Being passionate about the history of Otago Girls’ High School I leapt at an opportunity, given to me in 2011 by the then IT manager John Driver, to have a tour of the school roof space! How delighted and surprised I was to find that I wasn’t the first ex-girl to visit that space. The chalk marks on the ceiling space beams were as clear as the day they were written. A number of girls made their visit on 7 November 1958 including Nola Walker (3R), Gillian Bibby (3S), Yvonne Peak (3P) and Margaret Conroy (3S). Pamela Pritchard 4P left her mark in 1959 and D [Denise] McKeller and D [Daphne] Gosney both of 5B appeared to visit together in 1961.

Obviously the students who left their marks there back in the 1950s were not permitted to be there and contact with ex-girls since then has resulted in some interesting stories.

Jan Palmer (nee Ritchie) attended Otago Girls' High School from 1953 to 1957. She recalls:

In 1955, our class, 5S, was chosen to have as our Form Room, an upstairs room at the Tennyson Road end of the main building. It was the Science Lab, so we were presumably considered responsible enough to to be allowed to have unsupervised access there before and after school and at lunchtime.

One lunchtime a few of us collected our lunch and proceeded to go outside, but our attention was drawn to a long ladder leaning against a wall in the corridor outside the lab. One bright spark noted a manhole in the ceiling nearby, so, with one girl keeping vigil (in case the caretaker came to retrieve his equipment, thus leaving us stranded!) three of us climbed into the roof space and nimbly made our way like rats along the rafters, ending up above the Staff Room. We can remember peeping through the cracks and seeing teachers sitting around tables having lunch, but couldn’t hear the conversations.

Katrina Hawker (née McLean) who attend OGHS from 1964 to 1967 also recently recalled her adventures in this space.

I was a forth former and not yet preoccupied with School Cert. There was plenty of time for mischief and, one lunch hour, an opportunity arose. The caretaker had left a ladder in the corridor, completely underestimating how tempting that would be to teenage girls stuck inside on a wet day. The ladder reached a manhole cover and, well, it just had to be investigated. After some discussion, up we went, gingerly, rung by rung. I was at the back of a group of four or five, aware of the danger of too many people on ladders. The most adventurous were in the lead and quickly found the manhole gave access to the upper story roof space. The trouble was, though large and inviting, the route across to the other wing, our intended destination, crossed the top of the staff room. Whether the footfalls were heard or plaster dislodged I don't know but, suffice to say, it wasn't long before several very flapped and flustered staff were on the scene. That's when the real trouble began. The perpetrators were rounded up and sent to stand outside Miss Upchurch's office. We honestly thought the sky would fall, such was the fear we held for this particular Principal in those years. By a stroke of good luck (its not what you know.....), I dodged my interview with said lady, having been rescued by one of the staff who was a good friend of my mother. I don't know what she said to the others but, probably, the dressing down would have included many reminders about acceptable behaviour for young ladies. It's still makes me smile wryly to recall that day and how, in some ways, we were just being normal kids.

We can assure parents and students that the caretaker no longer leaves ladders in this area and that since the renovations to the school in the early 1990s access to this space is not a simple task!