William Thomas

Category Three: Nationally Recognised Notable New Zealanders

Date of birth

8 December 1879 at Dunedin

Died

25 August 1945 at Timaru

Parents

Nicholas and Jane Thomas

Married

Ethel Margaret Jones 1905

Education

  • Union Street (Dunedin)
  • Waimate Primary School
  • Waimate District High School

Career

  • School teacher in South Canterbury rural schools
  • Headmaster Pleasant Point District High School 1906-10
  • Headmaster Waimataitai School 1910-13
  • Rector Timaru Boys’ High School 1913-35
  • Member of a group that investigated and reported to the Government on the University Entrance examination
  • Chaired the Government’s consultative committee on post-primary school curriculum producing the “Thomas Report”. The report was hailed as the most important contribution made to secondary education

Honours

  • Inaugural President of Timaru Rotary
  • Rotary District Governor for New Zealand and Fiji
  • Inaugural President of the first Crippled Children’s Society in New Zealand
  • Inaugural President of the Heritage Organisation in South Canterbury

 

Last updated: 16 Sep 2021