The Hall of Memories was opened by His Royal Highness, The Duke of York, on March 16, 1927.
One of the most significant World War 1 memorials in the country, its future was secured when the hall was sold by the school’s board to the Ministry of Education in 2023, and a much-needed $2.5million refit was begun last year.
With the majority of the rebuild project complete, the school has been able to utilise the newly restored hall for weekly assemblies while the organ restoration is still under way.
Originally designed by Oamaru architect John Megget Forrester, the Heritage NZ category 1 listed building will be the central focus of the 100-year celebrations.
Waitaki Boys’ High School rector Darryl Paterson said the Anzac weekend celebrations next year would include a special sporting event, tours of the school and optionally Oamaru’s historic sites, an organ recital and a formal dinner to recognise the hall’s significance and history.
He said the school was keen to reconnect with as many old boys, former teachers and parents as possible.
They had already received 28 registrations for the event.
Mr Paterson said he expected anywhere from 300 to 500 old boys and their families to attend.
‘‘It’s a big challenge for us to utilise our databases and networks and to also track down descendants of the generation of old boys who helped build the hall or were here when the hall was built, and to invite them to the centennial too,’’ Mr Paterson said.
The school’s foundation, The Waitaki Foundation, was also working to build an alumni group and building a database from there, he said.
Mr Paterson said an ‘‘official opening’’ would be celebrated on April 9 when Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk was in attendance.
‘‘The ribbon-cutting ceremony and morning tea is really about the recognition of all the contractors and subcontractors who did amazing work on the refurbishment of the hall and to say thank you for their hard work in restoring what is a really special place in our school,’’ he said.
Mr Paterson said the Ministry of Education ‘‘saved the hall and the building’’ when it bought it in 2023 and invested in the much-needed rebuild after the school community, the board of trustees and Old Boys Association had fought many years for the upgrades.
‘‘At that stage we had water running down the walls ... there are many people to thank but we really owe the ministry a huge debt of gratitude,’’ Mr Paterson said.
The interior of the hall — including its collection of memorabilia, with flags, trophies and plaques emphasising the school’s associations — is nationally significant.
Mr Paterson said the restoration of the hall which included the stained glass windows, slate and lead roofing, rebuilding the roof and guttering, including specialised hand crafting of lead gutters, Oamaru stonework, steel and metalwork, and the water tightening and stability of the building was the ‘‘most significant moment’’ in his tenure.
Mr Paterson a lot of ‘‘incredible work’’ was done by many trade and craftspeople and some went above and beyond.
‘‘Tim Arthur, who’s an old boy of the school, at Arthur’s Antiques, he cleaned every plaque by hand for free. That sort of level of dedication is pretty special.’’
Late last year, Oamaru organ builder, restorer and tuner Ron Newton spent weeks dismantling the grand old instrument, consisting of 1304 pipes.
His restoration of the 100-year-old organ follows his involvement during a 1990s rebuild and he has kept it going intermittently since.
‘‘The Anzac Day concert in the afternoon is quite a big event, and the organ will be fully operational for that.
‘‘The oak walls and ceiling have been shellacked and the floor has been sanded and clear coated, giving the hall a brilliant resonance,’’ Dr Newton said.
He said the organ would have a lot of the south side pipes in for the opening of the hall next week, although many ‘‘minor details’’ would be sorted through into May with the ultimate deadline being for the centenary next year.
Dr Newton, who had spearheaded the organ restoration, had done ‘‘an amazing job’’ Mr Paterson said.
The school’s Anzac Day concert organiser and old boy Allan Portis and his brother had also been ‘‘very generous’’ funding a new sound system in the hall to go along with all the other renovations and updates,’’ Mr Paterson said.
