Successful, admired, respected
When Elizabeth Deaker was appointed principal of Southland Girls’ High School, there was something of a record in that she was a former head prefect of the school in which both her parents, Olive and Arthur Deaker, had at various times taught: Olive before marriage, Arty postretirement from Southland Boys’ High.
She was the first old girl to be appointed to the professional leadership of the school, and the appointment in 1966 made her one of the youngest secondary principals in New Zealand.
Highly successful, admired and respected, the then-leader of Southland Girls’ is remembered by former pupil and journalist Michele Poole for the way she set up a generation of girls for success.
‘‘She thought of our professional lives, encouraged us to find our own voices, demonstrating always the highest standards of behaviour,’’ Poole said, adding that in her ‘‘later years at school I came to appreciate her sense of humour and personal warmth’’.
Like her mother before her, a past president and patron of Plunket Southland, Elizabeth Deaker valued girls and women and families and passed those values on to her students, many of whom, family women today, plan on attending her farewell in Queenstown on Monday.
The second daughter of Arthur and Olive Deaker, Elizabeth was the head prefect at Southland Girls’ before moving to Dunedin to complete a BA in English at the University of Otago.
She moved to Christchurch, completed an MA in English and was appointed to her first teaching position, at Avonside Girls’ High School.
In the mid-1950s, Elizabeth Deaker travelled to England.
She taught at Crouch End Grammar School for Girls in London, and travelled extensively throughout the UK and Europe with her friend Daphne Jarden on their Lambretta scooter.
Elizabeth returned to Invercargill and taught English at Southland GHS before moving to Christchurch Girls’ High School, where she was head of the English department in the early 1960s.
In 1966, she came back again to Southland Girls’ High, becoming one of New Zealand’s youngest secondary school principals.
Two years later, she was to marry old school friend Ray Clarkson at Riverton, where he taught at the direct high school and where the Deaker family had lifelong associations.
When the Clarksons retired in 1985 they moved to their home at Frankton, living there until Ray died last year and Elizabeth on June 1.
Elizabeth was engaged by the Department of Education as an adviser of principals.
She also helped with the selection of senior school, students for tertiary scholarships, belonged to a consultative group advising on the provision of public health services in Southland, became an accomplished water colourist, enjoyed membership of a book club, Probus and U3A.
She shared a family love of art, appreciating the beauty of the Deaker Room honouring their name at the Anderson Park Art Gallery.
The Clarksons travelled regularly during their retirement, especially to France, Italy, the UK, Australia, Thailand, the United States and the Mediterranean.
Elizabeth Clarkson was the much-loved sister of the late Eileen Malthus, of John, Sydney, and Michael, Dunedin, and a dearly loved aunt and great aunt of her nieces and nephews.
Former pupils and colleagues in the world of education plan on attending her service of farewell at St Peter’s Anglican church in Queenstown, at noon on Monday.
Arch Gilchrist, lifelong friend and former national inspector of New Zealand secondary schools, spoke for many when he recalled Elizabeth’s calm manner.
‘‘She headed SGHS at a time when there was a shortage of teachers in Southland.
But Southland Girls’ regularly attracted a strong teaching staff and Elizabeth’s style of leadership – no drama, no fuss, quiet efficiency – kept them and their students happily engaged, everyone knowing what was expected of them and just getting on with it.’’ Elizabeth Deaker Clarkson will be well, warmly and widely remembered.