Welcome to the Bream Bay College / Waipu District High School Alumni Page. We celebrated 75 Years of Secondary Education Queen's Birthday Weekend, 2014.
THE HISTORY
Waipu District High School started with 13 students in 1939 on the 27th of March. Another 5 students joinied throughout the year. The surnames of the students were Finlayson, Lawrence, McKay, Muller, Rimmer, Walker, Bowmar, Gardner, Jonas, McAulay, Nordlof, Semple, Williams, Alison, Donaldson, Brooks, Lovie and Russell.
Waipu District High School changed its name to Marsden High School in Term 3 of 1972 and it became Bream Bay College later in that year. It moved from Waipu to the Bream Bay College site in 1974. In 2014 we will celebrate the 75 years of Secondary Education at the Bream Bay College site. The expected roll will be 450 students.
A key objective of this reunion is to reconnect our District High School days to our Bream Bay College days. The staff remained the same, the resources were transported between sites, the records and cups remained the same but due to the moving from Waipu to Ruakaka a disconnection has been created for some of our community members. We invite you all to come and reconnect to your fellow pupils and help the Bream Bay Community celebrate 75 years of outstanding achievements of its students.
An honours board will be displayded for pre 1973 students at the College and the provision of our Alumni information, both pre and post 1973, is available on our website. We are proud of our schools achievements and of our community past and look forward to celebrating this event with you.
Click here to view the Reunion Register from 1989
Click on Time Line below to view history through the years: Waipu District High School 1940 - 1972 Bream Bay College from 1972 to date.
| 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2100s |
|---|
WAIPU DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL FORMS 3 TO 6 - 1949
| ROW A 1 Oscar Marinkovich, 2 Paul Mrsich, 3 Allan Lewin, 4 Dick Bryham, 5 John Walsh, 6 Moss Bryham, 7 Jim Sutherland |
| ROW B 1 Willie Schultz, 2 Fred Wilkinson, 3 Mac Gordon, 4 Garry Pirihi, 5 Ces Mackie, 6 John Lovie, 7 Owen Mackie, 8 Peter Erceg, 9 Sam Selak, 10 Johnny Johnson |
| ROW C 1 Shirley McRae, 2 Milli Primi, 3 Avril Fleet, 4 Margaret Legarth, 5 Flora Lovie, 6 Aline Hall, 7 Pam Boakes, 8 Wynne Gordon, 9 Rosa Suvalko, 10 Kathleen McGregor, 11 Lynnette Gates, 12 Jill Davies, 13 Joan Hill, 14 Jean Ewen |
| ROW D 1 Sue Waetfoud, 2 Katherine Mackie, 3 Beryl Harvey, 4 Shirley Brake, 5 Pat Hodsell, 6 Joan Cameron, 7 Valerie McLean, 8 Mary Salmon, 9 Jean Massey, 10 Rosemary Thomas, 11 Margaret Russell |
| ROW E 1 Anzac Kepa, 2 Gaye Williams, 3 Ian McAulay, 4 John Nickolaison, 5 Fred Reid, 6 Robin Shepherd, 7 Brian Ruddell, 8 Rex McRae, 9 Angela Bryham, 10 Pam Huntley |
Early Schools
Education was always a priority for early settler families in New Zealand. Often, the second public building erected in any community was a school; the first usually was a church. Bream Bay proved to be no exception, with small schools built throughout the area to provide an education for a growing population of young children. The first school being built in Waipu in 1857.
Waipu District High School / Bream Bay College
In 1940, the old three-sided bus shelter from the Cove School was relocated to beside the bus garage. When a similar structure was added, it produced a low roofed shed that became the woodwork room, later to be known by students as the ‘dog box’.
In 1946, the old Cove School building was shifted to the St Mary’s Rd site, and became the Homecraft Centre for the girls.