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Christ’s College
- 2014 In Memoriam
5179
Aged 85
Robert
Stewart Boyd
Robert was born in Christchurch in 1930, the
elder son of David Boyd and Bessie Bell. He
attended Redcliffs Primary School and won a
Somes Scholarship to Christ’s College, where he
attended from 1943 to 1947. He loved his time
at College and always enjoyed visiting as an Old
Boy. He excelled in Latin and history, and after
five years in Julius House, he entered Canterbury
University. There he did an arts degree with a
double major in Latin and History. Having always
loved the outdoors he joined the university
tramping club and climbed and tramped
happily all around Canterbury and beyond.
After graduating from Canterbury he went up
to Auckland for a year at Secondary Teachers’
Training College and completed a Master of Arts
degree in History.
He began his teaching career at Waitaki Boys
High School where he developed a lifelong
enthusiasm for skiing and making outdoor
education a part of his teaching program.
Students from his days at Waitaki vividly
remember piling into his Morris van and heading
off to the hills for a tramping or even a hunting (!)
expedition.
In 1957 he married Rosemary Burnard, whom he
met at Canterbury University and they started
married life at Pinehaven, out of Upper Hutt,
where Robert taught at Heretaunga College. He
did two years of country service at Tapawera
District High School (near Nelson) which
included driving the school bus at a speed
frowned upon by locals. Subsequently he was
appointed to Nelson College and he became
Housemaster of Fell House and Head of Outdoor
Education. He helped establish an outdoor
education facility, Mataki Lodge, near Murchison,
which was one of the first of its kind in New
Zealand and it is still an integral part of the
outdoor education programme at Nelson College.
All four of his children, Caroline, Judi, Sarah and
Andrew, were born in Nelson.
Two years in Napier at Colenso High School as
Head of Social Studies was followed by his final
appointment, Deputy Head of Southland Boys
High School in Invercargill. With Rosemary, he
retired first of all to Queenstown where they
had a house and later to Nelson. Retirement
included several overseas trips, many days on
the beach at Tahunanui, some skiing, golf and
trips to the hills and enjoying visits from his nine
grandchildren.
Latterly, old age brought a few disabilities and
after just four weeks in the Wood Retirement
Home Robert (Bob) passed peacefully away
surrounded by Rosemary and his children.
Robert was greatly loved for his gentle sense of
humour, his passion for the outdoors and rugby,
and his unwavering loyalty to his family and his
friends.