Aurora College is a state coeducational Year 7–13 secondary school located in

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is New Zealand's southernmost stand-alone secondary school, and second southernmost secondary school after The Catlins Area School in

Owaka Owaka is a small town in the Clutha District of South Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest community in the rugged, forested Catlins area, close to the border with Southland, some south of Balclutha on the Southern Sc ...

History

Aurora College opened in 2005, although it has a history extending back to 1912. It was formed from the merger of Mt Anglem College and Tweedsmuir Junior High School, on the former Mt Anglem site. Mt Anglem College had operated for only six years, having opened in 1999 following the merger of Kingswell and Cargill High Schools on the existing Kingswell site. Cargill High School was the successor school to Southland College (formerly Southland Technical College) after the latter site become part of Southland Polytechnic in 1978. Kingswell High School, which was established in 1971, was built to the S68 plan which is characterised by single-storey classroom blocks of concrete block construction, with low-pitched roofs and internal open courtyards.

Notable staff

Notable staff of Aurora College or its predecessor institutions include: *

Jack Alabaster John Chaloner Alabaster (born 11 July 1930) is a former cricketer who played 21 Test matches for New Zealand between 1955 and 1972. A leg-spin bowler, he was the only New Zealander to play in each of the country's first four Test victories. In ...

, cricketer and educator * Austin Brookes, mountaineer and educator * William (Bill) James Reed, artist

Notable alumni

People educated at Aurora College or its predecessor institutions include: *

Rex Austin William Rex Austin (23 May 1931 – 23 June 2022) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography Austin was born in Riverton, Southland, in 1931. Of Māori descent, he affiliated to Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe ...

, politician *

Johnny Checketts John Milne Checketts, (20 February 1912 – 21 April 2006) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War, who was credited with the destruction of enemy aircraft, three probably destroyed and 11 damaged. Born in Invercargill, Checketts ...

, World War II air ace *

Simon Culhane Simon Culhane (born 10 March 1968 in Invercargill, New Zealand) is a former rugby union player who won six caps playing at fly-half for the New Zealand rugby union side (the All Blacks). Culhane made his international test debut at the age of 2 ...

, rugby union player *

Ruth Dallas Ruth Minnie Mumford (29 September 1919 – 18 March 2008), better known by her pen name Ruth Dallas, was a New Zealand poet and children's author. Biography Dallas was born in Invercargill, the daughter of Frank and Minnie Mumford. She became ...

, writer and poet *

Bill Kini William George Kini (9 July 1937 – 30 August 2012) was a New Zealand heavyweight boxer and rugby union prop. He won a gold medal for boxing at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and placed second in the 1962 British Empire and Co ...

, boxer *

Jean McKenzie Jean Robertson McKenzie, (19 January 1901 – 1 or 2 July 1964), was a New Zealand diplomat. She was the first woman to head a New Zealand diplomatic post. Biography Born in Edendale, Southland, and originally named Jane, McKenzie attended Eden ...

, diplomat *

Trevor Moffitt Gilbert Trevor Moffitt (15 August 1936 – 4 April 2006) was a New Zealand artist, arguably one of the country's leading narrative painters. Moffitt's expressionist paintings reveal the lives and stories of ordinary working New Zealanders. ...

, artist *

Mils Muliaina Junior Malili "Mils" Muliaina (born 31 July 1980) is a former professional rugby union player who most recently played for San Francisco Rush in the US PRO Rugby competition. He played primarily as a fullback, though he has also played as a ...

, rugby union player *

Cliff Skeggs Sir Clifford George Skeggs (born 19 March 1931) is a New Zealand businessman from Dunedin, and was Mayor of Dunedin from 1977 to 1989. Early life and family Skeggs was born in Bluff, and was educated at Bluff School and Southland Technical ...

, businessman and politician * Jeff Wilson, rugby union player and cricketer

References

External links

* Schools in Invercargill Secondary schools in Southland, New Zealand New Zealand secondary schools of S68 plan construction Educational institutions established in 2005 2005 establishments in New Zealand {{NewZealand-school-stub