Accident stops school tug-of-war
A freak accident in a tug-of-war has almost torn off a school principal’s finger.
St Dominic’s Primary School in Blockhouse Bay has decided to stop holding tug-of-wars at its annual school picnics after its principal Daniel Pepper almost lost his left little finger in a men vs women tug-of-war on Friday night. Pepper is still in Middlemore Hospital recovering from surgery to restore his finger.
Board chairman Damion Kaukau said parents attending the wha¯nau picnic on the school’s playing fields were shocked by what happened.
“The surgeons said this was a freak occurrence. We have never heard of this ever happening,” he said.
The school had held the mums versus dads tug-of-war at the annual picnic for the past eight years and a Facebook invitation to this year’s event described it as “the highlight of the evening”.
Kaukau said the turnout was higher than usual and “at least 100” mums and dads lined up for the tug-of-war.
“Unfortunately the rope parted, and unfortunately Daniel injured his finger,” he said. “From my understanding he just lost some skin and some flesh off his finger. He had to get it operated on to put it back together.” He said the rope was very thick. “The women were okay, it was just the men,” Kaukau said. “Maybe the women have been going to the gym a bit more than the men have.”
few key figures named in the photos already in public collections, in this one about 50 are unidentified. “There is a good cluster that it would be fabulous to find out who they are.
“Once you start researching you get quite fond of all these faces and are really keen to find their history, identity or connection,” she said.
“The ones I have found out who the person is are the wonderful ones. It is mainly the Pacific, Samoan and Fijian ones — I was thrilled with a beautiful woman in the Fijian section who we identified as a princess, and the granddaughter of the King of Fiji.
“We now know she is Princess Adi Cakobau — a beautiful, confident, accomplished looking young woman.”
Some notable portraits were also used by celebrated Kiwi painters; including the Foy Brothers’ portrait of Ana Rupene and child and Benjamin Peyman’s Mrs Pikirakau/Bloody Queen Merewere, used by painter Gottfried Lindauer; Hartley Webster’s photograph of Patara Raukatauri, Ngati Mahuta, Tainui chief and disciple of Pai Marire, that also became the subject of a C.F. Goldie painting.
From the New Zealand section, an image called Dame Whina Cooper and companion also drew special attention from Webb’s researchers.
The collection is at Webb’s gallery in Mt Eden. The online auction is from February 27 to March 4.