Hukarere Girls' College is a girls secondary boarding school in the
Hawke's Bay Region
Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...
of New Zealand. It has a strong
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 Co ...
character and follows the
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
tradition. The School motto "Kia Ū Ki Te Pai" means "Cleave to that which is good" or "Abhor that which is evil" (
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
12 verse 9,
New Testament
The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
of the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
).
The school opened in July 1875 under the name Hukarere Native School for Girls, then became Hukarere Girls’ School and from 1970 to 1992 it was known as Hukarere Hostel, as during this period of time the students attended
Napier Girls' High School. The school was re-established in 1993 and is known as Hukarere Girls’ College. In 2003, the College relocated to Herepoho in Eskdale, just outside
Napier. In 2023, the school faced significant damage from
Cyclone Gabrielle
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...
and was subsequently relocated to its current home in
Havelock North
Havelock North () is a town in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated less than 2 km south-east of the city of Hastings. It was a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local government saw it merg ...
.
In 2016 the principal said that academic success pass rate for the three
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the official secondary-school qualification in New Zealand. Phased in between 2002 and 2004, it replaced three older secondary-school qualifications. The New Zealand Qualifications A ...
(NCEA) levels is 100%.
Early history of the school
Bishop William Williams worked with his son-in-law
Samuel Williams to establish the girls’ school as a related school to
Te Aute College
Te Aute College (Māori language, Māori: Te Kura o Te Aute) is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams (missionary), Samuel Williams, an Anglicanism, Anglican missionary, and ...
, which they had established in 1854.
The school was first established in August 1875 on a site in Hukarere Road,
Napier near to Bishop Williams' house. Samuel was gifted £700 from his aunt Catherine Heathcote to build Hukarere School.
William Williams donated the site, with a small government grant, assistance from the Te Aute estate and Catherine Heathcote, the building began in 1874 and was completed by July 1875.
Mrs. Ingleton was the first teacher and matron.
When the school opened there were seven students, the next year the role increased to 30 and by 1877 there were 60 students at the school.
The operations of the school were supported by three of Bishop Williams’s daughters. Anna Maria Williams, known as 'Miss Maria', as the superintendent of the school; she kept the accounts, managed the correspondence and taught English and the Scriptures. She was assisted by her sisters, Lydia Catherine ('Miss Kate') and Marianne ('Miss Mary Anne').
Mrs. Turner and her daughter were appointed as matron and teacher in September 1876. The school was enlarged more than once, to cope with the increased attendance. Mrs. and Miss Turner resigned at the end of June 1881. Their places were taken by Misses Hamilton and Evans, who retired at the end of 1883. They were succeeded by Misses Foster and Minton, and in September 1885, Miss Foster's place was taken by Miss Shouls. During 1886 Miss Agnes Downs, who had been one of the school's original pupils (enrolling in 1875), began her work as an assistant teacher. Her involvement with the school continued for 24 years; she became the first Māori head teacher. The Hukarere School was carried on under the personal supervision of the Misses Williams.
Maria Williams believed that she had achieved a desirable balance in her curriculum; one of academic study and practical skills, although the
Inspectors of Native Schools wanted the curriculum to focus on practical skills.
During 1892 it was decided to bring the Hukarere Native Girls' School under the Te Aute Trust Board, and from that date the Trust contributed annually to the upkeep of the Hukarere School. The Hukarere Maori Girls' School Act 1892 established the statutory basis for the organisation of the school.
Archdeacon Samuel Williams, on 23 January 1893, signed the conveyance of the Hukarere School property to the Te Aute Trust Board.
In 1899 Jane Helena Bulstrode, from England, was appointed principal. Two years later her sister, Emily Mary Bulstrode, joined her as head teacher.
The Bulstrode sisters maintained the emphasis on a Christian education with training in domestic skills and also encouraged students to enter university and to train as nurses and teachers.
Mereana Tangata (Mereana Hattaway) (1869-1929), was probably the first Māori nursing graduate at Auckland Hospital.
By 1903 three old girls had trained as nurses at Napier Hospital and six old girls had trained as teachers.
However government policy, such staffing of the district health nursing scheme which was implementation in 1911, and also the control over the curriculum imposed by the Inspectors of Native Schools, had a negative effect on academic education in Māori denominational boarding schools and the career opportunities for Hukarere old girls.
