St Marys College

One of the oldest schools still in operation in New Zealand and Auckland's oldest secondary school for girls is St. Mary's College.

On April 9, 1850, a group of trailblazing Sisters of Mercy arrived from Ireland and founded it.

At the urging of the native Maori women and numerous Irish migrants, Bishop Pompallier played a key role in bringing the nuns to Auckland. The Sisters of Mercy have honored the request of the Maori women in the area for him to bring "wahine tapu," or sacred ladies, to instruct their daughters. They have always welcomed youngsters from a variety of cultural backgrounds who needed a Catholic education.

The day following their arrival, the Sisters started instructing students in a structure located on the current location of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Wynyard Street in Auckland. They soon outgrew this structure, and in 1859 they were given the land known as Mount St. Mary's, on which the convent and school are still located.

The school's layout has undergone numerous modifications throughout the years, including the addition of newborn classrooms and the participation of boys up until 1948. Numerous families can trace their history with the school back at least six generations.

From the first sisters to come in 1850 until the present, St. Mary's has consistently had excellent teaching staff members. Mother Cecilia Maher was adamant from the start.