HVHS Alumni Newsletter

Dear Alumni,

Our 100th-anniversary celebration was a phenomenal two-day success, filled with warmth, nostalgia, and a deep appreciation for our history. The weekend offered a wonderful, relaxed vibe and a true sense of community. We saw and heard about so many wonderful reunions between students and their favourite teachers who inspired them, classmates who had lost touch catching up again for the first time in decades, and four generations of one family attending the 100th Open Day together!

Looking back, this milestone was more than just a commemoration of the past; it was a powerful affirmation of our enduring identity and the shared values that have united generations of our school community for a century. Our school wings, encouraging us to aim high, have truly stood the test of time. It was a joy to see so many former students, whether wearing their blazers or proudly pinning their wing badges to their chests.

We have received many wonderful emails from attendees praising the seamless coordination of the weekend. Many highlighted the perfect balance between structured formal events, such as the Welcome and Mihi Whakatau, which was a unique experience for many, and the time allowed to wander, relax, and mingle. Our two student comperes did a superb job expertly guiding the proceedings and maintaining a wonderful energy throughout.

We also extend our gratitude to Pam Davis (pictured) for representing our alumni during the ceremonial cake cutting, a special moment of celebration led by our Head Student, Myumi Petris.

Our staff loved hearing your stories and recollections as you explored the reunion rooms. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write to us; it has been a true pleasure sharing your kind messages with our team and current students.

The weekend was packed with highlights, from beautiful choir performances, especially the singing of Gaudeamus Igitur, the old school song (which many in the audience were able to sing along to), to the official speeches, which Susan Dunne, our Board Chair, and I were delighted to see so well-received.

I was personally struck by how warmly our guests embraced the nostalgic uniform and special-topic displays. A major centrepiece was the extraordinary work of Judith Gardiner and the archiving team. Their years of dedication culminated in wonderful historical exhibits across the decade rooms and B Block corridors, truly bringing a century of school history to life. These displays sparked wonderful reflections, and it was deeply moving to watch our current students engage with the countless stories shared by visiting alumni, some of whom had connections reaching back to our earliest years or had attended over 60 years ago.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire staff, board, and organising committee including our office team, grounds crew, and caterers, and the many alumni volunteers whose tireless efforts ensured the weekend ran seamlessly. A huge thank you also to the alumni who spent months planning and organising alumni reunions, we know how much attendees loved these opportunities to catch-up and reconnect.

Our current students also deserve immense credit; from the friendly meet-and-greeters, to dancers and actors, to the coffee servers, guests were consistently impressed by their manners and pride they showed in carrying the school spirit forward.

Finally, thank you to our families, and the local community, whose presence and shared histories made the weekend exceptionally rich.

Ngā mihi nui
Denise Johnson (Principal)

Images below: Massed musical performance of the school waiata, E Tipu by current and former students, teachers and staff.

As many alumni will know, school funding doesn't stretch to milestone events like Centenary celebrations, meaning special celebrations like the 100th were made possible only with the incredible support of our sponsors.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the following organisations and businesses for making our 100th celebrations a reality:

• PPFA (Past Pupils & Friends Association) for their long term service, and support and fundraising for HVHS.
• Gallagher Insurance (Specialist in business & personal insurance)
• NXP (Provider of office consumables e.g. coffee, printer paper, furniture, technology and packaging)
• New Era Technology (Provider of essential IT support to New Zealand schools including HVHS)
• Fujifilm (Provider of office solutions e.g. printers and document services, including to HVHS)

To celebrate our centenary, a 100th magazine was published. While the printed copies of the magazine have sold, you can still view the digital version and download a free PDF copy by clicking here.

Researched and written by Peter Bidwell, this special commemorative magazine celebrates a century of HVHS history. Inside, you'll find a look back at the school's past through the eras of our principals, as well as nostalgic 'then & now' photo collages covering school camps, reunions, sports days, and the evolution of our buildings.

