St Peter's College, Auckland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's College Māori: Te Kura Teitei o Hāto Petera
St Peter's College (Bro. O'Driscoll Building, 2009) (constructed 1939)
Address
23 Mountain Road, Grafton Auckland , 1023 New Zealand
Coordinates	36°52′3″S 174°46′8″E / 36.86750°S 174.76889°E / -36.86750; 174.76889
Information
Type	State Integrated, boys secondary, years 7–13
Motto	Latin: Amare et Servire (To Love and To Serve)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Saint Peter
Established	1939; 86 years ago (original schools founded 1841 and 1857)
Ministry of Education Institution no.	62
Chairman	Craig Mulholland
Headmaster	James Bentley
Years offered	7–13
Gender	Boys
School roll	1,292 (February 2024)
Socio-economic decile	8P

St Peter's College (Māori: Te Kura Teitei o Hāto Petera) is a Catholic secondary school for boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It follows the traditions of Edmund Ignatius Rice, who started the Christian Brothers. The school is named after St Peter.

Located in the central Auckland area of Grafton, St Peter's College is one of the biggest Catholic schools in New Zealand, with over 1300 students. It opened in 1939. The college continues the legacy of Auckland's very first school, Mr Powell's School (from 1841), and an earlier St Peter's School (from 1857). Another Catholic boys' school, Hato Petera College, also existed in Auckland until 2018.

The land for St Peter's College was given by the Outhwaite family. For 70 years, the school was staffed by the Christian Brothers. St Peter's is the oldest Catholic boys' school in Auckland that is still on its original site. For almost 50 years, it even had its own train station, called the "St Peter's College station". In 1982, the school became part of the state education system, like many other Catholic schools in New Zealand.

The school aims to be a diverse, family-focused community and helps students achieve good exam results.

About the School

Student Numbers and Learning

St Peter's College offers secondary education to Catholic boys from all over Auckland. The number of students is limited by the Minister of Education. The school does not have a zone, meaning boys from anywhere in the city can apply. However, many boys want to join, so the school is quite selective.

Catholic boys get priority, but there are no specific primary schools that guarantee a place. For example, in 2024, boys from 55 different primary schools joined Year 7. The school also looks at other things like being good at rugby or music, academic ability, and supportive families.

In 2016, the students came from many different backgrounds:

• European/Pākehā: 54%
• Māori: 10%
• Polynesian: 17% (including Samoan and Tongan)
• Asian: 16% (including Chinese, Indian, and Philippine people)
• Others: 3%

The school had about 134 paid staff, including teachers and support staff.

For older students, the school offers two main assessment systems:

• The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
• The Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)

In 2022, a high number of students (94.7%) who left St Peter's College achieved University Entrance. This was much higher than the national average for all secondary schools (38.9%) and private schools (76%). Also, Pacific and European/Pākehā students at St Peter’s achieved University Entrance at a higher rate compared to the school's EQI score.

Music, Culture, and Sports

St Peter's College really focuses on music. All Year 7 and 8 students learn music and how to play an instrument. There are many music groups, from Jazz to Classical. The school also has a strong tradition of choirs.

The school's diverse student body has helped it succeed in cultural competitions. They have done very well in the Pacific Islands cultural schools competition, ASB Polyfest. The Samoan group from St Peter's won in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2021. The Tongan group Kailao also won in 2021. In 2020, the Kapa haka group reached Division One at ASB Polyfest for the first time.

St Peter's offers many sports, including:

• Archery
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Football (soccer)
• Golf
• Hockey
• Rowing (started 1941)
• Rugby union
• Softball
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Water polo

In 2022, about 1000 students played Winter sports in over 60 teams.

School Houses

St Peter's College cricket field (St Peter's Oval) and Outhwaite Park (2009)

St Peter's College uses a house system to organize students by year level. Each year group has six house classes. These classes are used for attendance, student support, competitions, and many daily activities. Each house has student leaders and staff leaders.

