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Wellington College (New Zealand)

Wellington College (in full, The Wellington College and Grammar School, sometimes just Coll) is a state school for boys located next to Government House and the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. Having a history from 1853, it is a day school for boys aged 13 (Form 3 or Year 9) to 18 (Form 7 or Year 13)². Wellington College was also a boarding school, until the College?s sole boarding house, Firth House, was demolished in 1981.

Wellington College was noted for producing exceptionally high numbers of scholars to the former colleges of the University of New Zealand and in modern times this is continued by the very good NZ Universities Scholarships and Bursaries Examination results achieved by students at Wellington.

Wellington College is famous for its alumni, producing four Governors-General of New Zealand and over 40 All Blacks. Only Eton College has produced more Governors-General of New Zealand.

The Visitor to the Wellington College is the Governor-General of New Zealand.

History

Wellington College was founded originally as the Wellington Grammar School in 1853 under a Deed of Endowment granted by the then Governor Sir George Grey. The original site of the Grammar School was on Wellington Terrace, near the present Wellington Motorway, where instruction began in 1867. The Wellington College Act 1872 established a second administration under a new Board of Governors.

On October 17 1874 the school opened for instruction at its present site next to Government House. Some time after, the Grammar School became affiliated to the University of New Zealand, granting the School the privilege of naming itself a College, becoming Wellington College.

In 1912 the school founded the Gifford Observatory, thanks to the efforts of Charles Gifford who was a popular science teacher of the school at the time. The observatory was first established on land that is now occupied by Wellington East Girls' College. In 1926 the observatory was moved to its current site, in the town belt above Wellington College, behind Government House.

Tenuous relations exist with Wellington College, Berkshire. Possibly the most famous example was during World War II when Wellington College NZ converted its playing fields into a small farm and sent food over to Wellington College, Berkshire.

The use of public school slang has mostly died out in recent years, though students will understand the phrases if used, and administration of "tests" to new boys about terminology and the layout of the school by prefects is now an unpopular practice.

Notable Old Wellingtonians

• Lieutenant General Lord Freyberg of Wellington, Victoria Cross in World War I and Governor-General
• Sir Denis Blundell, Governor-General
• Sir Paul Reeves, Archbishop and Governor-General
• Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor-General
• Lord Grey of Naunton, Governor (his most famous posting as Governor of Northern Ireland)
• Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, RAF Bomber Command in World War II
• Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr RAF Bomber Command in World War II, Air Officer Commanding, India Command (Chief of the Indian Air Force)
• Major-General Sir William Gentry, Chief of Staff (NZ)
• Major-General Graham Beresford Parkinson
• Humphrey Francis O'Leary, Chief Justice
• Sir Michael Myers, Chief Justice
• Sir Harvey Norcroft, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judge
• Sir Louis Barnett, surgeon
• Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes, surgeon
• Sir Ron Brierley, entrepreneur
• George Gair, politician
• Henry Greathead Rex Mason, politician
• Sir William Pickering, space scientist
• Keith Quinn, sports commentator
• Sir Francis Renouf, businessman and tennis supporter

Rugby football at Wellington College

Wellington College has been one of the most important schools in the development of rugby football in the World.

The first inter-school rugby match in the world, according to Australasian historian Spiro Zavos, was between Wellington College and Nelson College in 1870 at the Basin Reserve.

Another historical development is the notion of "advantage" in rugby football. This appears to have been developed by Joseph Firth (later Head Master) in the late 19th century: when someone had "knocked on" the ball, Firth allowed the game to continue, shouting "advantage". It is generally agreed that Firth was the College's greatest Head Master, and was commemorated by having a boarding house named after him.

The Quadrangular Rugby Football Tournament between Wellington College, Nelson College, Christ's College, and the Thorndon, have in the past been governed by the Governors of the Wellington College. They have since been made independent of the College, but maintain a connection through the use of a common crest and motto.

Successive National administrations from the 1960s to the 1980s have made some of the most controversial suggestions to the school including a take-over by the Wellington High School and coeducation. These administrations have also been largely successful in demolishing the majority of the Neo-Gothic, Neo-Classical and Georgian Revival buildings on the Wellington College estate, replacing them with pre-designed "standard state school" blocks. As a result a few extant buildings are placed under historical protection.

The Labour administration in 2003 imposed a "zone" on the College. Some of the roughly 1,400 boys currently educated at the College come from the "zone". Boys living within the zone now have automatic right of entry into the College. This is in contrast with the conservative enrolment scheme in place before the reform, including entry by examination, bursary/scholarship (usually for talented athletes), free place or by having a father or grandfather who attended the College. Don Brash specifically used Wellington College as an example of the failure of Labour's school zone system.

Generally the School has been a politically prominent school and has been one of the most public targets for Government educational policy along with the Auckland Grammar School. Wellington College and Auckland Grammar are generally accepted as being some of the most prestigious schools in New Zealand.

As of July 2003, the current Head Master of the College is R.J. (Roger) Moses who succeeded H.G. (Harvey) Rees-Thomas in 1995.