The school opened in 1872, with 18 pupils on day one. Its name then, and for nearly five years, was Oreti School.
The school will celebrate its 150th Jubilee this year after Covid restrictions last year meant the event had to be delayed.
Baxter Pike was appointed the inaugural school master; the first impression of Mr Pike was that of a tall, athletic man of active, energetic disposition. This description could also be attributed to a modern-day Limehills principal Malcolm Walker.
Mr Walker steered the ship for 23 years from 1989 and was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for sport and education.
Organising committee volunteer Belinda Brown was excited for the event.
"We are all looking forward to past and present pupils and staff coming together for a great weekend of celebrations and reminiscing," she said.
Speeches and drinks will be held on Friday, November 3, before the main event the next day. Photos, school tours and displays are on the run-sheet followed by the evening function. Sunday will be a family day.
The original school building was enlarged in 1877 and then again in 1930 to accommodate the growing population due to rising employment at the nearby limeworks.
The four-room brick school building was erected in 1948. The Limehills Hall was also used as a teaching space during this era as the school roll grew to 130 pupils.
Also about this time, Limehills became one of the first schools in the province to have a swimming pool, meaning pupils did not need to run across the paddock to the Oreti River for a dip at lunchtime.
The dental clinic was built in 1961; this building is now called the Pavilion — the multipurpose kitchen facility is used weekly by the Student Volunteer Army cooking for the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Southland Hospital.
Five hundred and seventy people attended the three-day centennial celebrations in 1972. Limehills had 65 pupils that year, which has since risen to 162.
Ms Brown said the committee was still expecting more registrations via their Limehills School 150th Jubilee Facebook page. People could also email 150jubilee@limehills.school.nz
- By John Langford