The houses, their colors, and the people they are named after are:

• Bodkin – red – Dominic Fursey Bodkin
• Lynch – yellow – John Barnabas Lynch
• Nolan – blue – Patrick Joseph Nolan
• O'Driscoll – grey – Francis Pius O'Driscoll
• Rice – black – Edmund Ignatius Rice
• Treacy – green – Patrick Ambrose Treacy

Brothers Fursey Bodkin, Barnabas Lynch, Joseph Nolan, and Patrick Ambrose Treacy were Christian Brothers who came from Ireland in 1868 to start their religious group in Australia. In 1876, Brother Bodkin led the first Christian Brothers community in New Zealand, in Dunedin. The Bodkin, Lynch, Nolan, and Treacy Houses were named in the 1940s. O'Driscoll and Rice Houses were added in 2011. Edmund Ignatius Rice founded the Christian Brothers, and Brother O'Driscoll was the first headmaster of St Peter's College.

School Values and Service

Monsignor Paul Farmer, who was a student at St Peter's from 1960 to 1965 and has been the school chaplain at different times, including in 2021, talked about how the school has changed. He said that in 2021, students were much easier to manage and were treated with more respect.

Farmer explained that in his student days and in the 1970s, there was more uniformity. "It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from, whether you were intelligent or dumb, one shirt fitted everybody. It was very much a macho male culture. It was a shouting and noisy culture." He believes this has changed. "I think there is much more respect for the individual boy, for the differences in character, for the different places in which people learn. And the staff, I think, are much more respectful overall of the students than they were previously. I think that is why the students are so much more able to be managed and to be respectful. It is a much more respectful place."

All students at St Peter’s must complete service work. This means doing unpaid work that is not for family members.

Headmasters

Here are the headmasters who have led St Peter's College:

School History

Early Schools

Mr Powell's School (1841)

Auckland's first school was a Catholic boys' school. It started on September 27, 1841. Catholic laymen (people who are not priests) in Auckland set it up after Bishop Pompallier visited. The teacher was Edmund Powell, who also helped build St Patrick's Church. Classes were first held in his home. This school only lasted a short time.

St Peter's School (1857–1885)

In 1857, St Peter's School was founded by a group of laymen and Father O'Hara. It was Auckland's first Catholic secondary school for boys. Bishop Pompallier listed it as a church school, saying it taught many subjects like Greek, Latin, French, Geometry, and Arithmetic. The school had a board of governors, including a Member of Parliament, Patrick Dignan.

Classes began in rented rooms. John Logan Campbell donated £500 and some land, where a brick school building was built. The first teacher was Richard O'Sullivan. Many students were taught by him, including future politicians and important figures. Bishop Pompallier visited the school every year.

St Peter's School was also a big part of St Patrick's Day celebrations. In 1865, the boys joined other Catholic schools for a special Mass at the cathedral. After that, they went to a park for sports like cricket and football. In one cricket game, the girls' school, St Francis de Sales, beat St Peter's boys!

In the 1870s and 1880s, Mr B Hammill was a well-known teacher. He was praised for being dedicated to his job. In 1874, about 70 students regularly attended the school. St Peter's School continued, mostly as a primary school, until the Marist Brothers started their own school on the site in 1885.

Starting the College

Site of St Peter's College on right of Mountain Rd (Lion Brewery on left) before it was cleared for the school; taken from the site of the Outhwaite family house (Outhwaite Park) (1929)

continuation of the panoramic of future site of St Peter's College before it was cleared for the school; Mt Eden Prison on right, (1929)

In 1923, Henry Cleary, the Bishop of Auckland, invited the Christian Brothers to start a school. However, the Marist Brothers, who already ran Sacred Heart College, strongly disagreed. They worried a new school would take their students. Bishop Cleary then changed his offer to a primary school, and the Christian Brothers lost interest.

In 1929, James Liston became the new Bishop of Auckland. He had been a student of the Christian Brothers in Dunedin. He again invited them to staff a new school. The Marist Brothers still opposed this, fearing it would affect their school's income. But Bishop Liston went ahead.

Financial problems delayed the school's opening. The Marist Brothers appealed to church leaders in Sydney and Rome. They believed Bishop Cleary had promised them the St Peter's School site. However, no written record was found. So, Bishop Liston was allowed to invite the Christian Brothers. The Marist Brothers accepted this decision, though they were not happy.

