Welcome. Nau mai, haere mai

"When on the 17th April 1922, I took charge of the newly formed Hastings Technical High School no badge had been adopted. It seemed that we might find in the lore of our native people an emblem more forceful and appropriate than the type of heraldic devices which had been the general fashion. I enquired for someone who could inform me of such matters and was referred to Mr Paraire Tomoana. I found him interested and helpful. He would make no suggestion at our first interview, but said he would discuss the matter with certain leading Māori. After a few days he brought me "Akina" for a motto, and I liked it. It was the word he told me which the leader in a Māori canoe called to his men when the time had come to make a supreme effort and dip their paddles fast. 'Strike hard' or 'Go hard' was the meaning. The proposal was put to the assembled pupils on 3rd May 1922, and 'Akina' was adopted unanimously.

The choice of the badge was not easy; several suggestions had been made , and the assembled school were discussing them in front of the buildings when the late Mr Dan Elliason, a well known Māori, happened to pass by. He stopped and listened for a while and then advised us to choose the Huia. The old-time Māori esteemed the bird for its noble qualities: they believed it to be a leader among the birds, and they admired the loyalty with which a Huia would stand by a wounded mate- a brave trait which, unfortunately, contributed to the bird's extermination. The Huia feather was worn by the Māori as a badge of rank. When we chose the Huia I believe we chose well. The bird represented on our badge is the female, because her long beak is more distinctive than the straight beak of the male. Huia hunted in pairs - the male would break away rotten wood and the female would use her long beak curved beak to get the grubs. A design of the badge was prepared and sent to London to be engraved by an expert. The type was thus fixed".

W.A.G Penlington Headmaster 1922-1949