11 History visit Ripapa

On Tuesday 24 October the Year 11 History class voyaged to Ripapa Island as part of our study of Parihaka. Ripapa Island is a small island in Lyttelton Harbour with a rich history. Initially serving as a fortified pā for Ngai Tahu and later becoming a prison for the followers of Te Whiti who were arrested for peacefully protesting against Crown occupation of their land in Taranaki throughout the Parihaka Campaign.

The Island was later fortified for the Russian Scare in 1905, and acted as a defensive post in both World Wars. Students had a great time exploring the military fort, seeing the large guns housed there and even experiencing the cabin fever that set in after an hour or so on a small island. This (in theory) allowed greater compassion for those imprisoned there for over a year.

While we were there we had a quiz on the history of the island and it was great to see some high scores.

I would like to thank Mrs Lee for accompanying us on our adventure, and the 11 History class. It was a lovely day out and a great way to end the year.