Charles Harrington Broad

Broad was born at Nelson on 5 October 1872.[1] His father was Lowther Broad, the Nelson resident magistrate[2] and younger brother of Charles Broad,[3] and his mother was Isabella Mary Broad (née Bunny), the daughter of Henry Bunny.[4]

Broad was educated at Nelson College from 1884 to 1892.[5] The latter years of that period were as an extramural student studying for a Bachelor of Arts, and he graduated from Auckland University College in 1893.[6][7] Broad married Annie Maria Murray at Hokitika on 8 May 1905.[8]

In all, Broad played eight first-class cricket matches.[1]

Broad made three appearances for the Nelson provincial rugby union team between 1894 and 1895.[20] In his first match, against South Canterbury at Trafalgar Park on 30 July 1894, Broad played at fullback. It was reported that "he had little to do, but was equal to every emergency" in Nelson's 8–0 victory.[21][22] Broad played in the three-quarter line against the touring New South Wales team at Trafalgar Park later that season on 22 September, in a match that attracted 2000 spectators, the largest attendance seen in Nelson for a rugby match up to that time. The home team was defeated 4–13, and Broad's performance was described as being "below club form".[23] The following season, Broad played at five-eighth against Auckland at Trafalgar Park on 2 September 1895. He missed his one attempted conversion as Nelson lost the match 3–9.[24]

A member of the Otago tennis club, Broad was the Otago provincial tennis champion in 1901.[13]

In 1893 Broad was appointed junior master at Nelson College, with a salary of £50 per year plus board and residence.[7] At Easter 1897 he took up a post as an assistant master at Otago Boys' High School.[13] He returned to Nelson College as third master in 1901, and remained there for the rest of his teaching career. Following the retirement of Harry Lewis Fowler as headmaster of Nelson College after a 17-year tenure, Broad was appointed as his replacement, and was the first old boy of the school to be given the role.[7]

Broad was headmaster of Nelson College for 11 years. In 1927 he visited the United Kingdom with his wife, and saw how secondary schools were organised there. When he returned to Nelson, he put into practice some of what he had observed, particularly the house system, which still continues. The latter years of Broad's tenure were dominated by the effects of the damaging 1929 Murchison earthquake. Three new boarding houses were planned: the new Rutherford and Barnicoat Houses were completed in 1931, and Fell House was temporarily located in nearby Fairfield House. Broad gained extra responsibilities in 1932 as the daytime operations of the Nelson Technical School were merged into Nelson College. He retired as headmaster at the end of 1933, having been at the school for all but five years since 1884.[7]

Broad also served on the Nelson College Old Boys' Association. He was secretary from 1906 to 1912 and president between 1921 and 1928.[25] He was involved in the purchase in 1927 of five acres (2.0 hectares) of land between Vanguard and Tipahi Streets for additional college playing fields, that were later named "Broad's" in his honour.[7]

Following his retirement, Broad continued to live in Nelson,[7] and he died there on 7 September 1959.[1] His wife, Annie Maria Broad, died on 26 April 1965.[26]