Land, Building, and Opening

St Peter's College taken from near Outhwaite Park (2015)

The school was built on land given by the Outhwaite family. This family had owned the site since 1841. Isa Outhwaite, the last living member of the family, left the land and money for the school in her will. The Outhwaites used to graze their animals on the site.

The college was named St Peter's to honor the earlier St Peter's School in Auckland and the first Catholic school in New Zealand, which opened in 1840. It also marked the beginning of the Catholic Church in New Zealand in 1838.

The Christian Brothers arrived in Auckland from Australia and the South Island for the 1939 school year. They stayed with a local priest until their own house was ready. The school grounds were prepared over ten months. Work continued until 1941, with stone walls built and soil moved to create playing fields. Many workers on a government relief scheme during the Great Depression helped with this work.

The school grounds had three levels:

• The netball court level (now the St Peter's Sports Complex).
• The old tennis court level (later filled in).
• The playing field level (called the "St Peter's College oval").

The school's main courtyard was originally covered in ash from the Auckland Gas works.

The construction of the Christian Brothers' House, St Peter's College, Auckland, 1938

St Peter's College officially opened on Sunday, January 29, 1939. Bishop Liston, along with important guests like the Attorney-General and the Mayor of Auckland, attended the ceremony. It was a rainy day, and Bishop Liston read his speech under an umbrella held by the first headmaster, Brother F.P. O'Driscoll. Despite the rain, many people came to celebrate.

Bishop Liston thanked the Outhwaite family and welcomed the Christian Brothers. He said they would bring their teaching traditions from 1802. He also said that students would be encouraged to work hard and learn to face life's challenges with courage. Liston felt very happy that day because the Christian Brothers had taught him in Dunedin many years ago.

The first school buildings, opened in 1939, included a two-story classroom block (now the Bro P. O'Driscoll Building) and a two-story residence for the Brothers. These were designed by William Henry Gummer, a famous architect. The buildings were fully finished in 1944. In 1955, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was placed on the Bro P O'Driscoll Building.

First Years and Challenges

St Peter's College, Auckland – original buildings built 1939–1944 (Christian Brothers' House behind trees), in 2009.

On Monday, February 6, 1939, St Peter's College welcomed 183 students, aged 11 to 14. Five Christian Brothers were the first teachers. The average class size was about 30 boys.

The students came from many different schools and had studied different subjects. This made teaching difficult. For the senior class, the Brothers decided to restart some subjects from the beginning. They aimed to cover two years of work in just two terms. Playtime was cut in half, and school was held on Saturday mornings for science experiments. Many students moved to lower classes. By the end of the year, only four students remained in the senior class. All four passed their exams the next year. The first top student (Dux) of the college was Des Rosser in 1940, followed by his twin brother John in 1941. The Rosser Cup is now awarded each year to the Dux.

Walls and New Buildings

St Peter's College Entrance (former site of Reeves Rd), 2009

Over the next few years, the school grounds continued to be developed. Reeves Road, which became the school entrance, was improved. Lawns and gardens were planted, and a stone wall was built along Reeves Road. Many trees were planted, including Australian species and Puriri trees.

Tons of soil and rock were moved from the netball courts area to create the playing field. A huge stone retaining wall was built below the tennis courts. The first students were amazed by this wall, calling it like a "modern Great Wall of China".

After World War II, new developments included:

• The college chapel opening in 1953.
• The first prefabricated classroom block.
• A library created from an old bungalow and a classroom in the 1950s.

In 1961, St Peter's had the largest number of students of any Catholic school in New Zealand, with 834 pupils. This meant more buildings were needed. In the 1960s, the Brothers' residence was expanded, and a new science block was built. This building was later updated and named the Brother J. B. Lynch Science Laboratories. A large three-story classroom block (now the Brother B E Ryan Building) with an assembly hall and squash courts opened in the early 1970s.

Sports at St Peter's

St Peter's College has a strong and successful history in sports. This began early, with the college joining the secondary schools' rugby union in 1939. In 1941, they won a rugby competition. The first annual swimming championships were held in 1941. Softball also started early, with students playing in competitions by 1945. St Peter's College won the national Secondary School's Softball Championship in 1981, 1990, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. They also won the Auckland Softball Premiership many times. In the early days, boxing was also promoted, with annual school championships.

