1952 ‘I remember getting taught spelling and arithmetic and the times tables in the primary school with Mrs Barton, that was in 1950, and Miss (Elsie) Bachelor, she was keen on spelling; it was discipline, discipline, discipline, but they were both good really, looking back.

Rosemary Nattrass (Rathgen)

Madame Ziffer, she drove a little car like crazy, “open the vindows girls!’ she would call. She taught us French and languages. Mrs Dennis was really lovely, Scottish, taught us social studies. She rode a motor bike to school. I met her in the doctor’s rooms years and years later, she was still riding a motor bike. On May Day we danced around the lawns in a circle.

There was a time when Mrs Patrick didn’t approve of our dresses and she made us put on cardigans. We weren’t allowed low necklines or bare shoulders. When I went to Rangi, it was a school for young ladies, but that changed when the Presbyterian board took over; it became more about education. Mrs Patrick was very academically qualified, she put a great emphasis on learning. I made lovely friends at Rangi. Special days.’