SORRY TO SEE CAMPBELL PARK CLOSE TO CHILDREN.


I AM ONE OF THE OLD BOYS THAT WAS AT OTEKAIEKE SPECIAL SCHOOL FROM 1960 TO 1966.

                                                                                  


         NOW KNOWN AS CAMPBELL PARK ESTATE.

In 1857 Mr. William Dansey's  purchased and lived on the sheep and cattle station which later became Campbell Park Special school for boys.  He had the first house built in 1861 and Danseys   Hut  still remains on the estate today. William sold the property in 1861 to the Hon Robert Campbell, the son of a wealthy Scottish family with business interests in England and Australia. Robert then brought a large workforce of Scottish Craftsmen and material from Scotland and Italy and built “The Castle” and stables in 1876. In 1908 the Estate was sold to the New Zealand Education Board, who used it as a school up until 1987. The school was closed and in 1988 the Estate passed into private ownership. The Estate helped shape the future of thousands of young men, during which time the property was extensively developed into the beautiful and expansive complex that it is today. Over the years, Campbell Park Estate has increasingly played host to many different events, offering an unparalleled mix of beauty and utility.


I do not know Where they got this information from. But Campbell park was gifted to the New Zealand Government to be used as a boarding school or a prison and was not to be sold. The Department of social welfare used it as a boys home. It was New Zealand Government.It was used for the kids that were known as state wards until  it closed in 1988.The New Zealand Board of education never owned it. It was run by the New zealand Government. The Staff were employed by the Government they were known as house masters. The Teachers were employed by the Government. The Superintendent was Mr O'Connor and The Headmaster was Mr Garrett. The Kids That were at school age stayed in Cottages known as A. And B. The Female Staff that worked ran the Cottages and looked after the kids at night, they were known as house matrons. When you were too old to go to school you would be put down into the senior section where you were put to work. You got put into jobs, like making concrete bricks and concrete fence posts  or in the boot-shop making boots, or the paint-shop and you were to paint the staff houses and work around the school. Some of the boys were placed into the garden, there was one boy who was placed in the poultry shed to get the eggs and other boys were put into work gangs and they did all the cleaning around the place. Four boys would work in the kitchen and some worked in the laundry, there would be two farm boys on the school side and one on the new farm that was on the other side of the river.The food and eggs as well as the boots were sent by train to other institutions that were run by the Government. If any boy broke the rules and ran away you would be sent back and put into a Black And White Jersey, you would have to sweep all the roads around the place, you were not allowed to talk to any other boys, and you would be sent to bed early. I used to feel sorry to see one of the boys as he was always in a black and white jersey. He had to sweep the roads in the winter when it was snowing. I can remember four of the boys who ran away and only two came back the other two got drowned in the Waitaki river. If you were in the senior section you only got one holiday a year that was in December. that is when all the school would be closed down.But one year I did not go home in December it was my last year there. But I ended up in bed for six weeks in the sickbay because out of 400 boys I got yellow Jaundice.After  I got well  I was sent into Oamaru to do work training, I was working for this Company:   

Gillies Manufacturing Co  Ltd                      

     

Address:    9 Dee Street                            

Oamaru 8901
   

New Zealand

 Postal address:    PO Box 342
                                                              

 Oamaru 8915
                                                            

 New Zealand
                                                      

Telephone:    (03) 434-7900
                      

 Fax:    (03) 434-9026, 

They were really good to me.

So when it was time for me to leave Campbell park I was the oldest boy that Campbell park has had. I was 17 years old.But there was one thing good about Campbell park I got on well with a lot of the staff members but there were three woman staff members I looked up to them as a mother I never had. they were Mrs Garrett. Louise Boyle. And Miss Lee. Mr Lee was running one of the work gangs. He was like a father to me. He would help me when things were going wrong. If it was not for him and some of the other male staff members. I would have run away too. But I knew I could not let them down. After I left Campbell park I have been back to see it three times over the years. And I took My two older children to see where I spent my younger years as a child and two years ago I took my oldest son from my marriage to see it as well When we went down to pick up Jenni. The Historical place have Campbell  park on their files and the Waitaki council have to be notified for any work to be carried out by the new owners. none of the buildings can be pulled down without the councils permission.


Here are some photos of Campbell Park school. The Castle  was known as the main building.

This a aerial photo of the campus. there are a lot of buildings missing



The road to the school from the staff village, Dansey's hut.



The staff village there were more then 30 houses in the village you can see by the photo some of the house have being moved.


This the castle and the lawn from the main entrance into the school.



Not a villa it was know as a cottage there are four of them three up where the school is and one over the back of the laundry,


This is the orchard there was a vegetable garden there as well some of the boys were placed into the garden. and there was a  boot shop and paint shop where the boys made boots. the paint shop some of the boys had to work there and they got to paint around the school. there was one boy who was placed in the poultry shed to get the eggs.those buildings were behind the garden shed. but they have been moved.

The old hot house in the garden.



Looking  over to Campbell Park school from the other side of the river.



Looking down over the village from the top of the hill. if you look at this photo in the far distance you will see a road. That road took you over to the schools new farm. Campbell Park had two farms one at the school and the other was on the other side of the river that was the sheep farm.


Helping out on the new farm.


 Mrs Campbell and her groom at their home before it was given to the New Zealand  Government as a gift.



Some things that people should understand what  Campbell Park was like for the boys  that were there as kids. The boys were sent there by the  D.S.W. The D.S.W Department were the biggest liars out. They took kids away  from their mothers.

