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Picturesque Dunedin: or Dunedin and its neighbourhood in 1890

Provision for education under the original otago settlement scheme

page 137

Provision for education under the original otago settlement scheme.

The settlers of Otago manifested from the outset a determination to establish, and maintain a liberal and comprehensive system of public school education. When the settlement was founded in 1847-48 by the Otago Association under an agreement with the New Zealand Company, the price of land in the Otago block was fixed at forty shillings per acre. Only one-fourth of the proceeds of the land sales was to be retained by the Company; the balance was to be expended on various public purposes in certain fixed proportions. It was part of the agreement that one-eighth of the entire proceeds should be set apart for "religious and educational uses," under the control of Trustees acting on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of Otago. Instead of this proportion of the proceeds being paid to the Church Trustees in cash, it was invested in the purchase of land within the settlement, so as to form an endowment for the maintenance of churches and schools. When the New Zealand Company's scheme came to an end in 1852, the Trustees had acquired in this way 22 properties of 60 ½ acres each, viz., 22 quarter-acre town sections; 22 ten-acre suburban sections; and 22 rural sections of 50 acres each; making in all, 1325 ½ acres. The original aggregate price of these properties was £2651. Por some years the annual revenue from them was trifling, the average for the six years 1852-57 scarcely reaching £34. Of late years, however, the revenue has been considerable, the amount of rental received for the year 1887 having been returned at £4,892 13s 3d.

In the year 1852, the Imperial Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act, by which the original Otago block was greatly enlarged, and was constituted one of the seven Provinces page 138into which the colony was divided by the Act. The arrangement between the New Zealand Company and the Otago Association was consequently brought to a close, and no further additions could be made to the estate held by the Presbyterian Church Trustees "for religious and educational uses." The duty of providing the means of education within the newly-formed Province of Otago was left to the Provincial Government, in whom the administration of public affairs was now vested. This duty was taken up so heartily by the Government and the Provincial Council, that the Church authorities very wisely resolved to refrain from maintaining rival denominational schools.

No agreement had yet been come to regarding the proportion of the Presbyterian Church endowment that should be appropriated to educational, as distinct from ecclesiastical uses, and after full discussion of the question, a general willingness was expressed by ministers and members of the Church that some definite proportion should be devoted to educational purposes, from which not the Presbyterian Church alone, but the whole of the community, should derive benefit. It was agreed that the proportion should be one-third, and in 1866, the "Presbyterian Church Lands Act" was passed by the Colonial Parliament, providing that two-thirds of the clear annual revenue derived from the endowment, should be devoted by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church to ecclesiastical purposes in Otago and Southland,* and that the remaining third should be applied by the Church Trustees to the erection and endowment of a literary chair or chairs in any college or university that might be established in the Province of Otago. The funds thus placed at the disposal of the Trustees have enabled them to establish three professorial chairs in the University of Otago, viz.—Mental and Moral Philosophy, 1871; English Language page 139and Literature, 1881; and Natural Philosophy, 1884. As the annual revenue from the trust has now probably reached its highest limit, or nearly so, there is little or no prospect of any addition being made for some considerable time to the number of chairs already instituted. Very full information regarding the Otago Presbyterian Church Fund is supplied by the Rev. W. Gillies, of Timaru, in a "Historical Narrative" published by him some years ago.

The following balance-sheet was submitted to the Synod at its annual meeting in October, 1888:—

Education Fund.

For twelve months ending 30th September, 1888.
Dr.
December 31st, 1887.
To Cash paid—
Professors' salaries £1800 0 0
Assessment, Synod expenses 100 0 0
Insurance premiums 2 14 3
Commission, 5 per cent, on £589 9s 1d 29 9 5
£1932 3 9
" Balance 11,960 9 0
£13,892 12 9
Cr.
December 31st, 1886.
By Balance £11,738 5 6
December 31st, 1887.
" One-third net revenue £1564 18 2
" Interest on investments 589 9 1
2154 7 3
£13,892 12 9
Memo, of Balance.
December 31st, 1837—
Loans on mortgage 8767 0 0
Fixed deposit 2000 0 0
Debentures 300 0 0
Cash in Bank 892 19 0
£11,960 9 0

* The purposes specified by the Act are as follows: "Building or repairing of manses and churches in the Provinces of Otago and Southland, and endowing or aiding in the endowment of any Theological chair or chairs in connection with the Presbyterian Church of Otago in any College or University which may hereafter be erected in the Province of Otago, or any or either of such purposes according to regulations that may be prescribed from time to time by the Synod of Otago and Southland."