Victoria House (Victoria University of Wellington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria House |
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| University | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Location | The Terrace, Wellington |
| Coordinates | 41°17′24″S 174°46′16″E / 41.289897°S 174.771177°E |
| Motto in English | Friendship, Community, Success |
| Established | 1907 |
| Previous names | Women Student's Hostel Society |
| Head | Jason Auva'a |
| Undergraduates | 182 |
Victoria House is a special place for students in Wellington, New Zealand. It's like a home away from home for 182 university students. It's the oldest student living hall at Victoria University of Wellington. Victoria House first opened its doors in 1907. Back then, it was called the Women Student's Hostel Society. It was one of the very first places in New Zealand just for women university students to live.
Contents
The Story of Victoria House
How it All Began
In the early 1900s, some amazing women saw a need. Girls were coming to Wellington to study at Victoria University of Wellington. They also came to the Teacher's Training College. But there wasn't a good place for them to live.
So, a group of women decided to help. They included Margaret Wallis and Jean Gibb. They formed a group called the Women Student's Hostel Society. Their goal was to create a safe and welcoming home.
The First Building
Their hard work led to a two-story wooden building. It was located at 282 The Terrace. This building opened in 1907. It could house 29 students.
The building had a kitchen and a dining room. There was also a sitting room for everyone to relax. A "matron" lived there too. She was the person who managed the hostel. This original building is still part of Victoria House today!
Growing Bigger
Right after the first building was finished, the Society bought the house next door. This was at 280 The Terrace. They used it for even more student rooms. This was just the start of Victoria House growing. Over the next 100 years, they bought many more nearby properties.
In the mid-1950s, the first building got a big makeover. It was made bigger and better. The kitchen, dining room, and common room were all improved. This added a few more rooms for students.
New Buildings and Updates
In the early 1970s, a new, tall building was added. It had five stories and was named Wallis Wing. This new building was built behind all the old houses. It stretched from 280 to 288 The Terrace.
With more students, they needed a bigger kitchen and dining room. So, new ones were built. The original hostel building was updated again too.
Later, some of the very old houses were removed. This made space for modern buildings. These new parts are called Pope House (built in 1993) and the Bennett Houses. Most recently, in 2013, a building at 9 Maurice Terrace was rebuilt. It is now called Hutchison House.
In 2014, Wallis Wing was made stronger. This was to protect it from earthquakes. A plan to update the building started then. The first part of this big update finished in early 2015. Victoria House keeps growing and improving for its students!
