Church College of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Church College of New Zealand was a private secondary school
in Temple View
, Hamilton
, New Zealand
, that was operated by the Church Educational System
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was closed at the end of the 2009 school year.
in Hamilton. The president of the LDS Church at the time was David O. McKay
, and he initially went to New Zealand to downsize the whole building programme. After visiting the project, McKay was so impressed with what he saw and felt he decided to add two more buildings to the school construction, which today are called the David O. McKay Auditorium and the Matthew Cowley
Administration Building. Church College and the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
were built on the same 35 hectare
site in what later became Temple View
, a suburb of Hamilton. Both facilities were built entirely by volunteer labour missionaries of the LDS Church. Church College was dedicated and formally opened on 26 April 1958 by McKay. Clifton D. Boyack was the first principal of the school.
Gordon Young drove out to the area, and knew immediately that that was the place where the LDS Church was to build a school and temple. Church officials from Utah
came and bought the property, and members of the church from all over New Zealand slowly moved into the area to work as labour missionaries on the project.
Before any work commenced on the school, the surrounding property was developed. The temple foundations were laid, the accommodations for the people who came to work were built, and a social infrastructure was established. Initially, there were only a few people at the site. Much of the surrounding land was peat
, and it took some ingenuity to make the land agriculturaly productive.
Many of the existing buildings were used as temporary quarters for those participating in construction and administration. Cottages were built to house the building missionaries when they arrived. Dormitory-type accommodations were provided for the single men. Food was sent in from the church members in other parts of the country, and some of it was grown locally.
A stream ran across the property behind the men's accommodation and behind their eating house. In the winters it always flooded so the men's accommodation and some of the cottages were usually semi-submerged in water at the time. A young child drowned in the stream so for safety concrete piping was brought in for protection, and to seal the steam.
The concrete bricks for the school buildings were manufactured locally by a special crew of building missionaries. There were specialist plumbing, electrical(sparkies), painting, welding, mechanic and other crews for the construction of the many facilities. Supervisors for these crews were called from the U.S. They came with their families, and helped greatly with the overall communal life of the building missionaries. The building missionaries were exposed to the way the LDS Church did things in the U.S., and this helped facilitate the transition of the LDS Church in New Zealand from its mission
status to the stake and ward system.
.
After it was closed, LDS Church leaders had planned to demolish parts of the school site and convert it into farmland. These plans were challenged by the Temple View
community and Church College alumni. Charles Cammock, President of the Temple View Heritage Society, proposed that the Temple View community should decide the future of the school.
The LDS Church has now indicated that demolition of key buildings is no longer on the agenda and has formally withdrawn its application from the local city council. It has indicated that many more buildings may be saved and several options are now being investigated for future usage.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Temple View
Temple View
Temple View is a suburb of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. Temple View was established in the 1950s out of the construction of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple and the Church College of New Zealand by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, that was operated by the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was closed at the end of the 2009 school year.
History
Construction of the Church College of New Zealand began in 1952. In 1955 the LDS Church announced that it would construct a templeTemple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
in Hamilton. The president of the LDS Church at the time was David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
, and he initially went to New Zealand to downsize the whole building programme. After visiting the project, McKay was so impressed with what he saw and felt he decided to add two more buildings to the school construction, which today are called the David O. McKay Auditorium and the Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley was an American missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 until his death...
Administration Building. Church College and the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Hamilton New Zealand Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
were built on the same 35 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
site in what later became Temple View
Temple View
Temple View is a suburb of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. Temple View was established in the 1950s out of the construction of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple and the Church College of New Zealand by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, a suburb of Hamilton. Both facilities were built entirely by volunteer labour missionaries of the LDS Church. Church College was dedicated and formally opened on 26 April 1958 by McKay. Clifton D. Boyack was the first principal of the school.
Construction
The foundations were laid for everything in Temple View in the early 1950s. Inspection for a property in Tuikaramea road began in 1950. The mission presidentMission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
Gordon Young drove out to the area, and knew immediately that that was the place where the LDS Church was to build a school and temple. Church officials from Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
came and bought the property, and members of the church from all over New Zealand slowly moved into the area to work as labour missionaries on the project.
Before any work commenced on the school, the surrounding property was developed. The temple foundations were laid, the accommodations for the people who came to work were built, and a social infrastructure was established. Initially, there were only a few people at the site. Much of the surrounding land was peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, and it took some ingenuity to make the land agriculturaly productive.
Many of the existing buildings were used as temporary quarters for those participating in construction and administration. Cottages were built to house the building missionaries when they arrived. Dormitory-type accommodations were provided for the single men. Food was sent in from the church members in other parts of the country, and some of it was grown locally.
A stream ran across the property behind the men's accommodation and behind their eating house. In the winters it always flooded so the men's accommodation and some of the cottages were usually semi-submerged in water at the time. A young child drowned in the stream so for safety concrete piping was brought in for protection, and to seal the steam.
The concrete bricks for the school buildings were manufactured locally by a special crew of building missionaries. There were specialist plumbing, electrical(sparkies), painting, welding, mechanic and other crews for the construction of the many facilities. Supervisors for these crews were called from the U.S. They came with their families, and helped greatly with the overall communal life of the building missionaries. The building missionaries were exposed to the way the LDS Church did things in the U.S., and this helped facilitate the transition of the LDS Church in New Zealand from its mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
status to the stake and ward system.
Enrollment
The school taught students in New Zealand's educational years nine through thirteen (13- to 18-year olds). While in operation there were approximately 700 students and 100 faculty/staff members, until its last year, when the student body was 120 students and 50 staff members. A modest tuition was charged but the school is heavily subsidized by the LDS Church. In 2009, approximately 10% of Latter Day Saint high school students in New Zealand attended Church College, with some attending the school away from home as a boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
.
Closure
On 29 June 2006, LDS Church leaders announced that the Church College of New Zealand would cease accepting new students in 2007 and would close at the end of the 2009 school year; in discussing its decision, the church cited a policy of the church to close its private secondary schools when the public school system is able to offer "quality education".Proposed plans
After it was closed, LDS Church leaders had planned to demolish parts of the school site and convert it into farmland. These plans were challenged by the Temple View
Temple View
Temple View is a suburb of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand. Temple View was established in the 1950s out of the construction of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple and the Church College of New Zealand by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
community and Church College alumni. Charles Cammock, President of the Temple View Heritage Society, proposed that the Temple View community should decide the future of the school.
The LDS Church has now indicated that demolition of key buildings is no longer on the agenda and has formally withdrawn its application from the local city council. It has indicated that many more buildings may be saved and several options are now being investigated for future usage.