St Mary's College Wellington

St Mary's Board of Proprietors is a registered charity.

Registration number: CC46601

NZBN number: 9429031491570

Current Status: Registered

The Board of Proprietor Directors are:

Catherine Fyfe
Sr Anna Nicholls
Adair Houia-Ashwell
Melanie Smith
Natasha Watson
Jeremy Ford
Annette Gray

Message from Catherine Fyfe and the Chair of St Mary’s College Wellington Ltd (the proprietor/owner of the College).

St Mary’s College is soon to enter its 172^nd year of operation and is, therefore, one of the oldest schools in New Zealand. For all of these 172 years the school has been situated at its’ current site in Thorndon on land provided by Governor Grey for the purposes of educating young women. We are deeply proud of our College heritage and the service we have provided to each and every one of the women who have passed through our gates.

This historic site is not without it’s challenges. The parcel of land is not vast, is at the most elevated point of Hill Street and drops away steeply to the motorway and Hawkestone Street. We are abutted by the main fault line. By definition this makes it a very complicated site to build on and maintain.

In recent years St Mary’s College Wellington Ltd (SMCW) has undertaken significant works on the site. All but one of the buildings have been seismically strengthened and the first of our two major tower blocks has been reroofed. Given the complexity of the building, multi levels and the adjoining library, this roof cost $1.5m. We were able to complete it within budget, notwithstanding that the first lockdown occurred mid-construction.

Our next project is the second tower block which similarly suffers from major leaks and requires a new roof and complete reglazing. This project will be ~ $2.5m. As part of the reroof and reglazing project, we have finalised plans that will see a lift installed and a walkway between the two towers. This will make a profound difference in the daily lives of all students with dry and rapid access to both tower floors but also allow access to all. The Access project will cost ~$2.6m.

As the proprietor, SMCW does receive government funding each year. Known as Policy One, this funding is provided for the purposes of maintaining buildings and replacing end-of-life buildings and infrastructure. It is calculated on a per-pupil basis, regardless of the age of the buildings and the complexity of the site. It is and is likely to always be inadequate for the needs of any school but particularly a college with historic buildings and a complex geographical site.

That in mind, the College and the Board of Proprietors are determined to improve our campus facilities to reflect better and enhance the quality of education the College provides. Last month we launched our Buy-A-Brick and Leave a Legacy campaign. This special campaign has been established for the purpose of raising funds for our current major works project of building an: Accessibility bridge between the McAuley and Carlow buildings and reroofing/reglazing Carlow Block to ensure that the great education offered to so many over our 172 years continues to be available for future generations. Already we have families and past students supporting this initiative by buying a brick. Purchase a brick today and leave your or your families legacy for future generations. Brick donations start at $149.00 + GST. CLICK HERE to order your brick today.

July/August 2022

I thought you might be interested to have an update on what we are doing at the moment. Works continue on finalising the engineering, seismic and design requirements for Carlow and the new link between Carlow and McAuley. Because we are linking two buildings together on a complex site, this isn’t easy work. We’re onto that now.

Meanwhile, here is an update of the design of the link. We are delighted with it. The intersection of the windows in the lift lobby forms a cross that will be illuminated by simple lighting. From a practical perspective, the lift ensures that our buildings are accessible to all students and students moving between classes in each of our large towers are able to do so quickly ….. and without going out into the rain and cold!