Arch Deacon Bertie Prebble
But in 1936 he left St Mark’s to become vicar of the Pukekohe parish. Subsequently he held appointments at parishes in Mt Eden and Whangarei, and in 1944 he was made Archdeacon of Waimate. In 1948 he returned to St Mark’s as its vicar and re-established even closer links with the School and eventually, also, with the Trust Board. By this time he had been appointed Archdeacon of Waitemata. He made close friendships with many Old Boys, married many of them at St Mark’s, baptised their children and buried their parents. A fine singer himself, he keenly fostered choral work with strong representation from Dilworth in the choir. His own duties included acting as part-time Chaplain to both Dilworth and Diocesan School next door, and he encouraged Dilworth boys to take part in services as lesson readers and altar servers. He also established the “Senior Club” for Dilworth and Diocesan senior boarders as well as the older children of parishioners.
In 1952, through the influence of Bishop Simkin who was by then Chairman of the Dilworth Trust Board, Archdeacon Prebble was invited to become a Trustee, replacing the 84-year-old Professor Segar. While some at the time were critical of this appointment and described it as cronyism, Bertie Prebble deserved the appointment. For he was a man of considerable experience and wisdom, with a deep religious conviction and a genuine interest in Dilworth dating back 25 years. Although he was mild-mannered, courteous and solicitous, Prebble was not afraid to voice strong opinions, which made him the target of ambitious journalists anxious to report on his sometimes inflammatory statements. One of his first practical moves as a Trustee was to comment on the dilapidated state of the cowshed, a relic of Dilworth’s pastoral days, where boys of the nineteen-fifties kept their bicycles. It was, he said to his Board colleagues, not only an eyesore but located in a position where bicycles could easily be stolen. It could only be described as a derelict hotchpotch of flimsy timber framing and old corrugated iron over a dirt floor. It was a well-known haven for smokers and other unmentionable activities. The Trustees agreed that it should go, although the deed was not done for another three years.
Among many achievements of the Archdeacon during his time as a Trustee and Vicar of St Mark’s were: the introduction of a Founder’s Day remembrance service (the first one held in the old gym in 1953) held annually ever since; assisting in the design and construction of the chapel, the installation of the Old Boys’ memorial organ and the oversight of the first services held there after the opening in 1958; encouragement of his fellow Trustees to make haste in the construction of new boarding, administration and classroom buildings from 1961. When Old Boy Bill Cotter joined the Dilworth Trust Board in 1960 he found only two other Trustees with the youth, experience and vigour to play a vital role: one was Bertie Prebble, the other was Bob King.
But early in December 1962 Archdeacon A.E. Prebble announced his resignation from both his positions, as Vicar of St Mark’s Church Remuera and as a member of the Dilworth Trust Board. He had accepted an offer to become Vicar of the parish of Greenhill, Harrow, in the Diocese of London, England, and he moved there with his family early in 1963. Bertie Prebble was a capable, intelligent and industrious priest who was held in the highest regard, not only within his parish but also as at diocesan level and even nationally. He was thoughtful, articulate and confident and could deliver a powerful message in his eloquently delivered and intellectually stimulating sermons. In diocesan affairs he was a commanding presence who could sum up a situation quickly and offer a reasoned and logical response. His departure from the diocese was a serious loss as he had all the qualities necessary for an outstanding pastoral leader of the Anglican Church in New Zealand.
The charismatic Prebble had endeared himself to generations of Dilworth boys for whom he had a close and genuine affinity. They found his religious instruction classes entertaining and informative. His Dilworth Trusteeship coincided with one of the most important and demanding periods in the Board’s history. While engaged in planning and managing the new school buildings, the Trustees had to continue governing the School, choosing its members and wrestling with contemporary educational issues. Prebble’s contribution to all these matters was invariably intelligent, thoughtful and reasoned and his colleagues were right to regard his resignation with dismay. They had valued his support and were genuinely sorry to see him go. After he had departed to live permanently in England, Bertie Prebble remembered Old Boys he knew and sent them messages on their wedding anniversaries or birthdays. He remained in contact with numerous Dilworth Old Boys right to the end of his very long life. His wife Peggy died several years before him and he is survived by his two daughters Rosemary and Elizabeth (both Dio Head Prefects) and his son Mark.
