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Robert James Pope (24 March 1865 – 12 April 1949) was a New Zealand poet, songwriter, violinist, cricketer, teacher, and headmaster. He became well known in Wellington between 1910 and 1945 for his contributions to the ''New Zealand Free Lance'' and the popular 'Postscripts' column in the Evening Post newspaper as well as for his song ‘New Zealand, My Homeland’ used in New Zealand schools. == Life == Pope was born in Caversham, Dunedin. He was one of a family of 12 and the son of Helen Grant Rattray and James Henry Pope (a future Government inspector of native schools and founder of the native school system). He attended Caversham District School and on 12 August 1881 left Dunedin aboard the ''Penguin''〔''Otago Daily Times'', 12 August 1881〕 arriving in Wellington where he entered Wellington College.〔Letter to the Editor, Robert J. Pope, ''Evening Post'', 4 May 1931〕 After school, Pope passed junior Civil Service Examinations in 1888, New Zealand University Examinations in 1889 and Teacher’s Examinations in the early 1890s. He lived in various parts of the lower and central North Island and began working as a teacher. He married Ernestina Victoria Pullar in Wellington on 29 December 1896. The couple had three children: Robert Earle Pope, Flora Pope and Eileen Fortune (née Pope). Eileen married Reo Fortune (1903–79), a well-known anthropologist at Cambridge University in England. In all, Pope worked for the Wellington Education Board for 37 years as teacher and headmaster. He began his teaching at Te Aute College, Hawke’s Bay, and then became a master at the first school in Levin. He moved from Levin Public School to Featherston as an assistant teacher there and was next an assistant teacher at Newtown School in Wellington. He then became a headmaster at Kaiwaiwai School in the Wairarapa and after headmaster of Kaiwarra School in Wellington for 20 years. After a fire destroyed his original residence near Kaiwarra School in 1911, he lived in various suburbs of Wellington.〔''Northern Advocate'', 31 July 1911〕 Pope retired from Kaiwarra School in December 1925. As a young man Pope was an able cricketer and an opening batsman for the Star Club’s Pearce Cup winning team of the early 1880s, where he played with well-known cricketers of the period such as the slow bowler Charlie Dryden. Some members of Pope’s team were also fathers of future All Black footballers.〔‘Cricket Feats Recalled’, Robert J. Pope, ''Evening Post'', 4 February 1939〕 He continued playing cricket for the Wellington College Old Boys and the Wellington Cricket Club where he won a 2nd XI batting trophy in 1896 (averaging 23.30 in 11 completed innings) and later for the Wairarapa Cricket Club when he was headmaster of Kaiwaiwai School. Pope also had a reputation as a songwriter and violinist. In 1930, Pope donated lyrics and music to Wellington College for a school song. ‘A Wellington College Song’ penned by Pope was used at their breaking up ceremony in December that year.〔''Evening Post'' 31 October 1930〕 Pope’s most notable song ‘New Zealand, My Homeland’ (composed in 1910)〔''Evening Post'' 3 December 1910〕 was written for his pupils at Kaiwarra School but after its publication in the ''New Zealand School Journal'' edited by his friend T. A. Fletcher, it began to be used in New Zealand schools from North Cape to the Bluff. As late as 1970, a letter to a newspaper suggested it as an alternative to Thomas Bracken's ‘God Defend New Zealand’.〔Miscellaneous papers donated by Eileen Fortune in the Turnbull Library〕 Pope died in Wellington on 12 April 1949 at age 86. This suggests his birth date could be 1862 or 1863. An obituary appeared for him in the ''Evening Post'', 12 April 1949 stating he died ‘in his 87th year’. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Robert J. Pope」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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