School celebrates 150th anniversary

The 150th anniversary of Flag Swamp School was an afternoon of reconnecting and reminiscing for a group of ex-pupils and families.

Located between Waikouaiti and Palmerston, the school was established in 1869.

Ex-pupil Geoff Foote, who attended the school for eight years from 1959 and helped organise the reunion, said there were about 90 people at the gathering on Saturday.

"It was great to get everyone together. Some people have lived in the area for 100 years or more and we had four generations of some families attend.

"People were pointing out their relatives including grandparents and great-grandparents in photos."

Mr Foote said the oldest former pupil attending the reunion, 89-year-old Jim Hagan, cut a cake, having attended the school in 1934.