Wellington Girls' College
Wellington Girls' College was founded in 1883 in Wellington, New Zealand. At that time it was called Wellington Girls' High School. Wellington Girls' College is a year 9 to 13 state secondary school, located in Thorndon in central Wellington.[4]
| Wellington Girls' College Te Kāreti Kōtiro o Te Whanganui-a-Tara | |
|---|---|
 Wellington Girls' College from Pipitea Street | |
| Address | |
Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand | |
| Coordinates | 41.2748°S 174.7806°E |
| Information | |
| Type | State Single Sex (Girls) Secondary School (year 9–13) |
| Motto | Lumen Accipe et Imperti "Receive the light and pass it on"[1] |
| Established | 1883 |
| Ministry of Education Institution no. | 272 |
| Principal | Julia Davidson |
| School roll | 1380[2] (April 2023) |
| Color(s) | Teal Black Gold |
| Mascot | The Teal Seal |
| Socio-economic decile | 10Z[3] |
| Yearbook | The Reporter |
| Website | wgc.school.nz |
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History
Seeing a need for higher education for girls the founding fathers of Wellington College leased a building in Abel Smith Street in 1882 and appointed Miss Martha Hamilton as the Lady Principal of the school. It opened on 2 February 1883 with 40 students. However, by the end of its first year the roll increased to almost 100 girls, and when the Premier, the Rt. Hon. Robert Stout visited the school in 1884 the building was overcrowded with 130 students. As a result of his visit the school was moved to its current site in Pipitea Street.
Before the school the Colonial Hospital, Wellington's first public hospital, was built on the site in 1847.[5] It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1848[6] and a new building large enough to meet the needs of the city was built in 1855.[5][7] It was replaced by Wellington Hospital.
In 1925 the Wellington East Girls' College was established to serve the southern and eastern suburbs.
Notable alumnae
The arts
- Fleur Adcock – poet
- Isobel Andrews – playwright, novelist, short-story writer and poet
- Sylvia Ashton-Warner – writer, poet and educator[8]
- Vidyamala Burch – writer and mindfulness teacher
- Joe Cotton – pop singer
- Anne French – editor and poet[9]
- Rebecca Gibney – actor
- Robin Hyde – poet, novelist, biographer and journalist
- Annabel Langbein – celebrity cook, food writer and publisher
- Katherine Mansfield – writer
- Elizabeth McRae – actor[9]
- Marjory Nicholls – poet
- Anna Paquin – actor
- Beverley Randell – children's author[9]
- Jo Randerson – writer, playwright, theatre director and performer[10]
- Fran Walsh – screenwriter and film producer
- Bridget Williams – publisher[11]
Public service
- Nellie Coad – teacher, community leader, writer
- Cathy Dewes – Māori language advocate, educator
- Luamanuvao Winnie Laban – politician[10]
- Margaret Shields – politician[10]
Science and medicine
- Elaine Gurr – doctor
- Helen Deem – doctor
- Theodora Clemens Hall – doctor
- Ocean Mercier – scientist
- Marion Robinson – professor of nutrition
- Dianne Sika–Paotonu - immunologist
Sports
- Gina Crampton – netball player[12]
- Beth Jurgeleit – hockey player
- Jackie Kiddle – rower
- Trish McKelvey – cricketer[10]
- Melissa Moon – athlete
- Thamsyn Newton – cricketer
- Rebecca Perrott – swimmer[10]
- Jade Wilson – squash player[13]
Notable staff
- Airini Beautrais – poet
- Edith Searle Grossmann – novelist and journalist[14]
- Edith Howes – writer and educationalist[15]
Principals
| Principal | Period | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martha Hamilton | 1883–1900 |
| 2 | Mary McLean | 1900–1926 |
| 3 | Violet Greig | 1926–1938 |
| 4 | Esther North | 1938–1950 |
| 5 | Maida Jessie Clark | 1950–1958 |
| 6 | Betty Fraser | 1958–1978 |
| 7 | Elaine Barnett | 1978–1995 |
| – | Kath Kelly (acting) | 1995 |
| 8 | Ngaire Newton | 1995–1996 |
| – | Kath Kelly (acting) | 1996–1997 |
| 9 | Marg McLeod | 1997–2006 |
| – | Denise Johnson (acting) | 2006–2007 |
| 10 | Julia Davidson | 2008–present |
References
- "WGC Prospectus 2021" (PDF). Wellington Girls' College. 2020.
- "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- "Education Review Report: Wellington Girls' College 25/05/2009". Education Review Office. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for Children: opened 13th March 1912. Wellington. 1912. OCLC 155838330.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - "Earthquake". New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian. 18 October 1848. p. 2 – via Papers Past.
- "Medical". New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian. 5 February 1848. p. 3. Retrieved 11 July 2023 – via Papers Past.
- "School Ties Newsletter" (PDF). School Ties (14). May 2010.
- "School Ties Newsletter" (PDF). School Ties (15). November 2010.
- "School Ties Newsletter" (PDF). School Ties (16). December 2012.
- "Alumni Reconnect: Bridget Williams, publisher". chamber music blog. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- "School Ties – Wellington Girls' College Alumnae Newsletter – December 2016" (PDF). www.wellington-girls.school.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- "Young squash star remembered". Stuff. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Grossmann, Edith Searle". www.teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- Murray, Heather. "Howes, Edith Annie". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 14 November 2016.