CAMPBELL, MATTHEW (1815-83) came to New Zealand in the Thomas Harrison in 1842 to settle in Nelson. He was keenly interested in education and on board the ship he ran a school for the children and classes for the adults. On arriving in Nelson he was struck by the need for schools and forthwith opened one (in May 1842). The committee which was formed to control this institution included William Fox, J.P. Robinson and T.J. Thompson. The Nelson School Society was formed to provide for the education of children of all classes and denominations. Campbell was the mainspring of the Society throughout. He opened most of the schools himself, and exercised personal supervision throughout. At one time he had day or Sunday schools (and in some cases both) in Stoke, Richmond, Appleby, River Terrace, Riwaka, Motupipi, Waimea West, Spring Grove, Wakefield, Wakapuaka and the town of Nelson. He was one of the first to open a Sunday school in Nelson, and he did much to place the Sunday schools of the province on a sound footing. The Society was for many years an unofficial education board for the province, providing primary education for the children of the town and district. In 1856 the Nelson Provincial Council passed an education ordinance and it then recorded its thanks to the Society for the great benefits that had accrued to the Province from the zeal and the disinterested exertions of the Society 'animated as it has constantly been by Mr. Campbell's never-ceasing devotion to the advancement of the cause.' In 13 years, 2,074 pupils had been educated. The esteem in which Campbell was held was evidenced by his being repeatedly elected to the education board for 27 years.

D.N.B.; App. H.R., 1861-66; Cowan; Rusden; Gudgeon (p); Rees; Gisborne; Gorton.

Reference: Volume 1, page 84

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