In the 1950s, the school's athletics chant was "urangabe, urangabe, urangabe uranga/Woolagalla, woolagalla, rumba/Flay them, beat them, yah mung do!/Christies, Christies, blue, gold, blue". An old student from the 1950s said the Christian Brothers were more interested in cricket and athletics than rugby. However, by the late 1960s, there was a strong expectation for boys to play rugby.

John Tamihere, who was at St Peter's in the 1970s, remembered the Christian Brothers being very keen on rugby. He said they would look for tall boys at lunchtime to join the First XV team. Even if a boy preferred soccer, he might find himself playing rugby. Tamihere played for the college First XV in 1975 and 1976. He said they were "always competitive" and "never really got hammered". Rugby games against Anglican schools like King's College felt like a "Catholic versus "Proddy" battle". There is also a strong rugby rivalry with other schools like Auckland Grammar School and Sacred Heart. An annual rugby game between Auckland Grammar and St Peter's is played for the Henry Cooper-Br. Paddy Ryan Rugby Challenge Cup.

Highlights for the college's Rugby First XV include winning the New Zealand Secondary School's Top Four Championship and the Auckland Secondary Schools Premiership in 1987 and 1988. They won the Auckland Championship and the New Zealand First XV Knock out competition undefeated in 2000. Most recently, St Peter's won the Auckland Secondary Schools Premiership and the National First XV Championship in 2018. The college has won the Moascar Cup (a national rugby honor) three times: in 1977, 2000, and 2018.

Hugh McGahan, who later captained the New Zealand national rugby league team, also played for the college First XV in 1980. Although St Peter's College did not have rugby league teams, many students played soccer. The 1st XI soccer team competed in the Auckland Premier grade and was third at the NZ Football Championships in 2019. Basketball and hockey teams also competed in the Auckland Premier Grade.

The Cage and the Motorway

St Peter's College-The Cage Rugby field (former brewery land), 2009.

In 1959, Archbishop Liston bought land on Mountain Road across from the school. This land used to belong to a brewery. The school paid a special price for it. Parents helped raise the money through fairs and raffles. Students even helped by picking up stones and glass from the field. This land became a rugby field, first called "the Far Field" or "the New Field," and now known as "the Cage." It has a sports pavilion named the Brother P. C. Ryan Sports Pavilion. In 2012, the Cage was updated with an Astro turf field for rugby and soccer in all weather.

Henry Cooper, the headmaster of nearby Auckland Grammar School, also wanted this land for his school. But the price quoted to Grammar was too high. Cooper was annoyed that St Peter's got the land for less. However, he still attended the opening of St Peter's new pavilion and field in 1960 and congratulated them.

Cooper used this situation to argue for his school to get land from the Mt Eden Prison quarries. This was because the new Auckland Southern Motorway was planned to go through Grammar's main rugby field. Bishop Liston supported Auckland Grammar in opposing the motorway route. Grammar argued the motorway would harm "two great schools." However, one of Grammar's suggested alternative routes would have gone through St Peter's College or its newly acquired rugby field.

Grammar lost its rugby field in 1964 but received the Mt Eden Prison quarries as compensation. St Peter's lost a small part of its land for the motorway on-ramp. In return, the school was sold Reeves Road and some prison houses at a special price. Reeves Road is now part of the school grounds. Both schools have lived next to the motorway since 1965.

The School's Own Train Station

The school train at St Peter's College railway station 13 April 1964

For almost 50 years, St Peter's College had its own train station. Brother T. A. Monagle started this idea in 1964. Many students from St Peter's College and Auckland Grammar School took the train. They used to get off at Mt Eden Station and walk to school, crossing busy roads and railway tracks. The new station, first called St Peter's College station, meant "school trains" could stop right there. Later, it became a full stop for all passenger trains and was known as Boston Rd Station.

Today, up to a third of the school's students (about 400) travel by train and use the Grafton station, which replaced the Boston Rd Station. St Peter's boys are a common sight on Auckland's suburban trains.

Chapels

1939 Chapel

When the school opened in 1939, the Christian Brothers had a small but beautiful chapel upstairs in their house. It was furnished with oak, and the altar was made of walnut and primavera wood.

