St Joseph's Maori Girls' College

St Joseph’s Māori Girls’College was founded in 1867 by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. Two years earlier,a group of four sisters had come from Franceby sailing boat to start Sacred Heart College at Napier. e Sisters, and theMāori Missioner,Fr Reigner,SM saw the great need for education for Māori inthat rapidly changing world, and so they started a little boarding school forMāori girls on the convent property. It was called St Joseph’s Providence and was opened on October 10th,1867,with twenty pupils,the first principal beingSister Mary St John.

Records from the 1880s to 1930s show about 40 to 60 pupils lived at theCollege. After the Napier earthquake of 1931 the College was rebuilt on itspresent property at Greenmeadows and reopened in 1935, to expand its roll toabout 130 pupils. During the 1970s a building programme was undertaken sothat now St Joseph’s is able to accommodate up to 240 students. e Collegebecame an integrated Secondary School in 1982 and from 1993 a limitednumber of day students were able to enrol. It is intended to keep St Joseph’s atthis size so that its whanaungatanga will remain strong.

• Region: Hawke's Bay
• Co Ed Status: Single Sex (Girls School)
• Roll Total: 198
• Authority: State : Integrated