THEHALLTheMountAlbertGrammarSchoolHallwasnotpartoftheoriginalbuild.Assembliesweretakenincorridors.TheHeadmasterstoodattheintersectionofthemainnorth/southcorridorandthesoutherneast/westcorridorandboysstoodinbothforprayersandnotices.Somesaid,inlaterlife,thattheyonlyeversawtheHeadmasterinprofile.ThecontractfortheconstructionoftheHallwasletinmid1925anditwasprettyreadyatthestartof1926andformallyopenedon11March1926.SirJamesParralsolaidtheFoundationStone,ProfessorThomaswasapolymathwho,asayoungOxfordgraduatewasalreadyknowninternationally.W.A.CummingwastheBoardarchitectwhoalsodesignedtherestofthebuildingaswellasthemainbuildingsforAucklandGrammarSchool,AucklandGirls’GrammarSchoolandTakapunaGrammarSchoolandpartsofEpsomGirls’GrammarSchool.TheAlbertiansof1926reportedinitsEditorial:“NotableamongthedreamsrealizedistheAssemblyHall,thatvisionforwhichweyearnedsolongandwhichnowthatitisreadyinusecontributessomuchtotheunityandharmoniousworkingoftheschool.”AndtheHeadmasterinhisAnnualReportsaid:“ImustfindroominthisreporttorefertothiswonderfuladditiontotheSchool,theAssemblyHall.Onlythosewhoareintimatelyconnectedwiththeworkofaschoolcanrealisefullywhatsuchahallcandotowardstheattainmentoftheespritdecorpswhichmuchbethecharacteristicofasoundsecondaryschool.Especiallywithgrowingnumberstheattempttoinculcatetheproperidealswouldbesupremelydifficultwithoutthiscentralrallyingpoint.Itwilltakesometimetogettheboystoappreciatethedignityofthishallandtherespectwhichisduetoit.Butalreadyastepforwardhasbeentaken,andIhaveclearvisionsofthetimetocomewhenthishallwillbetoboysastorehouseofmemoriesandtheinspirationalpointofloyaltyandhonour.”AnarrestingarchitecturalfeatureoftheHallisthehammerbeamroof.ThefirsthammerbeamswereaddedtoWestminsterHallin1393.Sincethenmany,mostlylesselaborateversions,canbefoundinmanyHallsinEngland.Cumming’shammerroofinourhallispicturedbelow.

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Thewallpostsrestondecorativecorbels.Wherethecurvedbracesconnectthewallpostsandtheshorthorizontalhammers,therearehighlydecorativehammerpostswithreliefcarving.Fromeachof14,sevenoneachside,therearependantlightfixture.Thereare36ofthese,eachwiththesamecareful,intricatereliefcarving.Theothertwooneachbeamfixthecollar-tiestotherafters.Ourbeamsaresetoffbythewhiteceiling,sectionedbyslats.Outofsight,abovetheceilingarecommonrafterswithhorizontalslats,oneforeachrowofrooftiles.Someofthedecorativeelementsinthehallmirrorsomeoftheexternalelementsofthemainbuilding.ThecorbelsthatsupportthewallpostsaredecoratedwithfascesandtheGreekKey.Thedoorlintelshaveflatreliefdiscsthat,likethecorbelelements,areacommonexteriormotif.Abovethelintelthereareelaboratemouldingsandatthetopofeachverticalarchitraveisacurvedcolumnofbotanicalelements.Belowisanenlargedviewofthree-quartersofit.

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Theexteriorofthedoorsthatopenindoorshavethesamevarnishfinishandsimplemitredarchitraves.Thetwodoorsthatopentotheexteriorhaveapaintfinishontheoutside.Thefaceofthegalleryhasawoodroundelwitharelieflionrampantsurroundedbyplastermouldings.Thereisareliefmouldingrunningthelengthofthelengthofthegalleryface,andinthisimagetherearefourdiscelements.Underthegalleryareseveralartifactsofaprevioususe.Therewereheavycurtainsthatcouldbedrawnacrossthegalleyfrontforthepurposeofshowingmotionpictures.A16mmprojectorwasmountedonahighstand,thecurtainsweredrawnandalargeheavystiffscreenwasslottedintotwowoodenblocksmadebywoodworkmasterJackJenkin(goingbythequalityoftheworkmanship).Asectionofthecurtainrailremainsasdotheblocks.