1953 Chapel

On November 14, 1953, a larger chapel was blessed and opened by Archbishop Liston. This chapel was built thanks to the efforts of the school's chaplain, Father Reginald Delargey. Money was raised by Old Boys, parents, and students. The chapel cost £3,300, with £3,000 raised through appeals and "self-denial" days by students.

This chapel was located between the Brothers' House and the main school building. It had pews for one or two classes to attend Mass or Benediction. The chapel was dominated by a crucifix and a large altar. Later, a free-standing altar was added so Mass could be said facing the congregation. There was also a shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. The chapel was a central point for prayer and visits to the Blessed Sacrament. This chapel was later taken down to make way for the Brother L. H. Wilkes Technology Block, which opened in 2001.

2001 Chapel

This was a temporary pre-fabricated building. It was located near the northern end of the school's main courtyard until a permanent chapel was built on the site in 2020.

2020 Chapel

"The Chapel of St Peter" opened on March 13, 2020, in the upper yard of the school. It cost about $3 million, raised by the school community over more than ten years. The chapel's design includes an inverted cross, similar to the one at the college entrance. When sunlight shines through the skylight, an inverted cross appears on the floor. The headmaster, Mr James Bentley, said the building shows what the college stands for and is a place of worship for students, staff, and the wider community. The first Mass was celebrated there on March 15, 2020.

The chapel is next to the school's upper yard and can be seen from Khyber Pass Road. It was designed by Stevens Lawson Architects. The main chapel has two smaller, quiet chapels: one for Blessed Sacrament and one for Reconciliation. The design aims to make students feel like they are in a sacred space.

Mass is celebrated in the chapel every Wednesday at lunchtime, and all students are invited. The chapel is open all day for prayer and guidance. Larger school religious events usually take place at city churches like St Michael's Church or St Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral is usually where the important annual St Peter's Day celebration is held.

James Liston

Bishop James Liston

Archbishop Liston, who founded the college in 1939, attended all the school's prize-giving ceremonies until he retired in 1970.

At the 1970 ceremony, Brother B E Ryan, the headmaster, said that St Peter's College might not have been built without Liston's decision, even though he faced criticism for it.

Liston often publicly thanked the Christian Brothers' School in Dunedin, where he had been a student. There's a story at St Peter's College about a large Christian Brothers emblem above the main entrance. In 1938 or 1939, Bishop Liston saw it being made and ordered work to stop. He said the school was "his" and didn't belong to the Christian Brothers. The emblem was finally completed in 2014. The college is owned directly by the Bishop of Auckland.

In 1943, Liston wrote to Brother Michael James Benignus Hanrahan, the Christian Brothers Provincial, saying the school had always been what they wished it to be.

When Liston died in 1976, the college formed a guard of honor for his funeral procession. When the school adopted a new motto, it chose the English version of Liston's personal motto: "To Love and to Serve" (from the Latin Amare et Servire).

Christian Brothers

St Peter's College, Christian Brothers' House entrance (1939), in 2009

The Christian Brothers taught at St Peter's College from its opening in 1939 until 2007. However, the number of Brothers teaching at the school slowly decreased from the 1970s. In 1975, there were 15 Brothers teaching, but by 1994, there was only one. From 1994 until 2007, Brother Paul Robertson was the only Christian Brother teaching at the college. He was the associate principal.

When St Peter's College became a state-integrated school, it created a separation between the Christian Brothers community and the school itself. The school's authority was split between the board of trustees and the headmaster. Since the Christian Brothers did not own the school, they could not appoint their own representatives to the board. The Bishop of Auckland appointed the owner's representatives.

In 1992, the Christian Brothers moved from the college to a new community house nearby. Brother L. H. Wilkes wrote about how difficult it was for them to leave the St Peter's house. Apart from Brother Paul Robertson, the last Christian Brother regularly involved with the college was Brother V. N. Cusack, who worked in the school tuckshop until 1997. Mr Peter Watt, an old student of St Peter's and a former Christian Brother, taught at the college from 1986 until he retired in 2016. He remained connected to the college until his death in 2018.

