Lively Retrospect - Old Girls by Debbie Waldron
TGHS during the Spanish Flu in 1918
History — May 19, 2020
With the current Covid 19 situation we find ourselves facing it made me wonder what the situation was like here at Timaru Girls' High School during the 1918 Spanish Flu that impacted the world and Timaru 102 years ago.
I consulted the school history - Lively Retrospect written for the school's centenary in 1980 by Averille Lawrence.
The book comments that the flu brought any celebrations for the end of the war to a halt. The school was closed and boarders from the school (who lived in a rented property on North Street known as Croomlea) were quarantined to the hostel until it was considered safe to travel home.
The hostel students had classes run by the principal of the day, Miss Watt. It even mentioned that she taught the students card games such as Euchre and Five Hundred. Students were allowed to walk to the school grounds along Cain Street to play tennis and on occasion made chocolate fudge in the old cookery room.
Once the worst of the flu had passed school examinations were held in January 1919 as well as the school prize-giving.
Just a wee glimpse into our past to see the experiences of those who have experienced something similar to us 102 years ago.
Mr Hayden Dawson
History Teacher