Mrs Meg Hirst
Mrs Megan (Meg) HIRST (House Matron 1968 – 1989) on 3rd June 2010. The mother of Brian G. Hirst (939) and Phillip R. Hirst (994), Meg Hirst was the first of what is now a long line of former parents who have become house matrons. In 1968 she was appointed Assistant Matron in old MacMurray House. Her arrival signaled a period of stable management to the vital residential aspect of Dilworth life. Major alterations and additions to MacMurray House (including amalgamation with Number 37 Great South Road next door) were planned at this time, but it was late 1970 before they were completed and the new house was re-opened with the total numbers of boys increased from 22 to 68. Meg Hirst was appointed Matron of the extended MacMurray House, continuing the practice of having a woman in charge of the youngest boys. She had one assistant and four House Tutors to provide extra adult male supervision. It was a big ask and Meg Hirst often referred to her brood as “68 little wild tigers”, an apt description for the very large numbers of small boys, most of them brand new. It was a daunting challenge and led to a re-appraisal before the year was out and the conclusion that MacMurray House would be better controlled by a male Housemaster.
But it was by no means plain sailing as the difficulty in recruiting suitable Matrons continued with a procession of unsatisfactory people to assist Meg Hirst. But the appointment in 1972 of a Housemaster in charge had the immediate effect of a demotion for the faithful Meg Hirst who resigned immediately. However, to the relief of everyone, she returned in 1975 as Erin House Matron to launch what would be a lengthy career at Dilworth.
Finally, after a total 20 years as a House Matron, Mrs Meg Hirst retired at the end of 1989 to enjoy a quieter life. As a former parent of two sons who went through the School,
she had established a pattern for others to follow and the School has benefited from the worthy service of a number of Dilworth mothers since that time. Meg Hirst was something of a “workaholic”, who thought nothing of attending a sports or house dinner and then disappearing into the laundry to put through a load of washing for the boys, retiring to bed in the wee small hours and rising again at 6 a.m. She did not hesitate to speak her mind, but was regarded with respect and affection by the whole school community.
Margaret Chapman-Smith on 34th April 2010 aged 90, widow of the late Jim (“Chappie”) Chapman-Smith (No. 234) and grandmother of Jon (2458), Ben (2648) and Tom (3121) Chapman-Smith.
Eric THOMAS stalwart cricketer of the English Public Schools Association (Waikato branch) who played many times against Old Boys’ teams from the 1970s to the 1990s. He was their reliable wicket-keeper and opening batsman who was very difficult to dislodge
Donald Ian STEWART (No. 659, 1941-1949, Tyrone, Prefect 1st XI cricket captain, 1st XV rugby) on 8th February 2010 in Canada. It was in cricket that Don Stewart made a particular name for himself, leading the Dilworth XI to high levels of attainment. He was an elegant batsman and an effective medium-fast bowler. After Dilworth he trained as a teacher while continuing his cricket involvement at club level and later as a King Country and Northern Districts rep. After various North Island teaching positions, Don became a physical education specialist at Glen Eden Intermediate School. He moved to Canada in the 1970s to teach in British Columbia schools and completed his career there as a school principal in Salmon Arm. Don was the younger brother of R.O. (Bob) Stewart (No. 588) and the uncle of R.B. (Bruce) Stewart, Q.C. (No. 1118) and D.C. (David) Stewart (No. 1181).
Peter Purcell TAPPER (No. 685, 1942-1950, Donegal, Prefect, Dux, 1st XV rugby) on 11th February 2010 in Wellington. The youngest of 13 children, Peter followed his next oldest brother Garth (No. 569, the celebrated painter) to Dilworth where he distinguished himself academically winning the Dux prize in both 1949 and 1950. After Dilworth he studied at Auckland University College at Ardmore where in 1956 he graduated Bachelor of Civil Engineering with honours. His first employment was with the family business founded by eight of his older brothers, Tapper Construction Ltd, in Whangarei. However, he soon joined the staff of Royal Dutch Shell, initiating his long career in the oil industry, first in Brunei, then Louisiana, U.S.A. and subsequently in the Middle East as a project engineer. Shell then posted him to Britain where he held senior executive positions in North Sea petroleum exploration and development. In the nineteen seventies he was successively Head of Offshore Research and Development for Shell Holland, Manager of the Shell Deep Water Drilling Company and Technical Director and Deputy Managing Director of Brunei Shell. During the nineteen eighties Peter was appointed Engineering and Projects Director of Shell U.K. Expro and finally completed his outstanding career as Executive General Manager of Woodside Offshore Petroleum in Perth from 1983 until his retirement in 1990. His contribution to the oil industry in Australia was recognised in 1990 when he was awarded the Australian Petroleum Explorers Association gold medal for his involvement in the establishment of the Australian North-West Shelf Natural Gas Project. It was at that time the largest commercial undertaking in Australian history with a budget of $12 billion in 1990 dollars. He was known in Australia as “the man who built the North-West Shelf” and has been described as one of New Zealand’s most successful global oil industry executives.