In 1988, Brother Prendergast, the headmaster, described the key features of a Christian Brothers school:

• Encouraging students to aim for excellent academic results.
• A strong religious focus.
• Encouraging devotion to the Virgin Mary.
• Focusing on caring for each student in the school community.
• A special concern for those in need.

He also said that Christian Brothers' schools around the world had a similar purpose and spirit. "A boy from St Peter's College in Auckland will fit in easily in Cardinal Newman College, Buenos Aires or Waverley College, Sydney, or St Columba's School, New Delhi, or St Edward's College, Liverpool, or in schools in twenty other countries."

Bro. B. E. Ryan building (built 1973) (2009)

Monsignor Paul Farmer, the current chaplain, praised the Christian Brothers' work at St Peter's. He said: "The Brothers, I think, created an extraordinary spirit - they laid the foundation for the school. They were good men, practical men, and very generous men with their talents and their lives. There were only ever, in my early days here, one or two lay teachers as they were called then, and [the brothers] might have got only one free period a week. They had no car - I remember when I was here, the old boys and the PTA had a big fundraiser to buy the brothers a car. We can't imagine that today. They ran the place on the smell of an oily rag - remember, 1939 was the year World War II started. They were difficult times, and these guys put their hearts and soul into the place. Everything was done by them - a broken window was fixed, the lawns were mowed, everything."

After 1989

St Peter's College in 2009 – Middle School & Bro Smith Music and Drama Suite

After 50 years with Christian Brother headmasters, the school has been led by lay headmasters since 1989. During this time, the number of students grew a lot, from 669 in 1989 to 1,344 in 2015, and has stayed around that level.

In the 1990s:

• The Brother J. B. Lynch Science Laboratories were renovated and named.
• The Brother P. C Ryan sports pavilion replaced an older one that had been damaged by fire.
• The Brother W. R. Smith Music and Drama Suite was built. Brother Smith, the third headmaster, had started the first school orchestra.

The Brother L. H. Wilkes Technology Block opened in 2001 and won architecture awards. A special building for the intermediate school (Middle School) on Mountain Road, named after Brother V.A. Sullivan, was used from 2003. The St Peter's College Sports Complex, built on the old netball courts, opened in 2010 and also won an architecture award. In 2015, a 12-classroom block was finished and named the "Outhwaite Building," honoring Isa Outhwaite, who donated the school site.

St Peter's College Middle School in 2009 (Years 7 and 8)

St Peter's continues to follow the goals of the Christian Brothers' founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. This means encouraging students to serve the community, for example, by participating in Edmund Rice Camps and working for social justice. All students must complete service work. The school also supports Christian Brothers' missions in Polynesia, especially Nukutere College in Rarotonga. Regular trips to India are organized for older students.

To support students' interests in sports and culture, the school has set up music, football, and softball academies. The school achieves high academic standards and has won many awards in music and sports. Its diverse student body helps it succeed in cultural activities like Polyfest (Polynesian cultural competitions).

St Peter's College in 2009, Bro Wilkes Technology Building

Kieran Fouhy was the first headmaster who was not a Christian Brother. He led the school for 27 years, from 1989 to 2015.

James Bentley became the tenth headmaster in 2016. Under his leadership, the new chapel was completed. A new cricket practice area called "Watty's Nets" was also opened. Other building projects include updating the Brother J B Lynch Science Laboratories, which were reopened in 2024 by former student Dr Ron Tubuhovich.

Notable Former Students and Staff

• List of people educated at St Peter's College, Auckland
• List of former staff of St Peter's College, Auckland
• Congregation of Christian Brothers in New Zealand

Some well-known people who attended St Peter's College (1940s–1970s) include:

• Mark Williams – writer
• Sam Hunt – poet
• David McGill – writer
• John Tamihere – politician
• Frank Nobilo – golfer
• Felix Donnelly – priest
• Cyril Eastlake – footballer
• Colin Jillings – horse trainer
• Jonathan Temm – lawyer

For more stories, you can read: Matt Elliott, On This Rock: 75 Years of St Peter's College, Mountain Road, St Peter's College, Auckland, 2015.

See also

In Spanish: St Peter's College para niños

• List of schools in New Zealand
• Education in New Zealand
• Catholic Church in New Zealand