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Therewasanadditional,fortuitous,useofthecurtains,toserveasabackdropfortakingsomesportsphotographsasthisimageofthe1954HockeyXIshows.

WhentheHallwasopenedin1926goldletterednameswentbackto1922sothatlistsofprefects,mastersandsportscaptainswouldbecomplete.Overtheyearsmanyoftheselistshaveweatheredwell.Somehavenot.OnesuchwastheHockeyFirstXICaptains.OwenHaywood,captainin1954,paidtohavethelistrestored.TheimagetakeninAugust2010,showsOwenpointingtohisname.Thependantlightsinthehallarenottheoriginalones.Thefollowingimageisoneoftheoriginalfixtures.Themetal-workwasblackenedandhasbeenrestoredtoitsoriginalbrightness.

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Thesmallcopperelementwasscrewedtothesamehammerpostasthepresentlights.Thebrasshookheldthechainandthelargercopperelementhadthreescrewsthatheldtheglasslampshade.Thefollowingwell-rendereddrawingwasbyR.J.(Russell)Hughes.ItappearedinTheAlbertianof1966page2.Itfeaturestwooftheoriginalpendantlights.Therewerealsosconceswhichweretorch-like.Theimagebelowshowstheoriginalmetalbracketwithaplasticlampshade.Theoriginalshadewastorch-like(likeatwistedsoftice-cream).Noneoftheseappeartohavesurvived.Thisimageshowsasphericalplasticlampshade.Thebracketswereattachedtothewallintwoplaces,aboveattachedtoawoodenblockthroughwhichthewireswerethreadedandalowersupportattachment.Artifactsofsuchsconcescanbeseeninthehalltothisday.Theimageaboveshowstheoutlineofthewoodenblockandthesawn-offpipethatconductedtheflexandbelowitasmalloutlineofthesupportpiecewhichrestedonthewoodabovethe1939Prefects.

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IntheearlydaysoftheSchoolatrophycabinetwasbuiltagainstthebackwall.Itcanbeseeninthefollowingphotograph.ThisimagewasprintedinTheAlbertianof1939asafrontispiece.Itwastakenfromthegallery,duringassembly,byJBJasper,aprofessionalphotographerwhotookclassandsportingphotographs.Duringassembly,thestaffsatonthestageoneithersideoftheHeadmaster.AtthetimeoftheGoldenJubilee(1972)amoreelaboratestructurewasbuilt.AsectionofthebackwallwaspushedouttomakeanarchedrecessandahighHonoursBoardwaserected.ThiswasagifttotheSchoolbytheOldBoys’Association.TheBoardhonoursscholarswithinternationalreputations,boysandgirlsoftheSchoolwhohavewonasignificantnumberofmodernscholarshipsandinternationalsportspeoplewhohavecompetedatthehighestleveloftheirsport.

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InthemiddleisaheavysculpturebytherenownedcarverArnoldWilsonwhowasheadofartatthetime.Eachindividualpieceisdifferent,yetthewholeformsacircle.ItisametaphorfortheSchool,unityindiversity,epluribusunum.

In1991theMountAlbertGrammarSchoolOldBoys’AssociationerectedaplaqueoutsidetheHall,renamingittheF.W.GambleMemorialHall. TheHallisamemorialtoothers,too.AllthemembersofthestaffwhodiedinofficehaveaplaqueintheHall.ThefirstwasDavidWilsonFellwhodiedon17January1925astheHallwasbeingbuilt.Hewas26yearsold.HisfuneralnoticecanbereadinTheNewZealandHeraldforMonday19January1925.(PapersPast).TheonlyphotographwehaveofhimisthissmallimageprintedinTheAlbertianof1925,page10.

Hisobituaryendswith:“MrFelltookakeeninterestin‘Varsityaffairs,wasapopularfigureintennis,hockeyandmusiccirclesandhadmadehimselfdeservedlypopularthroughouttheSchool.”HehadanHonoursdegreeinhistory.

