Richard Harvey, 23 July 2026
Inaugural Matariki Breakfast: Honouring Our Past and Looking Ahead
On Thursday morning, our school community gathered in the newly renovated Shand Building for a very special milestone: our inaugural Matariki Whānau Breakfast.
The morning began at 6:30am with a moving Matariki ceremony led by Matua Tipene Walker and waiata from our boys, followed by Matua Dave Thomas who presented on constellations before shared kai, tea, coffee.
While Matariki is a time to look forward to the new year, one of its most profound pillars is the star Pōhutukawa, which connects us to our past, urging us to look up, remember, and honour those who have left us.
This year, Matariki carried a deeply personal weight for Otago Boys' High School. It provided us with a dedicated space to remember beloved members of our school whānau lost over the past 12 months: Kelly Kinghorn, Tonya Justice, recent graduate Connor Purvis (Class of 2024), and recently long-serving staff member Tony Gabbusch.We were privileged to welcome some of their loved ones to the breakfast.
Following an idea brought forward by the Matthews whānau at a recent Whānau Hui, we launched a new school tradition. On our rosewalk fence, attendees tied handwritten message tags remembering loved ones.
As we look to Pōhutukawa, we acknowledge that those we have lost are never truly gone as long as we speak their names and hold them in our hearts.
A thank you to everyone who made this morning so memorable:
Matua Dave Thomas, Whaea Brenna Sinclair, Elaine Kelly, and Charlotte Cotter for their mahi in organising the event. Tipene Walker and all the boys who stood up to support through performance and tautoko.
Mā te whetū o Pōhutukawa e tiaki i a rātou.
(May the star Pōhutukawa watch over them, and may we carry their warmth with us into the year ahead.)
