PELVIN A.R. [Tony]
1964 – 1996
Tony Pelvin passed away peacefully at Ross Home on February 24, 2019; aged 78.
Tony taught at King’s for 32 years. Throughout his career he taught Latin, French, Classical Studies and Japanese.
He was a central figure in Cricket at King’s for over 30 years. He coached, umpired, managed and administrated innumerable games. He was a real trooper.
Tony will be remembered fondly by all those taught by him or those associated with him.
From the 1989 School Magazine
Educated at Timaru Boys’ High, Canterbury University and Christchurch Teachers’ College the young Pelvin arrived in Dunedin for the very first time in February 1964 to begin his first teaching job at King’s High – and has remained here ever since.
King’s in the early 60’s was a very different place to today – the year began with “Barracks Week” – military training for all the pupils; boys wore caps to and from school, staff moved from classroom to classroom while the pupils stayed in one room; discipline was enforced with the cane – probably used much too frequently and even for the most trivial offences; periods were 40 minutes long instead of an hour.
Tony remembers vividly his first assembly, where the Rector proudly announced that a senior staff member (Mr Rod Williams after whom the “Williams Room” is named) had been awarded the M.B.E. in the New Year Honours List – and he wondered just what august institution he had blundered into.
He enjoyed his involvement in sport, coaching the 13th Cricket XI and the 2nd Rugby XV that first year. He continued his involvement in both sports until the mid 70’s when he finally abandoned the winter sport because of other commitments. Cricket however has remained his first love and he continues to be actively involved in both coaching and administration.
Latin has been his main teaching subject although until quite recently he has also taught French and English. In the mid 70’s, he became interested in Japanese and studied this through Massey University for two years before beginning to teach it as part of the language studies course in the third form.
Tony has noticed many changes in his 25 years at King’s. Of those who taught here when he first started only two, Ross Gillanders and George Tofield, remain. The physical appearance of the school has changed quite markedly over the years as well, especially on the Queen’s side and round the tennis courts, with the proliferation of reloadable classrooms.
Another major interest which has given him a great deal of pleasure over the last few years has been his involvement with the school’s ‘It’s Academic’ team. A regular member of the staff team at the Mornington Tavern Quiz, he has found this activity suits his ran of interests and his ‘magpie’ mind which seems to be al to retain all sorts of arcane trivia.
He is still enjoying life at King’s; when asked if he does find school routine a little boring after this length of tit in the one school he replies that each year you find yourself meeting a different group of individuals who are all different and provide a different challenge
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