| Christchurch Girls' High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Matai Street, Riccarton, Christchurch |
|
| Information | |
| Type | State Single sex girls secondary (Year 9–13) with boarding facilities |
| Motto | Latin: Sapientia et Veritas "Wisdom and Truth" |
| Established | 1877 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 328 |
| Principal | Prue Taylor |
| School roll | 1080 |
| Socio-economic decile | 9[1] |
| Website | chgirls.school.nz |
Christchurch Girls' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, was established in 1877 and is the second oldest girls' secondary school in the country (Otago Girls' High School is older).[2] Christchurch Girls' High School was established before Christchurch Boys' High School (1881). The first headmistress was Mrs. Georgiana Ingle.
Christchurch Girls' High School is known to many as Girls' High and provides boarding facilities for 95 students from years 9 to 13 at Acland House, located 20–30 minutes walk away from school.
The school stands by the Avon River, on a site it has occupied since 1986. Previously, the area was occupied by a mill that was first build in 1861 by William Derisley Wood, which became known as the Riccarton Mill. The buildings burned down in 1974 and were subsequently demolished.[3]
The school's old location, which was renamed to Cranmer Centre, features prominently in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures. Two students (Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, then known as Pauline Rieper) had a very close friendship in the years 1952–1954. Because their parents wanted to separate them because of suspected homosexuality, they both murdered Pauline's mother. The crime and subsequent trial was world news.