Aranui High School was a large secondary school for years 9–13, in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, New Zealand. Aranui high school took its name from the suburb of Aranui, meaning 'big pathway' in

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. Aranui High School was a coeducational alternative to other secondary schools in Eastern Christchurch such as Linwood College and

Mairehau High School Mairehau High School is a state co-educational secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The school takes its name from the suburb Mairehau having been adopted in 1916 as a compliment to Mrs Mairehau Hutton whose father, Arthur Gravenor Rhod ...

. Despite its name, it is located in the suburb of Wainoni. As part of the government's restructure of Christchurch schools following the

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

, the school's closure was announced in 2013. It closed in December 2016, and Haeata Community Campus, a school taking year 1-13 pupils was opened on the campus from a merger of Aranui High School with Aranui, Wainoni and Avondale primary schools.

History

Established in 1960, the school quickly grew into one of Christchurch's largest secondary schools, with a peak roll of over 1600 students. The school became a key community hub and helped to educate not only local Maori and Pasifika students, but also Pakeha and other ethnicities well beyond the Aranui community limits. During the magnitude 6.3 earthquake on 22 February, the school suffered only moderate damage but was forced to close for nearly a month. As a result of the earthquake the school experienced a significant decline in enrollment. In 2013, Education Minister

Hekia Parata Patricia Hekia Parata (born 1 November 1958) is a former New Zealand politician and former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, having been elected to parliament in the 2008 general election as a member of the New Zealand Nationa ...

announced that Aranui High School would be merged with local primary schools, including Wainoni, Aranui and Avondale Primary, to form a year 1-13 community campus. Aranui High School closed on 15 December 2016.

Houses

*Kahikatea *Kauri *Kowhai *Rimu

Notable alumni

* Ben Franks, rugby player *

Keri Hulme Keri Ann Ruhi Hulme (9 March 194727 December 2021) was a New Zealand novelist, poet and short-story writer. She also wrote under the pen name Kai Tainui. Her novel '' The Bone People'' won the Booker Prize in 1985; she was the first New Zealan ...

, writer *

Miriama Kamo Miriama Jennet Kamo (born 19 October 1973 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand journalist, children's author and television presenter. She currently presents TVNZ's flagship current affairs programme Sunday (New Zealand TV programme), ''Sunday'', a ...

, television presenter, host and producer *

Stacey Morrison Stacey Morrison (née Daniels, born 1974) is a New Zealand television and radio host. Morrison speaks fluent Te Reo Māori and is active in promoting Māori language, culture and health. Biography Morrison grew up in Christchurch, New Zeala ...

, TV and radio host *

Lea Tahuhu Lea-Marie Maureen Tahuhu (born 23 September 1990) is a New Zealand cricketer who plays as a right-arm fast bowler. She made her international debut for the New Zealand women's cricket team in June 2011. Career In December 2017, she was named ...

, cricketer

References

External links

* http://www.aranui-high.school.nz {{Authority control Secondary schools in Christchurch Educational institutions established in 1960 1960 establishments in New Zealand Defunct schools in New Zealand Educational institutions disestablished in 2016 2016 disestablishments in New Zealand