We recently received an enquiry from a researcher who wanted to confirm his relative’s admission at Te Aute College around 1907.
Besides locating the admission record, we also found a wonderful image of the pupils of Te Kura o te Aute, Te Aute College taken in 1910 which included the researcher’s relative. If you look closely, you will see a boy holding a dog; we wondered if this was the school’s mascot?
Intrigued, we looked into it further, and we were almost correct in our wondering. In the pages of the Hastings Standard in July of 1904 there was an article entitled The Abode of the Maori Footballers: PART 11 by a Wandering Scribe. The account seems to be part of a larger story, where ‘Wandering Scribe’ visited Te Aute College and was given tours, met the boys and teachers, and partook in some college activities.
One passage in the article reads:
I was amused at Mr Ware Waitai’s reference to school pets as we rose to look at the diplomas hung on the walls. He said there was a strict rule against the boys keeping pets, but the rule had been relaxed in favour of one small dog, which was the property of the boys—common property. – Hastings Standard, 1 July 1904
It seemed as though this ‘small dog’ was, indeed, almost like a mascot to the boys. Why an exception was made to have the dog at the college when there was a strict policy against pets, it doesn’t say. Perhaps Mr Ware Waitai took a liking to the dog. Perhaps the boys did better in their studies with a furry friend at their feet. We’re really not sure. But what we are sure about is that the dog would have been great company for the boys, especially with many of them living so far from home.
As the dog was ‘common property’ the boys might have shared responsibility for looking after the dog. Having pets (even if Ware Waitai didn’t call this dog a ‘pet’) is hard work, the boys at Te Aute College probably took pride in caring for the dog. Perhaps they stepped up to look after it, feed it, take it on walks, and play within the schoolyard?
Of course, we can only speculate. We’re not even positive that the dog in the photo is the same dog from the article by Wandering Scribe. But the dates match up. The stories match up. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if it was?