Mr Southwell came to Lindisfarne at its opening in 1953, bringing with him a wealth of experience gained from a lifetime as teacher or headmaster in preparatory and secondary schools both in England and New Zealand.

A great sportsman himself in his younger days, he retained a boyish enthusiasm for all forms of sport. He played a major part in building up the school football and cricket teams, and much of their success was due to his unflagging enthusiasm. It was always his aim, however, that the school should have a catholic outlook on sport, and should not merely try to excel by confining his efforts to a narrow range. He showed the same quality of enthusiasm in his teaching of Latin and English; and made no secret of his belief that the current trend towards ousting the Classics from the curriculum in New Zealand schools was very much to be deported.

Above all, Lindisfarne owes a debt of gratitude to Mr Southwell for the selfless way in which, at the end of 1954, after the death of the first Rector, the Rev. F.H. Robertson, he agreed to postpone his long-planned return to England on retirement and to take charge of the School until a new permanent Rector could be appointed. His decision served to allay the anxieties of the parents and other friends of the School to continue unchecked during 1955. In saying goodbye to us, Mr Southwell remarked that he had come to have such a regard for Lindisfarne as a school that when he died, in the words of Mary I, “its name would be graven on his heart!” We can truthfully say in return that Mr Southwell’s name will be indelibly engraved in the annals of Lindisfarne.

Extracted from the 1955 Chronicle

Article added: Thursday 14 November 2019