Wellington Girls' College

Wellington Girls' College was established in Wellington, New Zealand in 1883. It was known as Wellington Girls' High School at the time. Wellington Girls' College is a public year 9 to 13 secondary school in Thorndon, central Wellington. The founding fathers of Wellington College, seeing a need for higher education for girls, rented a property on Abel Smith Street in 1882 and nominated Miss Martha Hamilton as the school's Lady Principal. It began on February 2, 1883, with 40 students. However, by the end of the first year, the roll had grown to about 100 females, and when the Premier, the Rt. Hon. Robert Stout visited the school in 1884, it was overcrowded with 130 students. Because of his visit, the school was relocated to its current location on Pipitea Street. In 1847, the Colonial Hospital, Wellington's first public hospital, was erected on the site. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1848, and a new edifice large enough to suit the city's needs was constructed in 1855. Wellington Hospital took its place. The Wellington East Girls' College was founded in 1925 to serve the southern and eastern regions.