, motto_translation = Loyalty, honesty and wisdom , type =

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

secondary, day and boarding , established = 1883; years ago , address = Trafalgar St , city =

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, country =

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 ...

, coordinates = , principal = Cathy Ewing , roll = () , decile = 7 , MOE = 295 , sister_school =

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private preparatory school for year 7 and 8 boys. The school also has ...

, homepage
ncg.school.nz
Nelson College for Girls is an all-girls state school in

, New Zealand. Established in 1883, it has close ties with the all-boys

and has a private Preparatory School. Nelson College for Girls was one of the highest rankings school in the Nelson region for NCEA with an average of 71% of Year 13 students achieved NCEA Level 3 in 2005. (This compares with a National average of 51.2% and Decile 7 Girls' schools - 68.9%) The boarding house, Clarice Johnstone House is headed by Mrs. Barbara Symonds and caters for around 120 girls from years 7-13.

History

Nelson College for Girls is a single-sex state school in

Nelson, New Zealand (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm) , image_map = Nelson CC.PNG , mapsize = 200px , map_caption = , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = ...

. The school was established in 1883, and its first principal was

Kate Edger Kate Milligan Evans (née Edger, 6 January 1857 – 6 May 1935) was the first woman in New Zealand to gain a university degree, and possibly the second in the British Empire to do so. Early life Edger was born in 1857 at Abingdon, Berkshire, En ...

, who was the first woman to earn a university degree in New Zealand. As was expected at this time, Kate resigned on her marriage in 1890, and was succeeded as Principal by Beatrice Gibson, one of the well-known Gibson sisters, who were very influential in girls’ education in the South Island at the turn of the 20th century. Gibson also resigned on her marriage, in 1900, and Althea Tendall took her place for a period of five years, followed by

Margaret Lorimer Margaret Lorimer (9 June 1866 – 29 October 1954) was a New Zealand school principal and mountaineer. Early life and education She was born in Inverness, Scotland and moved to Lyttelton, New Zealand with her family in 1874. She attende ...

from 1906 to 1926. Three of these early principals were graduates of Canterbury College, Christchurch, which came to an agreement with the school to enable pupils resident in Nelson, and enrolled at Nelson College for Girls, to receive university tuition from its staff. The pupils in Nelson were able to enrol in the same university classes as those available in Christchurch, sit the same examinations and receive the same qualifications. This arrangement continued until the 1920s. Throughout its history, the school has enabled its students to attain high academic success as well as promoting a sense of the importance of being a part of the community. During World War, many Old Girls of the school enlisted as nurses and served in theatres of war in a brave and admirable way. Having a strong sense of giving back to community continues today with the significant group of students who volunteer in the local community. The school has a boarding house which caters for a wide range of students from outside of Nelson. The main house is named after another principal, Clarice Johnstone, who was instrumental in setting up the hostel. It caters for around 120 girls from years 7 – 13.

The arts

Music and arts are also very strong at the school, choirs, jazz band and orchestra and private tuition available for the musically inclined. The annual Arts Week organised by the Arts Committee is always a highlight in the year, presenting students from all over the school (even if not normally involved in the arts department) a chance to do fun artistic activities. The sports awards, house music event and weekly assemblies all provide chances for students to receive recognition from their peers for various achievements. Every week, they have a singing assembly. The arts committee chooses two or three for the girls to sing, they vary from cultural and traditional songs to jumpy, new hits. The whole school is very involved in the arts.

Houses

The school has five

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

that divide the girls into groups for school competitions such as athletics, swimming, music, drama and academics. They are named after local landmarks, mountains, rivers and plains; Dun, Maitai, Maungatapu, Waimea and Whangamoa. Points are collected for each event and the end of the year overall winner is awarded with the Whangamoa Shield.

Notable alumnae

Muriel Bell Muriel Emma Bell (4 January 1898 – 2 May 1974) was a New Zealand nutritionist and medical researcher. Early life Bell was born in Murchison, New Zealand on 4 January 1898, the daughter of Thomas, a farmer, and Eliza (). Bell attended the lo ...

(1898–1974) – nutritionist and medical researcher * Jessica Bygate (born 1992) – basketball player *

Kate Isitt Kate Isitt is an English actress who is perhaps best known for her role as beauty therapist Sally Harper in the BBC television situation comedy ''Coupling''. From 1995–1998, she played Alison, a secretary in a solicitors' office, in '' Is It ...

(1876–1948) – writer and journalist *

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as t ...

(born 1964) – singer *

Cora Wilding Cora Hilda Blanche Wilding (15 November 1888 – 8 October 1982) was a New Zealand physiotherapist and artist, best remembered for her advocacy of outdoor activities and children’s health camps in the 1930s. She was instrumental in the foundin ...

(1888–1982) – YHA (NZ) founder *

Viran Molisa Trief Viran Molisa Trief (born 1977) is a Ni-Vanuatu jurist who has been a member of the Supreme Court of Vanuatu since July 2019; she was the first Ni-Vanuatu woman to hold that role. She previously served as Solicitor General, and was the first wom ...

– first female Solicitor-General and Supreme Court judge of Vanuatu * Bessie te Wenerau Grace – first Māori woman to achieve a university degree

Notable staff

– first woman university graduate in New Zealand *

Ethel McMillan Ethel Emma McMillan (née Black, 12 May 1904 – 13 August 1987) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. She was a Member of Parliament for Dunedin electorates for 22 years, but despite her political seniority, was not appointed a c ...

– politician *

Richard Nunns Richard Anthony Nunns (7 December 1945 – 7 June 2021) was a Māori traditional instrumentalist of Pākehā heritage. He was particularly known for playing taonga pūoro and his collaboration with fellow Māori instrumentalist Hirini Melbourn ...

– musician * Dorothy Kate Richmond v artist

Principals

Since its establishment in 1883, Nelson College for Girls has had 12 principals. The following is a complete list: