The trouble Great Britain was having in India, in which Russia was implicated, gave a semblance of probability to the report. At the same time, it is surprising that such a palpable hoax could have misled anyone. The purpose which the newspaper had in producing the article was stated in the next issue to be to “direct attention to the necessity of these colonies being properly protected.”
Eight years later, on 12th December, 1881, the Russian cruiser Africa visited Auckland without causing consternation among the citizens. Better relations now obtained between the two nations, and Admiral Aslanbexoff, who was in command, was welcomed to the city by the civic authorities, and dined with the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mrs. J. McCosh Clark) on the evening of the ship’s arrival.
Educational matters received long-delayed attention in this period. As we have already mentioned, the Grammar School commenced its career in the last year of the ’sixties, but, until the passing of “The Education Act” of 1877, elementary education had been carried on by private and denominational schools, the latter system being introduced in 1847 by Sir George Grey, who realised that the only organisations fit to undertake the work of education were the churches. When the education system passed into the care of the Provincial Council, that body passed, in 1857, an Act for the better regulation of education, but the Council was too hard pressed financially to be able to do much. The Act of 1877, however, placed the education of children on a stable basis, providing for free, compulsory and secular teaching. Following the passing of this Act, a number of private schools came under the national authority. Since then the system has developed, and at the present time there are eighteen primary schools within the city boundaries which supply instruction to over 11,000 children.
Apart from the primary and secondary education systems, Auckland was noticeably deficient in the higher branches of education and in the educational facilities provided for the working man. In fact, except for the Mechanics’ Institute, there was no provision for general or technical education available. Much credit is due to this Institute for what it did in the thirty-eight years of its existence to stimulate interest among, and provide opportunities of self-improvement to, the youth of the community. In glancing through the early files of newspapers, the Institute would seem to have been the Mecca of all things intellectual. During these years it carried on series of lectures by the best lecturers available, and in 1873 classes of instruction were founded, to which sixty men were joined. Among the subjects taught were arithmetic, mathematics, architectural and mechanical drawing, and, more interesting still, there was a class for the study of Maori. These classes were successful, and the Committee of the Institute arranged an exhibition of Fine and Useful Arts, which was opened by the Superintendent of the Province, on Boxing Day, 1873. A few years after this exhibition, the Mechanics’ Institute began to experience difficulties, which ultimately led to its extinction. During the ’seventies and ’eighties the Y.M.C.A. carried out courses of lectures in the winter months, which were popular and well patronised.
After the closing of the classes at the Mechanics’ Institute, technical education in Auckland seems to have fallen into neglect until 1896, when the Auckland Technical School was founded, and carried on its work in Rutland Street. In 1900 “The Manual and Technical Instruction Act” was passed, and the following year the Education Board took over the control of the school, and appointed Mr. G. George director. So rapidly did the school develop that a new building became essential, and the promise of a contribution of £10,000 towards its erection having been made by the Auckland Savings Bank in 1905, steps were taken to carry out the proposal. On August 17th, 1909, the foundation stone of the present college was laid by the Governor, Lord Plunket, and the building was opened in 1913 by Sir James Allen, Minister for Education and Defence. Mr. John Mitchell was the architect, and Mr. Stanley Jeffreys the builder; but, owing to the lack of funds, the building as planned was not finished. Additions to meet requirements are now in course of erection. The progress of the college may be estimated by the figures of attendance. In 1902 the number of pupils was thirty. At the opening of the new school (1913) there were 1627 individual students in attendance at day or night classes.
In 1872 Sir George Maurice O’Rorke, whose whole life was associated with the Auckland University College, and who was Chairman of the Council from its inception until his death on 24th August, 1916, made an unsuccessful effort to institute a university in the city. Five years later another agitation was set in being, and resulted in the appointment of a Royal Commission on University and Secondary Education, which reported in July, 1879. Its recommendations were embodied in the “Auckland University College Act, 1882.” The Bill was introduced by Mr. J. A. Tole in 1881, when it was shelved, but received legislative sanction in the following year. To accelerate the opening of the college, the Premier sent instructions to the Agent-General in London to appoint professors, and upon the arrival of the staff the college was opened by the Governor, Sir William F. D. Jervois, on May 21st, 1883, in the buildings in Eden Street, formerly used as a District Court House, and the old Admiralty House, Short Street.
Shortly afterwards the Council came into possession of the Parliament buildings, which had latterly been used by the Provincial Council, and, with additions along Eden Street, these premises, rich in historic association, but wholly inadequate and unsuitable for a college, had perforce to serve their purpose until 1917, when the buildings were taken over by the City Council in connection with the Anzac Avenue roadway, forcing the College Council to find other quarters. These were found in the old Grammar School buildings, Symonds Street, where provision was made for the Arts, Law, Commerce and Music faculties; the Science departments were accommodated on a site adjoining Government House grounds, which belonged to the College, and here a two-storey building was erected, in the design of which the architects, Messrs. Goldsbro’ and Cumming utilised the old Choral Hall. The building was officially opened on June 7th, 1919, by the Acting-Premier, Sir James Allen. The contract for the building and alterations was let for £14,767. Fittings and scientific equipment absorbed another £10,000.
The one thing which has stood in the path of the progress of the college has been local disruption with regard to the site. This question has been discussed time after time. The dispute is now settled, and the ground adjoining the Science block was secured in 1919. Competitive designs were invited for a modern building, and the plan of Messrs. Lippincott and Billson, Melbourne, which it is estimated will cost £97,000, was accepted. The building is expected to be completed in 1925.
Much credit is due to Mr. T. W. Leys, who succeeded Sir Maurice O’Rorke as Chairman of the College Council, for the position which now obtains in local university affairs, for it is largely due to his energy that the site question has been settled and the future of the college placed on a satisfactory basis. In recognition of his services to university education, the McGill University of Toronto, in 1920, conferred on him the degree of LL.D.
The most important among the few endowments which the college has received was the gift of £3000 made by Mr. Thomas Bannatyne Gillies, a Judge of the Supreme Court, for the purpose of endowing two scientific scholarships, to be named respectively the Sinclair and Gillies Scholarships.