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AnothermemorialistheannualANZACservice.Thefirstwasin1957.AfewdaysbeforetheservicethephotographsofthefallenaredisplayedaroundtheHall.TheaboveimageshowsGrahamBurgessMNZM,whowasaWarrantOfficerinBomberCommandinWW2,rememberinghisfallencomrades.ThephotographsarehousedinarestoredcabinetwhichislocatedinthewallrecessundertheArnoldWilsonsculpture.

Overtheyears,theHallhasbeenusedformanyotherevents;formalandinformal,graveandgay,apartfrommorethan15,000assembliesandannualprizegivings.TherewasanannualPrefects’Ball,regulardramaticandmusicalperformances.Therehavebeenyearsofgroupphotographsaswellasfuneralservices,dinners,powhiri,reunions,cocktailpartiesandotherpartyevents,commercialevents,testsandexaminations.Someexamples,innospecialorder:

Macbeth.LadyMacbethKristinMcKenzieandMacbeth,IvanLuketina-Johnston.

April2005.

PaulGardnerreceivestheAlbertians AssociationTravelAwardfromChairman

DaleGriffiths.November2010.

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Internationalstudentsannualpizzalunch.2010.

1956Prefects50yearReunion.2006.

ClassphotographsintheHall.2008.

HeadmasterGregTaylorpresentsKatieStrachanwiththeSeniorGirlsTennisChampiontrophy.

2005.

TheHallisaforestofscaffoldingandplatformsastheceilingandwallswererepainted.

2006.

Careersevening.2010.

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Girlslunchadecadeafterthefirstgirlsarrived.Threeheadprefects;Mary-GraceAballe2005,

RachelPeeters2009,LisaBlackmore.2010.

ANZACservice.2011.

Aboxingmatch.Thecaptionsaysit’sthegymnasium,butit’stheHall.1935.

Sports’Dinner.TheeventwasorganizedbyChrisMetcalfe.

2003.

ProfessorJohn(Jack)SinclairinductedintotheMountAlbertGrammarSchoolHallofDistinction.

2004.

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ConcertintheHall.2010.

TheFirstXVTeamofthe1980sDinner.2010.

Year8testing.2008.

Blooddonorday.2008.

FlowersawardedtoVanitaCurinfororganisingtheArtAuction.

2010.

CKSteadreceivesaprize.1949?

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OldBoys’reunion1930.TheAlbertianof1930page21reported:“Theattendancefarexceededtheexpectationsofthecommittee

andextraaccommodationhadtobeprovide.Nearly400OldBoyswerepresent.”

HenrySwansonplaystheFrenchHornintheOrchestra.

2005.

Year9girlslearningtheSchoolHymn.2017.

HeadmasterGregTayloraddressesparentsofNewYear9pupils.

2005..

Seniorstudents’subjectselection.2010.

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Lunchformembersofthecastof

MuchAdoAboutNothing.Theplaywasperformedinthequad.2006.

TheLionsof’05reachtheheights.

TheDiscovery1933.InTheAlbertianof1932,page26reports:“…Theplayoutlinestheeventsdirectlyleadinguptothemutinousoutbreakandthesubsequentquellingofitby

Columbushimself.”

TheRev.TonyRossconductedthefuneralserviceforRonHemus,August2008.OthersonthestagewereHeadmasterDaleBurden,HeadPrefectsCarlPerryandAbbyManleyand

AlanBurtonwhodeliveredaeulogy.

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AndFinally:

DrRossMoorehereforthe60threunionofthePrefectsof1947.April2010.Thephotographisemblematicofmanywhocomeeithertoseetheirownnameorthatoftheirboyhoodcomradesorthenameofadeceasedrelative.Theycomeincontemplativemien,asRossdoes,somewithwistfulsmiles,someintears.TheprescientGamblewascorrectwhenheannouncedin1926that:“…thiscentralrallyingpoint…willbetoboysastorehouseofmemories…”.

BrianMurphyArchivist

AcookingcompetitionaspartofthepromotionofMAGSFlavours,theSchool’scookbook.

2010.

The90thJubileeCelebrations.June2012.