Current teacher Stephen Aitken interviewed John Saunders for XŌtaki and YouTube in August 2014, and the result can be viewed below – we apologise for the poor sound from a faulty microphone.

John was principal during a time of great social change and as the school roll grew throughout the 60s and leapt by nearly 200 with the integration in 1970 of forms 1 and 2.

At Ōtaki College, John took on his first and only headmaster role, which had opened only four years before. He now lives happily in Ōtaki with his second wife of nearly 30 years.

See Ian Carson’s interview with John Saunders – vivid memories of Ōtaki College.