| Wellington College | |
|---|---|
| Firth Hall on the left with the school hall on the right
Lumen accipe et imperti - Receive The Light And Pass It On
|
|
| Location | |
| Dufferin Street, Wellington |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Single Sex-Boys State Secondary (Year 9–13) |
| Established | 1867 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 275 |
| Headmaster | Roger Moses |
| School roll | 1550 |
| Socio-economic decile | 10 |
| Website | mycoll.school.nz |
Wellington College is a state secondary school for boys in Mount Victoria in Wellington, New Zealand.
Contents |
Wellington College opened in 1867 as Wellington Grammar School in Woodward Street, though Sir George Grey gave the school a deed of endowment in 1853. In 1874 it opened at its present location. The former boarding establishment at the College, Firth House, was named after Joseph Firth, the headmaster from 1892 to 1921.
Wellington College's Pavilion, Firth House and the Gifford Observatory were opened on 1 December, 1924. The War Memorial Hall was opened on 2 March, 1928, financially supported by £6000 from the Old Boys' Association.[1] The War Memorial Hall and classroom wings were demolished by the Ministry of Works and replaced in the 1960s with a new hall and seven-storey Tower classroom block due to its lack of earthquake reinforcements. The stained glass window from the front of the War Memorial Hall is now located in the front of the existing hall.
During the 1970s the Maths, Library and Technology blocks were opened, replacing the last of the War Memorial Hall building and classroom wings that opened in 1928. Also, the Old Boys Gymnasium was built on the eastern boundary of the campus replacing the swimming pool.
In 1980 Firth House was demolished to make way for a new gymnasium which opened in 1982. 1987 saw the opening of the Arts and Music block, and the Brierley Theatre, named after old boy Ron Brierley.
The first dedicated computer rooms in the College opened in 1992 in a new building located behind the school hall.
2001 saw the opening of the Science block, on the western boundary of the campus. In 2008 the Languages block opened, also located on the western boundary.
The campus also has many prefabricated buildings, some functioning as offices and some as classrooms.
The only "historical" buildings remaining on campus to this day are Firth Hall, the Pavilion and the Gifford Observatory.
Wellington College's enrolment zone mainly covers the central and western parts of Wellington.
Each year the school's rugby team plays in a competition with Nelson College, Christ's College, and Wanganui Collegiate School known as the "Quadrangular Tournament". Wellington are the reigning champions of this tournament and have been since 2003. Their current winning streak of eight titles in a row is the longest in the tournament's history.
The school also competes in a local athletics competition known as "McEvedy Shield" along with St. Patrick's College (Town), St. Patrick's College, Silverstream and Rongotai College. Historically, Wellington College have won the shield 47 times since 1922. The 2009 event was won by Wellington College at Newtown Park, but in 2010 St Patrick's College (Town) won the shield.
It is next to Wellington East Girls' College, also in Mount Victoria, and shares with that college the Gifford Observatory.
Each year in Dunedin, a de facto reunion is held by old boys of the College studying at Otago University.
Although Wellington College is situated next to Wellington East Girls' College, its sister college is Wellington Girls' College located in Thorndon.
2. A.W Beasley, The Light Accepted : 125 Years of Wellington College, Board of Trustees of Wellington College, Wellington, 1992