St Mary's College, Wellington
Encyclopedia
St Mary's College Wellington is situated in the suburb of Thorndon
in Wellington
, New Zealand
. The school is an integrated all girls Catholic secondary school for years 9-13.
, first Bishop of Wellington
and staffed by a small group of religious sisters, the "Sisters of Mary", established by Viard. Part of the land on which the school is situated was donated by Lord Petre
, who was a director of the New Zealand Company
and whose family seat Thorndon Hall
in Essex
was an important centre of Catholic Recusancy
from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Another part of the site was given by Sir George Grey
, Governor of New Zealand
out of public funds. In 1861 the school was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy
who first arrived in Wellington in that year. To begin with, the school was co-educational (boys and girls) and had a boarding facility attached. Nowadays the boarding facility is gone, and it is a single sex girls' school.
, who used her inherited fortune to found the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. As most other New Zealand Schools do, students in years 11-13 sit NCEA
(National Certificate of Educational Achievement) examinations. The school remains in the ownership of the Sisters of Mercy and describes itself as a "Mercy School".
Thorndon
Thorndon is an inner suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It combines residential accommodation and the home of government, and is located at the northern end of the Central Business District...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, 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...
. The school is an integrated all girls Catholic secondary school for years 9-13.
History
The school, which is one of the oldest existing schools in New Zealand, was founded in 1850 by Philippe ViardPhilippe Viard
Philippe Joseph Viard was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington, New Zealand.Born to Claude and Pierette Charlotte , he attended the parish school of Saint-Nizier and then entered the minor seminary at Argentière about 1827, proceeding to the major seminary of Saint-Irénée at Lyon in 1831...
, first Bishop of Wellington
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington
The Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington is the Metropolitan Archdiocese of New Zealand. Catholics number about 83,214 . Parishes number 47 parishes and the archdiocese extends over central New Zealand between Levin and Masterton in the north to Kaikoura to Westport in the...
and staffed by a small group of religious sisters, the "Sisters of Mary", established by Viard. Part of the land on which the school is situated was donated by Lord Petre
William Henry Francis Petre, 11th Baron Petre
William Henry Francis, 11th Baron Petre was the first Baron Petre to take his seat in the House of Lords after the passing of the Catholic Relief Act 1829.-Family :...
, who was a director of the New Zealand Company
New Zealand Company
The New Zealand Company originated in London in 1837 as the New Zealand Association with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The association, and later the company, intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of...
and whose family seat Thorndon Hall
Thorndon Hall
Thorndon Hall is a Georgian Palladian country house within Thorndon Park, Ingrave, Essex, England, approximately two miles south of Brentwood and from central London....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
was an important centre of Catholic Recusancy
Recusancy
In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...
from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Another part of the site was given by Sir George Grey
George Grey
George Grey may refer to:*Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet , British politician*George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent *Sir George Grey , Governor of Cape Colony, South Australia and New Zealand...
, Governor of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
out of public funds. In 1861 the school was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
who first arrived in Wellington in that year. To begin with, the school was co-educational (boys and girls) and had a boarding facility attached. Nowadays the boarding facility is gone, and it is a single sex girls' school.
Buildings
While most traces of the original buildings on the site have disappeared, the school has some buildings dating from the early twentieth century, including the "Gabriel Block" which is now used as the school hall. The other two main blocks are "Carlow" and "McAuley". McAuley is named after Sister Catherine McAuleyCatherine McAuley
The Venerable Mother Catherine Elizabeth McAuley was an Irish nun, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831...
, who used her inherited fortune to found the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. As most other New Zealand Schools do, students in years 11-13 sit NCEA
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is, since 2004, the official secondary school qualification in New Zealand.It has three levels, corresponding to the levels within the National Qualifications Framework, and these are generally studied in each of the three final years of...
(National Certificate of Educational Achievement) examinations. The school remains in the ownership of the Sisters of Mercy and describes itself as a "Mercy School".
Characteristics
- Number of Teachers: 48
- International Students: 11
- Ethnic make up of students: New Zealand European/Pākehā, 54%; Samoan, 11%; South East Asian, 9%; Māori, 7%; Other Pacific, 5%; Chinese, 3%; Indian, 3%; Other Asian, 3%; Other ethnic groups, 5%.
See also
- Sacred Heart Cathedral School, ThorndonSacred Heart Cathedral School, ThorndonSacred Heart Cathedral School is a New Zealand, Catholic, primary school located in the central-city suburb of Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand. It is part of a Catholic precinct dating from 1850...
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, WellingtonSacred Heart Cathedral, WellingtonThe Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and of Saint Mary His Mother, better known as Sacred Heart Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral on Hill Street, Thorndon in Wellington, New Zealand. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Wellington...
- Sisters of MercySisters of MercyThe Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
Notable alumnae
- Patricia Frances GracePatricia GracePatricia Frances Grace, DCNZM, QSO, is a notable Māori writer of novels, short stories, and children's books....
DCNZMNew Zealand Order of MeritThe New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, QSOQSOQSO may refer to:*Quasi-stellar object or quasar*Queen's Service Order, New Zealand honour*Queensland Symphony Orchestra*The Quantic Soul Orchestra*QSO, a Q code used in commercial and amateur radio communication*The IATA airport code for Sousse, Tunisia...
, (born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1937) is a notable Māori writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. Her first published work, Waiariki (1975) was the first collection of short stories by a Māori woman writer. She has been described as "A key figure in contemporary world literature and in Maori literature in English" - Beverley WakemNew Zealand Chief OmbudsmanNew Zealand's Chief Ombudsman is appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand on recommendation of the House of Representatives to oversee investigation of complaints against government departments, and report, with recommendations, to Parliament.The post of Ombudsman was established in New...
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, Chief Ombudsman of New Zealand (2008-) (first woman in the role); Ombudsman (2005-); former Chief Executive of Radio New Zealand Limited (1984–1991).