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Picturesque Dunedin: or Dunedin and its neighbourhood in 1890

The Opening of the School Under Mrs. Burn

The Opening of the School Under Mrs. Burn.

At the end of 1870 the several additions and improvements recommended by the Commission were completed, and the Education Board was placed in a position to open the Girls' School, and to organise it in accordance with the Commission's recommendations. Mrs. M. Gordon Burn, formerly Lady Superintendent of Geelong Girls' College, was appointed Lady Principal, and the following teachers were also engaged:—Miss Macdougall (now Mrs. Neish), first assistant; Mrs. Rhinda, page 169resident governess; Miss Huie (now Mrs. Borrows), resident music governess; and Miss Bell (now Mrs. McGlashan), and Mr. Lees, visiting music teachers. The services of Mr. D. C. Hutton as Drawing Master were secured, and these have been continued ever since. Mr. Gr. M. Thomson rendered valuable service for some years as conductor of the Class Singing Lessons. It was also arranged with the Rector that the masters of the Boys' School should give lessons in some of the higher subjects to classes in the Girls' School. The prospectus issued by the Board set forth that the object of the institution was to impart to girls a thoroughly useful and liberal education, combined with careful moral and religious instruction; that the ordinary course would embrace a thorough English education, viz.:—Reading, Grammar, Composition, Elocution, History, Natural Science, Geography, Writing and Arithmetic, and also Class-Singing, Drawing, French, and Industrial Work; and that competent teachers would be engaged for Music, Singing (private lessons), Dancing and Calisthenics, German, and other branches that might afterwards be found desirable.

The School was opened on February 6, 1871, with a roll of 78 pupils; by the end of the quarter there were 102 in attendance; and at the close of the year there were. 130 names on the roll, including 16 boarders. It was now found necessary to enlarge the school buildings, both for day-school and boarding-house purposes. In 1872 the number enrolled was 125. In the beginning of 1873 it was found advisable to discontinue the arrangements under which some of the masters of the Boys' School gave lessons to the senior classes in the Girls' School, and to transfer the services of Mr. Pope wholly to the latter. The number on the school roll at the end of 1873 was 137, and the average for the year, 126. In 1874, the attendance had increased to 155, and the accommodation again became insufficient. The number of pupil-boarders had increased to 24, and want of room compelled Mrs Burn almost every week to decline receiving more girls. The Board was therefore under the necessity of again making considerable additions to the building.

Mrs. Burn had thrown so much energy and zeal into the performance of her onerous and responsible duties that she somewhat overtaxed her strength, and towards the end of 1874 page 170the Board asked her to accept leave of absence for a few months. A temporary substitute was engaged, and the work of the School was satisfactorily carried on. In 1875, the average quarterly enrolment of pupils rose to 168. The number of girls receiving music lessons in connection with the school was 77. As the upper division of the school became more and more composed of pupils who had been trained in the lower classes, a higher standard of attainment began to be reached than was at first possible.

In course of time the work devolving upon the Lady Principal, consequent upon the increasing number of day scholars and pupil boarders became so onerous, that, in response to her own proposal, the Board resolved to relieve her of the care of the boarding establishment, so that her time and energies might be confined solely to the superintendence of the day-school. Mrs. Martin was accordingly placed in charge of the boarding-house in July 1876, Mrs. Burn giving up the occupation of the official residence. Mrs. Martin continued to preside over the boarding department until the beginning of 1878, when the Board of Governors, that had been appointed under the High Schools Act of 1877, reverted to the original arrangement, and placed Mrs. Burn in charge of the boarding institution as well as the day-school.

Under the Board of Governors the School continued to prosper as in former years, the only difficulty being the occasional inability of Mrs. Burn's strength to bear the strain imposed upon it by her energy and zeal in the performance of her weighty and responsible duties. With a view to reduce the strain, the Board of Governors in 1883 resolved to secure the services of a highly qualified Vice-Principal, who should also act as Mathematical teacher, and Sir. F. D. Bell and Professor Sidgwick of Trinity College, Cambridge, were requested to make a suitable selection in the Home Country. Their choice fell upon Miss J. J. McKean, who entered on her duties in November, 1883, and has ever since performed them in a highly satisfactory manner. In 1884 Mrs. Burn was compelled, by the state of her health, to resign the Lady Principalship. It is very generally admitted that from first to last Mrs. Burn performed the duties of her office with rare ability, and with a devotion and zeal that could not be surpassed, page 171and that under her superintendence the Otago Girls' High School proved an uninterrupted success. The following is an extract from the Inspector General's Report on the School about the time of Mrs. Burn's retirement:—" December 1, 1884. The Otago Girls' High School, which I visited on 17th September, maintains its high character for efficiency. Mrs. Burn, who has conducted it for so many years with distinguished ability, is about to retire."