History of Norsewood School
1873-2006
Page 2 Page3 Page 4 Home
The Norsewood community have always considered the education of their
children a high priority and the first settlers influenced the Hawkes
Bay Education Board to urgently construct a new school within nine
months of their arrival at the bush covered site in Norsewood.
Norsewood School was opened in July 1873. It was described as a
huge building which was hastily put together with green timber and was
very draughty. The roll number is given at 45.
Original School 1873-1888
On March 16, 1888, a fire, driven by gale force winds, spread through
the district destroying everything in its path. The school in the
bush and the headmaster’s house were among the buildings which
had disappeared in the inferno. And much of the green bush
surrounding the village had been burnt, also.
After the fire, there was no school for about six weeks. Then
classes were commenced in two rooms of the partly finished Crown
Hotel. When the hotel received a licence the classes were
transferred to private homes. The new school was opened at the
end of August, 1888.
The new school had three classrooms, arranged in the shape of a letter
‘H’. The boys and girls had separate playgrounds
– there was a fence to keep them apart. A child caught in
the wrong playground was liable to get the strap.
The second School opened in 1888.
