Written on back with blue ballpoint pen: “A school group. On the names could be about 1898. Charles Welby would have started school about 1897 at the Queen st. School. Fred ferris was in his late teens in a photo of the Donny at the cross-roads series in 1912.”

Written on piece of paper with black ballpoint pen: “Class of Horowhenua School, Beach Rd. at the Weraroa Town hall (tempory school room). Was sited where the Cosmopoliton Club’s Ward St. car park is now 1990. Photo c. 1898. 1898-c.1914”

Written on another piece of paper (both sides) with blue & black ballpoint pens: “c.1898 not earlier. Class at Weraroa Town Hall (built 1896, demolished) c.1914. The Cosmopoliton Club Ward St. carpark & entrance). Identification other side. Original Mavis Whiley, 8 Roslyn Rd. & Charles Welby, War Vets Home.”

Back Row – Harry Bolton, Hurst, Phil Goldsmith, Alec Adsett, King, Strawbridge, Bill Hanson, Banks, Partridge, Neville Winiata, , Hirst, King, Goldsmith. 2nd Row – ? Hurst, Alick Goldsmith, Chris Akenson, Daphne Inder, ..... Charlotte Adsett, Elsie Adsett, ........ Strawbridge, Bolton, Teacher – Miss Howan. 3rd Row – Bill Henson, Wood, Prior, ? , Wood, ? , Akenson, Sis Welby, Rhodes, ? , ? , ? , Sid Welby, Eti Riki, , B. Strawbridge. Front Row – Chas Williams, Strawbridge, Fred Ferris, Hurst, Charles Welby. Names given by Chas Welby, Mavis Whiley & handed on by Mrs Mavis Whiley.

Children fromHorowhenua,when the school was temporarily situated at the Weraroa Town Hall c.1898. 48 pupils fromthe school which was normally operated from a Beach Road site, are pictured with their lady teacher Miss Howan. The school at Weraroa was built in 1896 and demolished around 1914, and was situated where the Cosmopolitan Club carpark now has its entrance in Ward Street.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

The laying of the stone for the St. John's Methodist Church took place in 1936. Another image on this site shows that it is still (in 2010) in place.

This photos shows the laying of the stone in 1936. The architect, William John Prouse, is shown facing the camera near the centre of the photo, talking with Clara and Christina Prouse (who were his aunts by marriage to his father John's brothers, James and Richard).

Philip W. Goldsmith is seated to the left, visible between the backs of two men in the foreground. Goldsmith was mayor of Levin at that time.

The photo is from an album that was made by Christobel "Cuffie" Nation (later Tunnington), and which was passed on to her aunt, Phyllis Prouse Taylor.