Mr Roger Lupton - 1896 to 1924
Mr Roger Lupton - 1896 to 1924
Roger Lupton was born in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England on June 15th 1861. He was educated at Hoddeston Grammar School with his grandfather being the headmaster and his father an assistant. He taught in England for 10 years where he developed an illness and was advised to move to a warmer climate.
After two years in California studying fruit growing, where he found the philosophy of the “mighty dollar” difficult to accept, he moved to Whangārei in May 1891, where he worked in an orchard on Mill Rd. Later he bought a property nearby which he called Otangarei. Instead of establishing his planned orchard he joined the staff of the Northern Advocate where he reported, wrote, collected accounts and worked on the manual printing press.
Miss Grace Deller, joined him in Whangārei just over a year after his arrival and they were married in Christ Church in Whangārei, on May 13th 1893. He had first met and became engaged to her in England while he was teaching for the Reverend Walter Riley at his Coaching College. Miss Deller was governess to the reverend’s daughter.
With a growing family, Grace found life a challenge as Roger was away much of the time reporting on Northland events. The answer to her difficulties came when the parents of the seven children attending the Whangārei High School approached Mr Lupton with the view of his taking on the school, but there was a problem.
Roger had never taught girls, so his wife, having been a teacher and a governess, took on this role. On June 1st 1896, with five pupils Mr Lupton was appointed as headmaster and held the post for 28 years.
Roger Lupton remained as headmaster at Whangārei High School for 28 years until he resigned on account of ill health on May 31st 1924. He died on January 11 1926 at the age of 64 and was buried at Ketenikau Cemetery, Kamo.
At the end of his teaching career he was affectionately known as “The Grand Old Man”.
WHANGAREI Museum is home to a unique retirement present. Roger Lupton’s desk was donated to the Whangārei Museum by his descendant Keith Lupton, in 2015. The desk was presented to Roger Lupton when he retired as headmaster of Whangārei High School in 1924.
(The Lupton’s had four children — Dorothy, Roger, Hubert and Cecily).