Bay of islands beginning

A New Experience

I started work at Bay of Islands in February 1972. And I was left in no doubt that this was a different world from Auckland in the first week. I had rented a flat in Kawakawa near the College, and in the first week of term Kawakawa was hit by a deluge. The lower parts of the town were flooded and traffic in and out was halted. 

I ended up with about a dozen students staying overnight marae-style in my flat because they, and lots of others, couldn’t get home. 

I was determined that we would set a high standard from the beginning: the sixth formers were taken to the local cinema on the first morning to see a film currently on the circuit. It was (unless my memory is faulty) a James Bond thriller. The students then had to write a review of the film for homework for the next Monday. 

Also in the first few days was a gala day to raise funds for a school gymnasium. I was asked to help the Biology teacher, Derek Challis, who was organising an art exhibition. Derek knew many of the best New Zealand artists, painters and sculptors, and had twisted arms to gather an impressive collection of works, by such names as Len Castle, Don Binney, Colin McCahon and Michael Illingworth. 

The best thing about this project was that it gave me the opportunity to get to know Derek, and his wife Lynne, and we became good friends.

 

This is the Bay of islands College staff in 1972. I am on the left of the front row. Third from left is Danny Walker, science teacher who organised the pyrotechnics for Mikado. Then Frank Jones, Deputy Principal, and Frank Leadley, our Principal. Front right is Diane Oliver, music teacher, who looked after the musical side of the productions. Derek Challis is fourth from left in the back row.

I continued my policy of giving the students a choice about teachers, and about textbooks to study. But probably the best thing about Bay of Islands College was that it did not prohibit outings. 

So eventually we organised trips to other High School drama productions, like Kerikeri and Dargaville, and even to Auckland to the Mercury Theatre. 

I was dragged in to the school production in the first year: Mikado. I modified the text a bit to set it locally, and had the science teachers produce some spectacular explosions to co-incide with Katisha’s appearance at the end of the first half. I was impressed by the keenness of many of the staff to help in one way or another. It was a real learning experience because of that. 

In subsequent years we put on “Music Man”, “Annie Get Your Gun”, “South Pacific”, “Viva Mexico” and, best of all, “Kismet”. We eventually developed a system of running the musical for a whole week, with two casts alternating their appearances. People came from around the Bay of Islands area to see them.