Broadcast on Manawatu People's Radio, 26th August 2025. Part 1 of 3. Steve Tolley recalls his earliest musical memories in Bradford, UK, with little music at home.


After moving to New Zealand, he was captivated by pop music, especially The...

Creator:      Stuart Birks
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          August 26, 2025

Palmerston North Boys High School rugby team winners of the class championships. Middle row: Geoffry Watchorn age 15.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1903

This cricket pavilion was new when this photograph was taken in 1981. It was built to replace the former pavilion, which had been damaged by fire. At the left of the new pavilion is the Jubilee room, built to commemorate the school's 75th Jubilee.

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1981

A painter puts the finishing touches to the new hostel before 130 boys move in. The hostel took 2 years to build and cost about $1 million.

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          120 North Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1976

The school opened in 1902. The original school burnt down in 1910 and was replaced by a brick structure in 1911. This building was built in the 1920s.

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1974

This building in Fitchett Street was originally used by the St Joseph's (Girls') High School. Palmerston North Boys' High School moved in after their hostel had been demolished because it was an earthquake risk.

Creator:      Manawatu Evening Standard
Place:          Fitchett Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1974

Mr John Vernon was Rector of Palmerston North High School (now Palmerston North Boys' High School) from 1902 until his death in 1918, during the great Influenza epidemic. In 1908, he founded the College House boarding establishment, which is still...

Creator:      H Billens and Co.
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1910

Back Row: David Giltrap (Form 5A); Peter Jan De Jonge (Form 5B); John Carl Sexton (Form 6A); Peter Drury (Upper 5th). Front Row: Brian Marshall (Form 6A); Paul Wintringham (Form 6A); Mrs. A Vizard, PNBHS Librarian since 1960; Ian Matheson (Form 6B...

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1962

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1946

Back Row: D E Waite (Master); Derek Bound; John McCurdy; Colin Moore; Ian Matheson; Richard Le Heron; David Tannock; J A Cumming (Master). Front Row: Ross Thomas; Peter Hosking; John Annabell.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1963

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1946

Back row: Mr J E Feast, S Leeks, F Buckley, B Kelly, R White, A Faulkner, P Steele. Middle row: R Petersen, J Palmer, P Tarrant, B Heaphy, L Hansen, T Dysart. Front row: B Scott; B Sawyer, J Laurenson.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1945

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1946

The school choir poses for a photograph.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1946

Two Palmerston North Boys High School athletes pose for a photograph brandishing tennis rackets. From left: J Snell and J Andrews.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1945

Taken outsidePNBHS Staff Room, facing the Science laboratories. Back Row: Warren Banks; Barry Monk; Bob Clarke; Bill Bolton-Riley; Ray Hatwell; Richard Massieka; Ian Matheson; John Blatchford; Neil King; Gerald Took; Peter Millar; Bruce Barnett. M...

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1962

Back Row: David Giltrap; Mark Kilsby; Brian Marshall. Front Row: Donald Bowater; Derek Bound; Ian Matheson; M A Nixon; Colin Moore; Pieter de Jonge; David Tannock.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1963

This photograph shows the main entrance to Palmerston North Boys' High School in Featherston Street in the late 1930s. The school opened in 1902. The original school burnt down in 1910 and was replaced by this brick structure.

Creator:      Evening Post, Wellington
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          circa 1937

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1946

This photograph of Palmerston North Boys' High School was taken before the tower was removed from the school building and before the gymnasium and war memorial gallery were built in the foreground.

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1950

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1946

Palmerston North Boys High School pupils lined up outside the second school building on Featherston Street, built in 1910 after the original building was burnt down. Palmerston North High School, the first secondary school, became Palmerston North...

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1923

Back Row: Richard Cooke; David Palairet; John Blatchford; Paul Rose; Warren Pickett; Colin Perfect; Russell Ormerod; Glenn Osbourne. Third row: John McGurdy; Graeme Opie; Brian Hammond; Ian Matheson; Les Goldman; Gerald Cook; Peter Millar. Second ...

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1961

Thirteen athletes pose for the camera in Elmar Studios. Back Row: D Friend, N Williams, E Andrews, R Finlay, R Gair. Middle Row: J Gough, P Buchanan, T Jackson, B Batchelor, N Cribb. Front Row: P Craighead, E Feasey, B Duthie.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1945

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1946

An unidentified class group. Palmerston North High School was established in 1902 and continued until 1920 when it was split into two single sex schools. Palmerston North Boys High School is located at 263 Featherston Street.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          263 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
Date:          1946

Palmerston North Boys  High School soaring high versus Gisborne BHS.  2012

Creator:      Thane Zander
Date:          October 11, 2009

From left. Back row: Warren Pickett; Peter Berg; Russell Ormerod; Francis Small; Ian Matheson; Thomas Hardy. Third row: Brian Rivers; Brian Marshall; Desmond Mullane; John Boulton; Alister Williams; Brian Ronson; Robert Trout (Dux, 1962); Lesley G...

Creator:      Unknown
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1963

The school prefects pose for their photograph. Back row, from left: P Snelling, T Dysart, S Leeks, L Hansen, D Dry, J Hornblow. Front row, from left: P Tarrant, A Faulkner, A Yates (head), N Goddard, J Merton.

Creator:      Elmar Studios, 459 Main Street, Palmerston North
Place:          Palmerston North
Date:          1946