Also included are our official rolls of honour celebrating our duxes, head students, major school productions, Duke of Edinburgh gold recipients and more, making it a great read for alumni and our school community.

Many alumni lined up in height order for decade group photos at the 100th Open Day on Saturday, 8 August! These photos from the team at InPhotography are now ready to view, download, and purchase. To view the photos online:

1. Visit inphotography.store/hvhscentennial2026
2. Enter access code – 100!HVHS2026

Please note that the InPhotography website contains decade group photos only. Photos taken at alumni-hosted dinners and catch-ups will be shared separately by their respective event organisers.

At the 100th Open Day, we witnessed many clashes for the ages with our alumni versus student match-ups. For those lucky enough to play or watch, we hope you enjoyed the camaraderie and skills on display!

Here are the final results:

• Basketball: Alumni 75, HVHS Senior A Boys 68

• Touch Rugby: HVHS 5, Alumni 2

• Netball: HVHS Premier 1 Team 43, Alumni 31

Two rugby games also took place at the 100th Open Day with excellent support from the crowds, and fantastic results heading into their finals:

• U15 Boys Rugby: HVHS 31, Porirua 31 (with our boys sitting at the top of the table, this draw secures their spot in the final!)

• 2nd XV Boys Rugby: HVHS 78, Scots 2nd XV 19

Thank you again to everyone who joined an alumni team, played on the day, or cheered on our teams!

We've loved receiving photos and updates from different reunions hosting by our alumni. If you'd like to share a photo and/or update please email alumni@hvhs.school.nz.

Alumni host and organiser of the 1970s decade function, Christine Barnett, kindly emailed through the images below and her speech from the event at the Hutt Old Boys Marist Clubrooms on Saturday, 8 August. We've shared a few highlights below, and you can read Christine's full speech by clicking here.

"My name is Christine Barnett (I was Christine Davis at school). I started HVHS in 1979 and met my husband Paul in 1980. So, no chance of bumping into any old boyfriends. Our children are 4th generation HVHS students. My mother (Pam Davis) cut the cake in the hall this morning. Paul is over there playing 1970 vinyls from his 3,000 plus LP collection. Thanks Paul, good to see them being used".

"For the last 10 years, I have been involved with the Past Pupils and Friends Association of the school (known as the PPFA). I enjoyed organising the 90th Reunion and the 100th is now here. The PPFA has recently wound up after more than 25 years of fundraising. The most significant fundraiser was the ‘Celebrating Sixty’ cookbook. Some of you will have a copy or will have seen it. In that time, the PPFA has awarded over $70,000 worth of scholarships, and donated more than $45,000 to school projects. Of the remaining funds, $25,000 was donated to the school to financially support today’s Centenary. This meant that the Open Day was free to all who attended and didn’t the school do well to make this a memorable occasion".

"The principal in the 1970s was Ian McLean, who was fondly called ‘Boris’. He retired in 1979. He was a man to make changes including:

• Caps and berets removed from the uniform in 1970
• Streaming of students were abolished in 1971
• Corporal punishment was abolished in 1972
• Length of spells changed from 45 minutes to 1 hour
• Prefects were abolished in 1975
• A School Council and a Senior Executive were set up
• Deans were introduced for each year group
• Zoning was introduced in 1979 as the school roll was 1,500 and growing"

Images below: Christine Barnett & Fred Harris cutting the 100th cakes, food at the event celebrating the 1970s including Twisties and milk bottles, and Ian McLean (Principal) retiring in 1979.

Images below: Christine Barnett and friends, 7th Formers in 1983 and photographed again in 2026, and Christine's school blazer from the 1979.

After a fabulous day at the 100th Open Day, where they spotted a few classmates they hadn't been able to find online, the 3rd-formers of 1980 caught up at the Speight’s Ale House in Petone on Saturday, 8 August.

