The Kawarau Gorge school was opened and Miss Jane Goulding was appointed as a teacher. Her salary was £125 (one hundred and twenty five pounds) per year. She taught for about six years at which time the school roll had risen to 35 pupils.

Robert Toms was born on 2 Feb 1888, to Thomas Toms and Mary Anne Toms, in dwelling #231.

Miss Annie Cousins was the teacher.

Robert Toms was listed in Stones directory as a miner of Bannockburn.

Miss Selena Pretsch was appointed as teacher and lived in the school house with her younger sister Kitty who was a pupil in standard 4.

Robert Toms is listed in Stones directory as a mail contractor in Bannockburn.

The school roll had dropped to eight pupils and on the recommendation of the inspectors it was closed. The pupils continued their schooling in either Bannockburn or Cromwell. It is not known what happened to the school after it was closed.

Robert Toms purchased the stables (location #110) from Mr J Lawrence (2). Mr Toms worked as a coachman, carting mail from Cromwell to Bannockburn, then to the Nevis.

Mr Robert Toms of Bannockburn purchased the old school house and moved it in sections on a sledge to Bannockburn where it became part of dwelling #241. This part consisted of two bedrooms a sitting room and a kitchen.

It appears that about htis time Robert Toms married Mary Lavinia Hancock (Polly), the daughter of Mr J Hancock (1) living in dwelling #24.

Robert Toms applied for a parcel of land as part of the subdivision of Kawarau Station. this included 47 acres around where dwelling #241 is situated. The original part of dwelling #241 started out as a schoolhouse from the Kawarau Gorge, consisting of two bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen. Mr Toms purchased the building and cut it into sections which were then transported by sledge to Bannockburn and reassembled.

About this time Mr Toms may have planted the orchard near dwelling #241. The orchard included : almonds, walnuts, nectarines, peaches, apples, apricots and plums.

Robert Toms was appointed a fondation committee member of the Central Otago Fruitgrowers Association.

It appears that about this time Mr Toms either sold dwelling #241 (with the orchard) or leased it out.

Vincent Parcell (dwelling #244) recalls a Mr Breen living in dwelling #241 about this time. Stones directory lists Mr Jas Breen as an orchardist in Bannockburn until 1918+ ( not 1920)

Note: at this time the author has no reliable information on the location of the Robert Toms family in Bannockburn at this time - however : Mr Toms built dwelling #228 around 1920 and lived there with his family.