Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

Share:

Mr. William Bannerman , formerly Headmaster of the Kyeburn Public School, and now at Ratanui, Catlins Lake, in the Clutha County, was born on the 11th of February, 1844, at Alvah, Banffshire, Scotland. He is a son of the late Mr. Bannerman, farmer, of Westeron, Newrayne and Lenchie, Insch, Aberdeenshire. Mr. Bannerman was educated at the parish school, Rayne, at the Aberdeen Young Gentlemen's Institution, and at the Old Aberdeen Grammar school, and he also attended the Bajan Session Classes, Aberdeen University, during the session of 1870–71. In 1871, he became headmaster of the United Presbyterian school, Craigdam, Tarves, and two years later was transferred to Cairnorrie public school, Methlick, where he continued till 1894, when he resigned his position to come to New Zealand. He arrived in Wellington by the s.s. “Gothic” on the 14th of November. Mr. Bannerman holds the British Government certificate to teach, and he attended the College of Agricultural Science in South Kensington, London, in 1880, and took first class honours. At Cairnorrie he conducted evening classes for young men and women from 1876 onwards, and taught the principles of agriculture under the Science and Art Department from 1884 to 1886, and agricultural science under the Aberdeen County Council and Science and Art Department, South Kensington, in 1893–4. On arriving in Otago, Mr. Bannerman became assistant teacher in the Mornington school, Dunedin, in February, 1895; he was transferred to the headmastership at Kyeburn in December, 1897, and to Ratanui in December, page 600 1901. He was married on the 11th of July, 1865, to a daughter of Mr. George Brown, farmer of Meickle, Pitinnan, Daviot. This lady died on the 28th of July, 1875, leaving three daughters and two sons. His second marriage took place on the 25th of May, 1877, the present Mrs. Bannerman being a daughter of Mr. John Nicol, farmer, of Blackbog, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, and thee are four sons and two daughters by this marriage. Mrs Bannerman was born on the 7th of August, 1854, and was educated at Blackbog, in the parish of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, and was educated at the Fyvie Girls' School, where she served her apprenticeship as a pupil teacher. She is a trained and certificated teacher of the Church of Scotland Training College, Aberdeen. On entering College, Mrs. Bannerman gained a Queen's scholarship, in public competition, and held a distinguished position in all her classes at College. She is a teacher of music, and was organist to the Anglican and Presbyterian churches at Kyeburn. Mr. Bannerman contributed a paper on the effects of manure on turnips to the “Aberdeen Free Press” and the “Aberdeen Journal,” on the 28th of May, 1884.