A quote from the evening: "I didn't realise what a special night it would be. Reminiscing on what we used to get up to and learning what everyone has been doing over the last 45 years was amazing. Even the hugs felt special, not just normal 'hello' ones, but genuine 'long lost friend' ones."

Thanks to Carolyn Crawford-Smith for sharing the image below.

A fantastic turnout for the Class of 1994 (and friends from 1993 & 1995) who caught up on Friday, 7 August at the Angus Inn! Thanks to Rees Ward for sharing the photo.

Many alumni had the opportunity to speak with Claire Ross (Head of Wellbeing - pictured) at the recent 100th Open Day. Every week, the Wellbeing Team at HVHS provides fresh fruit and rolls to a large number of students who would otherwise go without a decent breakfast or lunch, helping keep them focused on their studies.

As a school, we rely entirely on the generosity of our community to keep this vital programme running, and we would love to offer you the past students and staff of Hutt Valley High School the opportunity to also support our current students in need. If this is something you would like to support, please consider making a donation today. For just $50 we can buy a box of bananas which will contribute, which will make a real difference to our students.

If you're keen to further support HVHS students and our ongoing programmes please see the donation information and options below.

Direct Bank Deposit

Make a one-off donation or set up a recurring payment to the school bank account:

• Account Name: Hutt Valley High School
• Account Number: 02-0528-0030654-00
• Reference: Please use the references ‘Alumni' & 'Donation’ when paying online.

If you require a donation receipt, please email Hayley McLean (Business Manager) at hayley.mclean@hvhs.school.nz

International Donations & General Enquiries

If you reside outside of New Zealand and wish to donate, or if you require any further information, please contact Denise Johnson (Principal) at denise.johnson@hvhs.school.nz

Thank you for your support!

Help us complete the HVHS sporting history! To finish the Year Board displays in B Block, the HVHS Archives is looking for missing team photos from 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999. We're especially looking for photos of:

• Netball Premier 1 Team
• 1st XI Soccer (Boys’ and Girls’)
• 1st XI Cricket (Boys’ and Girls’)
• 1st XI Hockey (Boys’ and Girls’)
• Athletics Team

And photos of:

• Cultural, academic & musical group formal photos e.g. Kapa Haka, Debating, Choir
• Other team sport photos e.g. Cross Country, Rowing, Sailing, Squash and Table Tennis.

Alumni and friends of HVHS can also purchase 100th branded clothing, including polo shirts, T-shirts, and hoodies. Orders can still be placed. To view the items available, please click here.

To mark Hutt Valley High School’s centenary, we are proud to offer this limited-edition collection of commemorative wines, featuring a Shiraz, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Created as a lasting memento of this significant milestone, each bottle celebrates the people, memories, achievements, and connections that have shaped our school community over the past 100 years. More than a keepsake, every purchase helps invest in the young people who are part of our school community today. Funds raised will help create opportunities, remove barriers to participation, and ensure more students can access the experiences, connections, and personal growth that come from being involved in school life.

Whether you're a former student, staff member, whānau member, supporter, or friend of Hutt Valley High School, your purchase helps honour our past while investing in the next generation.

Raise a glass to 100 years, order your wine here:

https://alana.co.nz/pages/freedom-wines

The scanning of 99 years of HVHS yearbooks was completed at the start of the year and we've now had hundreds of alumni request PDF copies of their old yearbooks. If you'd like to request a digital copy as well, please email alumni@hvhs.school.nz with the following details:

• Your first and last names
• The years you attended Hutt Valley High School
• The reason for your request (e.g., research, planning an alumni catch‑up).

We hope you enjoy looking back through the memories.

• HVHS Alumni Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/hvhs1926
• HVHS Alumni Newsletter & Facebook page - Deena Anderson at alumni@hvhs.school.nz
  
• HVHS Archives - Judith Gardiner at archives@hvhs.school.nz

Email: alumni@hvhs.school.nz
Website: hvhs.school.nz
Location: Hutt Valley High School Woburn Road, Woburn, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Phone: 04 566 4584