An end of and era orn Pitcairn. Written by Meralda Warren & Randy Key 17 November 2022
17 November 2022
Pulau school today is the 4th school on Pitcairn built for the purpose of teaching our little sullun.
As the children were born here on Pitcairn, starting right from 1790 when Thursday October Christian emerged into this world here known as one of the remotest Islands in the world, the teachings began. Firstly, Polynesian customs as well as a mix of English, American and Creole.
After the massacre on 20th September 1793 and then the suicide of McCoy, soon followed by Quintal being beheaded by Edward Young and John Adams and soon after the last of the Polynesian men, the two remaining English men Adams and Young realize as they looked around them that the children needed to be taught how to read and write.
Young taught Adams to read and using the Bible he was able to start teaching the women and children. Sadly, not too long after Edward Young died of Asthma.
Adams and his people continued in their way of new lifestyle and with the teachings from the bible were keeping the lord’s day and going to a little church that they built in the square. Next to the Church they built a school.
Center of Adamstown is right next to our house.
As I was growing up it is taught to us and referred to as “Daun ha skool”.
Both Evans and Buffett taught in that school but when George Hunn Nobbs came to the Island, he took on the role of schoolteacher and became the teacher. He saw the need for records to be kept so he continued a Birth, Marriage and death registrar that Edward Young started.
The children of Pitcairn became more and more and after returning from Norfolk Island in 1858, the need for a new school was a must as the thatched roof one in the square became too small.
Down Niger (Was named after a dog) a new school was built. My Mum Mavis went to that school in 1940. My Grand mother Ivy Brown nee Young taught at
that school as did her brother Theodore Young.
My mum was one of the first group of students to be enrolled at the first Pulau school in 1948.
Pulau school had the first NZ Teacher Moverly in 1942. The teachers started coming on a 2 yearly basis. Some enjoying it so much they stayed another 2-year term. The teachers served as Government adviser and sits on council but that was changed in 2004.
Being paid by the Pitcairn Government from the sales of Postage stamps, we continued seeing teachers being contracted by the Pitcairn Island Office in New Zealand.
In 2005 we demolished the termite eaten old Pulau school keeping the concrete floor and the floor of the toilet block. Rebuilding with treated timber. In record time, the new Pulau school had children laughing and singing, learning new things and playing on the same playground we played on whilst attending the old Pulau school.
I was also the culture teacher starting in 1985 of and on then my mum took over and so did Nola Warren. After my mum retired, Nola took over and when she retired, I was asked again to please take that position again.
Kids love Singing and we sang many Pitcairn songs that I have written over the years as well as some of the ones on Norfolk that some wrote about Bounty.
It was an honour to teach the children songs that Randy Key had written and to be able to share in my class over social media, him singing to them Down in Adamstown and Burn me down. He took them on a tour of the space Museum in Kansas. That was so cool.
Our last days of school this year was spent finishing our woven hats we made from coconut leaves. It was stripped, cooked, dried in the sun and prepared. Plaiting these in 5 plait we made long sennets and then started hand sewing them. The laughter shared means a lot to our 3 girls.
On 9th November we had our last culture class together. I presented to them their hats that I have fixed up and ironed. We discussed the open day that was following our culture class and for a good time we spent the last 20 minutes playing an old traditional game that our forefathers and mothers played.
Pitch. Almost like tiddly winks. They used a goat skin dried in the sun in the old days. We used as a mat. Their center target was a nail driven in the floor. I used to play that in our eating house when I was a kid.
We used a warehouse mat and a stick on a stand.
Scoring high we made each shell count we pitched at the target. Adrianna and I were no match for Izzy and Cushana as they beat us 59 to 36.
Soon the quad bikes, cars and Battery vehicles pulled up outside.
Folks were gathering outside for their final look at what the 3 girls have been doing at school.
They were greeted and shown into school classroom where Charlene and the girls had set the chairs up for people to sit.
Iona Bonney the Teacher came out of the library as more folks arrived.
I was heading to find a chair for me when the girls said. “Where you are going Lala” “You are sitting with us”
So, sitting with them up the front we kicked off the end of an era and I was told on the spot to say something. Emotions in check the stories flowed, and I am so proud of our students both past and present. The 3 girls and I sang 5 of my songs and 1 written by Susan Pedal. We then ended by singing the Pitcairn Anthem by George Hunn Nobbs.
Guitar tucked away the Girls presented the highlight of their year by showing us a film made by Kerry Young and presented for Pitcairn’s MPA day. Cushana presented a slide show of their trips to the outer Islands.
It was open time for all in the audience to then wander around the small classroom to look at the work our 3 girls have done. Most impressed by these 3 girls.
We sat back in our chairs and Adrianna started her final speech thanking us all. Emotions over came her and caused a lot of damp cheeks in the audience. She presented me a Thank you card from the 3 of them
Cushana was next and a brilliant speech from her that was dampened by tears oozing out of our eyes and hers.
Lastly Izzy braved it all and presented her speech and thankyous causing more tears to flow. We are so proud of them.
Iona the teacher said a few words and then Charlene Warren as Mayor did her speech thanking everyone and the oldest student that went to school in the old Pulau school. Her grandma my Mum Mavis. Torika was the youngest student to start at the new Pulau school in 2005.
Adrianna Christian, Cushana Warren Peu and Isobel Christian are the 3 last children to be at Pulau school as it is now closed.
Charlene and Shawn started the song “In the sweet bye and bye” and it was sung with much feelings for our People.
We can only pray and hope that we can have more of Pitcairn descendants or even migrants with children move to Pitcairn.
Today as I write we are now a total of only 39 people. 4 of them are expats.
In a months’ time our 3 young girls with their mothers are heading to New Zealand. They will get ready for Longburn College in Palmerston North.
We wish you girls all the best and safe travels.
Our biggest wish is that after school is over for you three that you return to Pitcairn and continue being the great sullun yorli es.