Wesley College is a secondary school in
Paerata, at the northern edge of
Pukekohe,
Auckland Region, New Zealand. The school provides education from year 9 to 13.
The school was founded by members of the
Methodist Church in 1844, making it one of the country's oldest schools.[3] Initially located in
Grafton and then the
Three Kings area of
Auckland, it closed in 1868 before reopening in 1876 in Three Kings again. From the beginning there was an emphasis on educating
Maori boys, and also played a prominent role in educating students from countries of the South Pacific. In 1924 the school was moved to its current location of Paerata, near
Pukekohe. In 1985 it was one of the first boys schools in
New Zealand to admit girls at the senior level.[citation needed]
Wesley College was located in Upper Queen Street when it closed in 1868; the building and land was donated to the Methodist Church for education purposes. In 1895, a new school with Methodist links started in that building, known as Prince Albert College.[4] The school closed on 31 December 1906 due to financial pressures.[5] The building was later used by
Auckland Girls' Grammar School.[6]
Principals
The following have been principals of the school:[4]
Revs. Alexander Reid, Thomas Buddle, George Stannard, HH Lawry, Wallis
Rev. J H Simmonds 1895–1923
R. C. Clark, MA (Melb), Dip Ed 1924–1944
Rev. E. M. Marshall, BA, Dip Ed 1944–1964
C. A. Neate, MA, Dip Tchg 1965–1967
E. Te R. Tauroa, B AgricSc, Dip Ed, Dip Tchg 1968–1973 Believed to be the first Māori principal of a secondary school,[7] later
Race Relations Conciliator.
J. B. McDougall, E.D., B Agric Sc, Dip Tchg 1974–1988
G. V. Cowley, MSc (Hons), Dip Tchg, JP 1989–2002
I. F. Faulkner, JP, MA (Hons), Dip Tchg 2003–present[8]
Malakai Fekitoa – Auckland, Highlanders, New Zealand All Black
Frank Halai – Waikato, NZ Sevens, Counties Manukau, Blues, New Zealand All Black
Sekope Kepu – New Zealand U17's, New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand u19s, New Zealand u21s, Counties, NSW Waratahs, Australia – Wallabies
Casey Laulala – New Zealand u19s, New Zealand u21s, Counties, Canterbury, Crusaders, Cardiff Blues, New Zealand All Black
Nepo Laulala – Canterbury, Crusaders, New Zealand All Blacks
Jonah Lomu – New Zealand U16's, New Zealand U17's, New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand u19s, New Zealand u21s, Counties, Wellington, North Harbour, Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Cardiff Blues, NZ Sevens, New Zealand All Black
Tevita Mailau – New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand u19s, New Zealand u21s, Northland, Auckland, Blues, Tonga Ikale Tahi
Seilala Mapusua – New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand u19s, New Zealand u21s, Otago, Highlanders, London Irish, Kubota Spears, Manu
Samoa
Lunalangi Veainu – Kiwi Ferns, Black Ferns, Counties Manukau Heat
Further reading
Arthur, Aylesbeare; Buttle, Nora (1950).
A Tale of Two Colleges(PDF). Auckland. Retrieved 10 August 2015.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
^"Timeline of K Road". Karangahape Road Business Association. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
^"Inmagic DB/Text WebPublisher PRO: 1 records". aucklandcity.govt.nz. 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011. FIRST MAORI PRINCIPAL of a SECONDARY SCHOOL Thought to be Mr Edward Te Rangihiwinui Tauroa of Wesley College, Paerata.