The discovery and settlement of the Wairarapa and Tararua region is connected with several prominent figures of New Zealand’s history. Ancestral figures such as Hau-nui-a-nanaia, Kupe, Whatonga, Tara Ika and Toi have all been said to have connections with the region and are responsible for the naming of many of the Wairarapa’s features and places. It has been estimated that Rangitane settled in the region by about the sixteenth century. Marriage links with Rangitane saw a group of Ngati Kahungunu retreat to the Wairarapa in the subsequent century as the result of internal hapu conflict. The two groups cohabitated mostly in the south Wairarapa for a period, but then the Ngati Kahungunu newcomers negotiated several sections of land for themselves. This process was not seamless and instances of conflict continued between the two iwi over the centuries. The next significant period of change in the area was in the early nineteenth century with the progression south of Te Rauparaha and others. This ushered in an era when many different iwi, including Ngati Whatua, Ngati Awa, Ngati Toa, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Tama, and Ngati Mutunga, made advances into the region and some Ngati Kahungunu hapu withdrew.
European incursion into the Wairarapa only began after the New Zealand Company’s Port Nicholson settlement was established. Based on the reports of the exploring and surveying parties that the company sent out, the southern Wairarapa became one of the first extensive tracts of land to be occupied by Europeans, although the Crown titles, negotiated by Donald McLean, were not obtained until 1853. However, it took substantially longer for settlement to progress beyond Masterton, which was linked to Wellington by road in 1859. Further increase was slow because the northern Wairarapa was heavily forested, as opposed to the south with its relatively clear and large grass plains. In particular the forest north of Mount Bruce was dense with rimu, tawa, matai, maire, kahikatea, and rata, and was known as Forty Mile Bush, which was within the larger Seventy Mile Bush, that also encompassed places such as Dannevirke and Norsewood. Maori referred to this forest as Te Tapere Nui o Whatonga (The great forest of Whatonga) and an abundance of birdlife resided there amongst giant ancient trees, some of which were large enough for groups of people to shelter within their trunks.
Eketahuna, originally named Mellemskov (heart of the forest) by the Scandanavian settlers who founded the town, was in the southern part of Forty Mile Bush. The Scandinavian (and German) migration to the Southern Wairarapa had been made possible through Julius Vogel’s (1835-1899) 1870 Immigration and Public Works Act. In 1871 the government began especially recruiting Scandinavians to come to New Zealand, because they were generally thought to have superior forest clearing skills and as having a greater tolerance to cold harsh climates. As such, Scandinavians were seen as particularly useful for work on the early phases of railway and road construction, and were contracted to build roads and fell the forest surrounding the area. The majority of the first settlers to Eketahuna were Swedish, and arrived on the Forfarshire in Wellington on 4 March 1873. The new arrivals had a period of rest in Wellington, then travelled over the Rimutaka hills to a camp at Kopuaranga. This was their place of residence for seven months, as Eketahuna was yet to be surveyed. In the first two years after moving there the settlers did not have to pay for their land, ‘but in that time were expected to have erected a cottage, felled bush and grassed or put in crops on an area not less than five acres’. Eketahuna grew quickly and was linked with Wellington when the railway reached the town on the 8th of April 1889, and the town became a borough in 1907.
While fires in the region were commonplace during the turn of the century, in 1908 there was a devastating fire in the district surrounding Eketahuna, caused by the particularly dry summer of 1907-8. Fires began in the middle of January that could have been contained save a heavy wind that developed and fanned fires in the district. Eketahuna was not the only town to suffer, with some reports stating that the whole district was ablaze by the 21st of January. Fires continued until the end of the month. While the fire had a major impact on the built heritage of the towns in the district, it also had a major impact on their futures and economy. Timber production, which prior to this was the district’s main source of income, fell into decline and after the fire pastoral farming became the main occupation there. Similarly, there have been several earthquakes felt in the region, none more so than the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake. First damaged in the June 24 1942 earthquake, Eketahuna suffered further in the 2 August aftershock, and it has been reported there was more damage during this quake than in the original. The Eketahuna school survived unscathed through these disasters.
Education in New Zealand was revolutionised by the 1877 Education Act which established free, compulsory schooling for children until standard six (about age 12, or year eight in current terms). In practice attendance was hampered by requirements of children in rural districts to help with farming practices such as haymaking, however until this Act was established education was spasmodic and favoured the wealthy. Along with providing for free education for all children, the Education Act set up a three tiered system of administration of schools which was divided between the Department of Education, twelve education boards and school committees which were elected from members of the community by ballot and were responsible for the general management of schools.
Shortly after the establishment of the Education Act, in October 1878 a school opened in Eketahuna in a small cottage at 14 Bengston Street. This was a four roomed cottage with the front two rooms used as a classroom, and the others as the residence for the teacher. 23 students were first enrolled, and reports state that none of them spoke English. Instruction therefore first centred around teaching the children English, who then passed on their knowledge to their parents. The number of children enrolled soon surpassed the size of the cottage and shortly after, in 1884, another school was built next door at 16 Bengston Street. This is the school building that is the subject of this report. By 1897 the roll numbered 172 pupils, and this second school eventually proved to be not large enough for the requirements of the town. Eight years of campaigning for a new school finally met with success, and after a third school was built in December 1912, 16 Bengston Street was converted to a manual training centre in 1913, where children were taught cookery and woodwork. In 1928 the school that had been built to replace 16 Bengston Street burnt down, and some of the children were sent back to the old school to continue their education while another school was built.
The school has connections with prominent members of the early settlement of Eketahuna and Wellington. Thomas Turnbull (1824 – 1907) was the Wellington Education Board architect at the time the school was built, therefore it is likely that he was the architect of the original plans for the building. The first inspector to visit the school was the man who later became Premier and Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout (1844-1930). This was important as he was the first government official to visit the school.
The specifications for the changes to the school to convert it to a manual training centre date to 1913. One large dividing wall between the two classrooms was removed at that time, as were two chimneys. One of the wings was converted to teach cooking, while the other section was used for woodwork. A somewhat incongruous toilet block was added to the northern elevation in the 1970s.
The school also has connections with important parts of New Zealand’s history. During 1918 the school was used as a temporary hospital during the influenza epidemic. The 1918 influenza epidemic was New Zealand’s deadliest epidemic. While nationally more people died during the epidemic than in World War One, there was not a high mortality rate in Eketahuna.
The school jubilee was held in 1979, with many ex pupils attending the school for the celebrations. A centennial publication was written about both this school and the earlier one at 14 Bengston Street, and there are photos of this event at the museum.
The school continued in its use as a manual training centre until 1979 when these services were transferred to the later built school. Since 1982-3, 16 Bengston Street has been used as the Eketahuna and Districts Early Settlers Museum and is open to the public over weekends through a volunteer service, showing the importance of the school building and current museum to members of the public. The building was re-roofed in 1988/9 using both volunteers and professionals, again showing the importance of the building to the community.