Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand. It has a roll of 2,200 as of 2025, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand. The principal is Brenda McNaughton, the 12th principal, who succeeded Lorraine Pound in 2024. She succeeds a long line of distinguished educators such as Margaret Bendall and Marjory Adams.

History

Epsom Girls Grammar School was established through an endowment of land in 1850 and officially opened on 12 February 1917 with 174 students. Establishing Epsom Girls was described as a "struggle", as "despite a clear need for a second girls’ school in Auckland, education administrators continued to prioritise boys’ education. Eventually EGGS emerged as an old, adapted Villa and a handful of classrooms on the Silver Road site. When the doors opened in 1917 the School had already exceeded capacity." Boarding facilities are provided on-site at Epsom House, providing full accommodation for 150 students from overseas and rural New Zealand. The Old Girls Association was established in 1921, and holds a number of events each year for alumnae. In 2021, Metro (magazine) reported that Epsom Girls Grammar School was the top performing non-religious state school in Auckland over the last five years (based on

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

data of the five-year average of university entrance attainment). Property prices in the Epsom Girls Grammar School and

Auckland Grammar School Auckland Grammar School (often simplified to Auckland Grammar, or Grammar), established in 1869, is a State school, state, Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding secondary school for Single-sex education, boys in Auckland, New Zealand. ...

school zones (known as the "double Grammar zone") are particularly high - Epsom Girls is the second most expensive school zone to buy in within Auckland (with the first being Auckland Grammar School). The zone covers large swathes of four of the city’s highest value suburbs – Remuera, Epsom, Parnell and Mount Eden. Real estate agents have commented that being in the "double Grammar zone" could add up to $500,000 to the value of a family home.

Enrolment

As of , Epsom Girls' Grammar School has a roll of students, of which (%) identify as Māori. As of , the school has an

Equity Index In finance, a stock index, or stock market index, is an index that measures the performance of a stock market, or of a subset of a stock market. It helps investors compare current stock price levels with past prices to calculate market perform ...

of , placing it amongst schools whose students have the socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 9 and 10 under the former

socio-economic decile In the education in New Zealand, New Zealand education system, decile was a key measure of socioeconomic status used to target funding and support schools. In academic contexts the full term "socioeconomic decile" or "socioeconomic decile band" wa ...

system).

Principals

* Annie Christina Morrison 1917–1929 * Agnes L. Laudon 1930–1947 * Margaret G. Johnston 1948–1952 * Marjory F.E. Adams 1953–1970 * Alisa M. Blakey 1970–1979 * Gaewyn E. Griffiths 1979–1988 * Verna E. Dowdle 1988–1996 * Margaret A. Bendall 1996–2004 * Annette Sharp 2005–2008 * Madeline J. Gunn 2008–2016 * Lorraine Pound 2016–2023 * Brenda McNaughton 2024–present

Notable alumnae

Media and the arts * Deidre Airey – ceramic artist * Petra Bagust – television presenter * Ruth Castle – weaver *

Angela D'Audney Angela Louise D'Audney (née Cerdan, 26 August 1944 – 6 February 2002) was a New Zealand television news anchor and occasional actress. She became known as New Zealand's “first lady of broadcasting” and was the first woman to regularly anc ...

– television news anchor * Eve de Castro-Robinson – composer * Hinemoa Elder – youth forensic psychiatrist and former television presenter * Kate Elliott (actress) – television and film actress * Tui Flower – food writer * Rosalie Gascoigne – sculptor and artist * May Gilbert – printmaker and artist * Kate Hawkesby – television presenter and radio broadcaster * Hayley Holt – television presenter * Rowena Jackson MBE – ballerina and later artistic director of the New Zealand Ballet Company * Yvonne Lawley – actress * Tianyi Lu – orchestral conductor * Marya Martin – flautist * Ingrun Helgard Moeckel – German model and Miss Germany winner * Hannah O'Neill – principal ballerina at the

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* Susan Moller Okin – feminist philosopher * Charlotte Piho – Cook Islands photographer * Wilma Smith – lead violinist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra * Freda Stark – dancer *

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– comedian and actress * Olivia Tennet – actress, dancer * Konai Helu Thaman – poet and academic * Karen Walker – fashion designer * Lois White – artist * Robin White (artist) – painter and printmaker * Dorothy Wills – architect * Jean Wishart – former editor of the

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Public service and law *

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– 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand and former administrator of the

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* Miriam Dell – President, National Council of Women *

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– politician and former co-leader of the

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* Ngapare Hopa – Māori academic and former member of the

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* Dorothy Jelicich – Member of Parliament for (1972–1975) * Judith Potter – former High Court judge *

Charmaine Pountney Charmaine Grace Pountney is a New Zealand educator, rights activist, writer and orator. Biography Pountney attended Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland from 1955 to 1959; in her final year, she was head girl and dux. After finishing high ...

– educator, rights activist * Alison Quentin-Baxter – constitutional lawyer * Marie Shroff – former Cabinet Secretary, Privacy Commissioner and chair of the New Zealand Electoral Commission * Suzanne Sinclair – Member of Parliament for Titirangi (1993–1996) *

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– politician and co-leader of the

* Augusta Wallace – first woman appointed to the judiciary in New Zealand Science * Viopapa Annandale-Atherton – doctor * Ruth Black – doctor * Elizabeth Brown (botanist) – bryologist * Joan Chapple – first New Zealand female plastic surgeon * Lucy Cranwell – botanist * Kirsten Finucane – paediatric heart surgeon, former Chief Surgeon of the Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service at Starship Hospital * Barbara Heslop – immunologist * Joan Metge – anthropologist * Louise Nicholson (academic) – neuroscientist * Brenda Shore – botanist Sport * Vera Burt – professional cricketer and field hockey player * Suzy Dawson – rugby union coach and former member of the Black Ferns *

Taylor Flavell Taylor Flavell (born 5 July 1994) is a New Zealand born Australian female squash player. She has been competing on the Professional Squash Association, PSA World Tour and achieved a highest singles career ranking of 91. Taylor placed third at ...

– professional squash player * Kylie Foy – Olympic field hockey player * Anna Green (footballer) – former association footballer * Winifred Griffin – Olympic swimmer * Andrea Hams – weightlifter and hurdler * Maggie Jenkins – New Zealand representative footballer * Elizabeth Lamb (athlete) – high jumper *

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– International and professional footballer *

Brigitta Lotu-Iiga Brigitta B. Lotu-Iiga (born 9 February 1968) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for the New Zealand women's national side, the New Zealand women's national rugby union team, Black Ferns, on 2 May against Germany women ...

– former member of the Black Ferns * Jan Martin – Olympic hockey player * Moana Manley – swimmer and Miss New Zealand winner * Hannah McLean – former competitive swimmer * Marnie McGuire – golfer * Phillis Meti – professional golfer * Melanie Hulme – softball player * Melissa Ingram – Olympic swimmer * Brenda Perry – tennis player and former director of the ASB Classic (tennis) * Kayla Pratt – Olympic rower * Kim Robertson (athlete) – track and field sprinter * Francesca Snell – water polo player * Jean Spencer – Olympic gymnast * Sheryl Wells – former manager of the

New Zealand national netball team The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns ( or ), represent Netball New Zealand in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Netball at the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games, the ...

* Yvette Williams – first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for New Zealand

References

External links