Rangiuru School has a new old trophy to award at its end of year prizegiving – and it’s a trophy with quite a back story.

Over 100 years old, the cup was originally presented to the school’s first teacher, Vida Billing, in December 1920.

The school had opened in 1919 with 16 pupils on the roll.

School principal Hannah Mortimore was contacted earlier this year by Sheryl Clark who lives in Australia.

“She said she had been going through her great auntie’s belongings that had been in storage, and she came across a cup that was presented to her great auntie from students at Rangiuru School.

“She asked me if we would like it to add it to our trophies for the end of year prizegiving. Three weeks later the cup arrived from Australia and with a letter explaining that Vida and her family felt a great connection with Rangiuru.

“The school has very few photographs from its early days, but there is one hanging in the reception area.

“We have loads from the 70s and 80s, but just one from the 1920s, of the very first teacher and class of the school. That photo was taken in 1920, and she is in it with the students.”

Mortimore said having the photograph adds to the significance of the cup to the school.

The day the cup arrived, teachers realised the person it was presented to and the teacher in the photograph were the same person.

Clark also wrote that her great aunt was an artist, and she had some pieces she wanted to send to the school as well.

“So, I talked to her about the cup becoming an annual award and she was thrilled,” said Mortimore.

“We talked about what the cup could be, and we will think of a name for it and it will be a cup for arts and art awards.”

Mortimore said the art works that Clark is going to send will also be nice to have because of Vida’s connection with the school.

The cup “isn’t very fancy”.

The cup as it was when it arrived, before it was given a polish. Photo / Supplied

“It’s quite tarnished and looks very worn. The plating’s come off it and it would have been very easy to just toss it away, but she obviously thought ‘there’s a legacy here, there’s a story’ and she wanted to give it back to the school.”

Mortimore said while it might be possible to re-plate the cup, that could harm its integrity.

Clark’s mum Vivienne attended Pukehina School and Clark recalled staying with her aunt during school holidays as a girl.

“She knows this area is quite connected to its history and a lot of the people on the road have been here a long time, so I thought that was really lovely of her to reach out and want to do something like this.”

The original reason for the cup being given to Vida is a mystery.

“She didn’t leave [the school in 1920], so I’m not sure why – maybe it was just something they did back then.”

Vida was born in 1892. She married Lawrence Veysey in 1921 and died in 1989.