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“Pupils Plumb Depths”

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Description: These images were taken for the August 13th 1978 edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper – the first of which was published with the caption “Moving the net around was quite a struggle- even for five strong boys. From left: David Gray. John, Yates, Mark Irvine, Tim Kitchin, and Pat Murphy struggle with the weighty net, while James Dickson spurs them on- helped by the "teeth" of the shark he's carrying. Some idea of the scale of the decoration can be seen in the background of the picture.”

The article read: “When the pupils of Palmerston North Boys High School decide to decorate their assembly hall for a school ball, they do it in a big way. Like the way they prepared the building for a ball last weekend: floor to ceiling murals, a 60' x 30' net strung across the 30ft high ceiling, a mock fishing vessel at one side of the stage, a shark or two in the middle, a collection of bits and pieces of undersea equipment at one side of the stage, all the other walls covered in murals of sea and sky, other displays of aspects of maritime life - they made a job of it all right.

The theme for the display was "The Deep" it took 15 sixth and seventh form arts students several days to prepare, and several hours to assemble. In charge of the hall's decoration was seventh form art student Pat Murphy: "It was a big hall - we needed to have something to fill it up." he tofd the "Tribune" It was certainly impressive too. The exit was through the gaping jaws of a shark. And that enormous net strung from the ceiling? It was an army camouflage net, specially brought to the School from Waiouru. (It had to be returned later).

These images form part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.