The school on Napier Terrace
The school buildings in Hukarere Road were destroyed in a fire early on 21 October 1910, without any loss of life.
Temporary premises for the school in Burlington and Selwyn Roads were provided by the trustees of the Hawke's Bay Church Trust, the trustees of which also provided a larger site for the school at 46 Napier Terrace.
The school had 55 students when it reopened on 18 July 1912 under the charge of the Misses Bulstrode.
Mere Haana Hall, an old girl of the school, was the principal from 1927 to 1944.
On 3 February 1931 the concrete buildings were damaged in the
earthquake that devastated Napier. The students relocated to
Carlile House
Carlile House, formerly Costley Training Institute, is a former boys' home and training centre in Grey Lynn, Grey Lynn, Auckland, built in 1886. It was enabled by a bequest of £12,500 from Edward Costley. It was originally bequest to the Kohi ...
in Auckland until 1932 while repairs were made to the buildings.
Closure of the school in 1969 and of Hukarere Hostel in 1991
In the late 1960s the Te Aute-Hukarere Trust Board faced financial pressures and in 1969 decided to close Hukarere as a school and operated the institution as a hostel with the students attending
Napier Girls' High School.
Then in 1991 the Board closed the hostel as the board was continuing to experience financial pressures in the operation of
Te Aute College
Te Aute College (Māori language, Māori: Te Kura o Te Aute) is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams (missionary), Samuel Williams, an Anglicanism, Anglican missionary, and ...
. The majority of the students went to Te Aute College. These decisions were controversial as a number of the supporters of Hukarere were of the view that the decisions to close the school, then the hostel, were made to ensure the survival of Te Aute College, however in both cases it was Te Aute that was in financial crisis not Hukarere.
Re-establishment in 1993 and relocation to Eskdale
In February 1993, Hukarere re-opened at 46 Napier Terrace as a school and a hostel with a roll of 20 students.
In 2001 the decision was made that the school buildings were un-safe and a search began for another location. The site chosen for the school is in a largely rural area in Shaw Road, which is off the
Napier-Taupo Highway a short distance from the intersection with
State Highway 2. The School is close to the
Esk River. On 27 April 2003 Hukarere relocated to the present Herepoho, Eskdale site.
The school now has its own board of trustees. The 2019 Education Review Office review of the college described it as having two governing entities: the Hukarere College Board of Trustees, which is responsible for the educational functions of the college; and the Te Aute Trust Proprietors Board, representing the
Anglican Church
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
- the Te Aute Trust Proprietors Board is the owner of the school buildings and is responsible for the operation of the hostel.
The daily operations of the hostel is managed by a sub-committee made up of school board members and staff. The
St John’s College Trust Board in Auckland provides ongoing support to the Hukarere College Board of Trustees.
In February 2023, the students were evacuated from the boarding hostel hours before the Esk River flooded the school grounds due to the torrential rain from
Cyclone Gabrielle
Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...
.
St. Michael and All Angels’ Chapel
The St. Michael and All Angels’ Chapel was consecrated on 1 November 1953 at Mataruahou in Napier Terrace.
It was described as being "decorated by the finest carving, panelling and scroll-work, the building has little in New Zealand church architecture to equal it."
Sir Āpirana Ngata guided the design of the chapel.
The chapel was a gift to the school from the Hukarere Old Girls' Association. The decoration of the interior of the chapel was directed by
Arihia Ngata and Mrs R. Paenga with the students involved in the weaving of the
tukutuku
Tukutuku panelling is a distinctive art form of the Māori people of New Zealand, a traditional latticework used to decorate meeting houses (wharenui). Other names are Tuitui and Arapaki. Tukutuku flank the posts around the edge of the wharenu ...
panels, using traditional materials.
The carving was carried out in
Gisborne by John Taiapa with the assistance of Derek Mortis, Riki Smith and Bill Paddy. The painting of the
kowhaiwhai
The is a spiral shape evoking a newly unfurling frond from a silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace.
Its shape "conveys the idea of perpet ...
designs was carried out by Jack Kingi.
When the school was relocated the tukutuku panels and other decorations were dismantled and put into storage. The Hukarere Old Girls' Association is engaged in fundraising to build a chapel alongside other college buildings at Herepoho, Eskdale.