I was there back in 1960 until may 1967. I was under D.S.W until I was 21.  I know one thing if you did anything wrong you got punished for it. we had the black and white  Jersey you got put into  it for punishment. but you only got that if you ran away, Or you tried  raping the female staff. or punching over any staff member. we also got the strap if we did anything wrong. it was like that in all the boys homes only thing was we didn't have a black and white jersey in the other homes. but you try raping a female staff member they called in the cops..I can still remember four boys running away only two came back the other two got drowned in the Waitaki river. they were Gary Tait and Owen Williams. but if you think that was bad then you see why kids would stop and think. But I just left Campbell park just before Mr O'Connor retired. and I can still remember seeing a photo of him holding up a black and white jersey saying he could not see what harm a black and white jersey could do when it was used to punish bad boys. that was on the front of the old truth paper the day he retired.I do not know what it was like after he retired. I had gone back to Campbell park school to see it after I got out of D.S.W. I talked to Mr Lee when I was there he told me it was not like it was when the old boys were there. and I went down again to show my two older children where I was but it was closed down. I went down again two years ago and I was not happy to see what the new owners have done to it, the place needs to have a lot of work done to it, when I was there it was known as  Otekaieke  special school for boys.  We were asked if we would like to change it back to the owner who gave it to the government so we the boys of the school called it Campbell park school when the Govenor general came to visit us. when he came to see us about getting into joining the duke of Edinburgh award. the Govenor general at that time was sir Bernard Fergusson it was in 1966 when it was changed back to Campbell park. It was up to the Govenor general to ok it.  But Campbell park was gifted to the New Zealand government to be used as a boarding school or a prison and was not to be sold. The Department of social welfare used it as a boys home. It was New Zealand government.It was used for the kids that were known as state wards until it closed in 1988. The Historical place have Campbell  park on there files and the Waitaki council have to be notified for any work to be carried out by the new owners. none of the buildings can be pulled down with out the councils permission.But The D.S.W have Questions that need to be asked. I know that they have taken children off mothers and fathers that have been a State wards. And also have lied to do so. They have also put there State wards into Mental hospitals. Because they had no where to put them. And some of the kids that were in D.S.W were not wanted by there own parents because they were known as war baby's. Because a lot of the kids that were there when I was. Had No fathers. they where born in the 1940s. I know of a young D.S.W girl that had her two girls taken off her because she went to get help from social welfare She was renting a State house they told her if social welfare put the house into her name she could keep it as the father walked out and  left her with the kids. but she made a mistake she had gone to the D.S.W. and they did not help her they took her kids from her she got to see them once a year until I got on her case and I went  with her and got into her case manager then she got to see them every two weeks and got to have days out with them. But I know the two girls will have trouble when they get married and have kids because the Child youth and family Are still run by the D.S.W. and they have all records of all the kids that have been state wards. This will go on for years because the government are much to blame as well because they tell the D.S.W what they could and can't do. so the government won't do nothing for kids like us. we have to live this for the rest of our life's.



HERE ARE SOME OF THE NAMES OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT I CAN REMEMBER.


Mr & Mrs Garrett. AND Daughter Trudy Garrett,

 Mr & Mrs Boyle AND Daughter Louise Boyle.
 
 Mr & Mrs Lee AND Daughter Miss Lee.
 
 Mr & Mrs O'Connor AND THEIR SON Neil O'Connor.

 Mr Jimmy Jones.
 
 Mr & Mrs Cigarlo  Nicvk Name Zig Zag.

 Mr John Bailey.

 Miss Forbes.       known as granny Forbes.

 Mr Billington.     known as pop Billington
 
 Mr Prattley.
 
 Mr  Gardner.
 
 Mr & Mrs  Smith.  and  Daughter  Irene

 MR KEN ROSS.

 Mr George Ross.

                           ARE  BROTHERS.
 Mr ken Ross.

 Mr alen Ross .        Is not.

 Mr Stanislov.

 Mr Fitzpatrick.

 Mr  Vav Dyke.

 Mr  Hyslop.

 Mr  Speight.

Mr  Schmitt.

 Mr O'CONNOR SENIOR WAS THE PRINCIPAL.
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 Mr FITZPATRICK WAS THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

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 Mr GARRETT WAS THE HEADMASTER.
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 Mr NEIL O'CONNER, AND JIMMY JONES. WERE TEACHERS.
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 Mr CIGARLO, Mr JOHN BAILEY, Mr PRATTLEY, Mr BILLINGTON.

Mr STANISLOV. Mr VAN DYKE. MR SCHMITT .   HOUSEMASTERS.
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 MR GEORGE ROSS. WAS THE FARM MANAGER, Mr KEN ROSS WAS THE TRACTOR MANAGER.
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 THE OTHER Mr ROSS WAS IN CHARGE OF MAKING CONCRETE BRICKS AND CONCRETE FENCE POSTS.
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 MR LEE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE WORK GANGS.
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 Mrs GARRETT AND Miss FORBES WERE IN CHARGE OF THE MEDICAL CENTRE.
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 Mr SMITH WAS IN CHARGE OF THE WOOD WORK SHOP.
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Mr HYSLOP WAS IN CHARGE OF THE MOTOR GARAGE

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 Mr SPEIGHT WAS IN CHARGE OF THE PAINT SHOP

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 BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STAFF MEMBERS I CAN'T REMEMBER.


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