In retirement, Tapper continued his association with the petroleum industry by acting as an expert consultant for several international gas and oil companies. When he joined the Dilworth Trust Board in 1994 he brought to the board table a lifetime of experience in business and commercial enterprise which would be of significant value to the Trust during the years of feverish activity. In particular, he was able to inject a new level of enthusiasm and expertise in the drive towards making Dilworth a significant technology school. He retired from the Dilworth Trust Board in 2004.
Geoffrey Ross CASHMORE (No. 801, 1947-1956, Donegal, Prefect, 1st XI cricket, 1st XV rugby captain, athletics and swimming champion) on 22nd March 2010 in Thames. Ross was an outstanding sportsman, winning blues in every sport he entered. A keen sailor, he skippered Dilworth’s first ever entry in the Auckland Secondary Schools Sailing Championships and took his Frostbite crew to second place in the finals, a considerable achievement for a small school.
After Dilworth Ross did teacher training at Auckland Teachers College. While in Auckland he played senior club cricket for Cornwall and occasionally turned out for Dilworth Old Boys cricket teams. Teaching assignments saw him posted to schools in the Bay of Plenty area where he won representative rugby honours for Rotorua and was selected for the Bay of Plenty Colts. Eventually he returned to Auckland to cut his teeth on the challenges offered by Napier Street School in the central city. He played club rugby for Otahuhu, eventually captained that team in the senior Auckland club competition and was selected as an Auckland B rep. While all this was going on he completed a B.A degree part-time from Auckland University.
In 1967 Ross returned to Dilworth as a teacher, the third Old Boy appointed to a full-time position, sharing the next two years on the staff with Old Boys Denis Bradburn and Murray Wilton. He was a fine classroom teacher of a Year 6 class and brought his undeniable talents as a sports coach at all levels, including the Dilworth 1st XV rugby team. In 1968 Ross and his family moved to Canada where he took a position at an inner-city school in Toronto. During the long Ontario winters he took courses at the University of Toronto and completed a Master of Education degree. He remained in Toronto for two years before moving across the continent to British Columbia and a position at a school in the remote town of Gold River on Vancouver Island.
At the end of 1971 he returned to New Zealand and completed further studies in educational psychology leading to a move to work as a psychologist with the Education Department. He was principal for a time of the Kaka Street Special School in Tauranga and also earned qualifications in reading recovery. Eventually he was invited to Anguilla in the Bahamas to instruct their teachers in reading recovery. Ross retired to Thames with his wife Estelle. At the time of his sudden death Ross was President of the Thames Golf Club where he was a respected leader, player and supporter of the club’s activities.
Graham Lindsay TAYLOR (No. 929, 1954-1961, Dungannon, 1st XV) in Queensland on 27th October 2009. Graham first worked for the NZ Herald as a linotype operator. He moved to Australia many years ago.
Robert Lammas MOFFITT (No. 441, 1932-1935) on 1st March 2010.
Our sympathy goes to Dilworth Trustee Brian Maltby whose wife Sue Maltby died on 3rd March 2010. Her funeral was held in the school chapel with another very large attendance. Sue took a keen interest in the school and attended many events with Brian.
We extend sincere condolences to Colin O’Brien (No. 778) whose wife Bev O’Brien died on 10th March 2010. Bev was a regular with Colin at Old Boys’ reunions and other school events for many years. A large turnout at her funeral, held in St Andrew’s Church, Epsom, included many Old Boys who were school contemporaries of Colin.
William David (Bill) THOMPSON (Staff 1982-1986) in March 2010. Most of Bill’s teaching career was spent at Auckland Grammar School, punctuated by his short interlude at Dilworth. He taught mainly English classes but, as a Latin scholar, he also encouraged a few boys to experience the benefits of the classical language (no longer taught at Dilworth) through individual lessons out of class time. As part of the co-operative arrangement with Diocesan School at that time, he also taught a fourth form Latin class there. Bill coached tennis and took a full part in other school activities. Affectionately called “Womble” by the boys, it was an open secret that he occasionally fell asleep during lessons.