A chapel site was blessed at the school in May 2016.
Enrolment
As of , Hukatere Girls' College 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 1 and 2 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).
School principals and head teachers
* Anna Maria Williams (superintendent) from 1875 to 1899
* Jane Helena Bulstrode – was appointed the principal in 1899 and Emily Mary Bulstrode was appointed head teacher in 1901
*
Mere Haana Hall – appointed principal in 1927
* Isabel Mary Boyle – appointed principal in 1945
* Isa Hunter – appointed principal in 1948
* Lucy Granville Hogg – principal from 1964 to 1969
* Ruth Flashoff – principal from 1970 to 1973
* Des Langigan was the acting administrator and Awhina Waaka was the curriculum director and acting principal when the school was re-established in 1993; assisted by Ross Himona and Alyson Bullock
* Kuini Jenkins – acting principal 1995
* Heather Moller – appointed principal in 2001
* Lelie Jackson-Pearcey – appointed principal in 2013
Notable alumnae
* Hana Te Unuhi Mere Paaka (Hannah Mary Park) (? – August 1909) –
Te Ati Awa; wife of
Bishop Bennett.
* Mereana Tangata (Mereana Hattaway) (1869–1929) –
Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New ...
; graduated as a nurse in 1896 (number 252 on the Auckland Hospital register as Mary Ann Helena Leonard), probably the first Māori nursing graduate.
*
Makereti Papakura (1873–1930) –
Tuhourangi; cultural guide at
Whakarewarewa
Whakarewarewa (reduced version of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning "The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao", often abbreviated to Whaka by locals) is a Rotorua semi-rural geothermal area in the Taupō Volcanic ...
,
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
, known as 'Guide Maggie Papakura';
ethnographer
Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
.
*
Mere Haana Hall (1880/1881?–1966) –
Ngāti Rangiwewehi; first Māori woman principal of a major secondary girls’ school in New Zealand.
Awarded . Mere Hana Whare, a house at Hukarere, is named after her.
*
Materoa Reedy (1881–1944) –
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
community leader; composer and performer of
waiata.
*
Reremoana Hakiwai (1889–1981) –
Rongowhakaata
Rongowhakaata is a Māori iwi of the Gisborne region of New Zealand.
Hapū and marae
There are three primary ''hapū'' (subtribes) of Rongowhakaata today: Ngāti Kaipoho, Ngāi Tawhiri and Ngāti Maru.
Ngāti Kaipoho
Ngāti Kaipoho descend fr ...
and
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
community leader.
Reremoana Whare, a house at Hukarere, is named after her.
*
Rangitiaria Dennan (1897–1970) –
Ngati Tarawhai; cultural guide at
Whakarewarewa
Whakarewarewa (reduced version of Te Whakarewarewatanga O Te Ope Taua A Wahiao, meaning "The gathering place for the war parties of Wahiao", often abbreviated to Whaka by locals) is a Rotorua semi-rural geothermal area in the Taupō Volcanic ...
,
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
; known as 'Guide Rangi'.
* Emere Kaa (Emere Makere Waiwaha Mountain) (1901–1996) –
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
; health educator, known as 'Nurse Kaa'.
Made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order () in the
1979 Birthday Honours.
*
Emarina Manuel (1915–1996) –
Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi (tribe) located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The Kahungunu iwi also comprises 86 hapū (sub-tribes ...
community leader and Māori welfare officer.
Awarded .
*
Kōhine Pōnika (1920–1990),
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
and
Tūhoe composer
* Meremere Paitai (Meremere Petricevich) (1920–2011) –
Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New ...
community leader; primary school teacher; founding member of the
Māori Women's Welfare League
The Māori Women’s Welfare League or Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora is a New Zealand welfare organisation focusing on Māori people, Māori women and children. It held its first conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Wellington in Sept ...
.
*
Ngoi Pēwhairangi
Te Kumeroa "Ngoingoi" Pēwhairangi (29 December 1921 – 29 January 1985) was a prominent teacher of, and advocate for, Māori language and culture, and the composer of many songs, including '' Poi E''. She spearheaded the Māori Renaissance in ...
(1921–1985) –
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
and
Ngāti Koi; prominent teacher of, and advocate for
Māori language
Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
and culture, and the composer of many songs including ''
Poi E
"Poi E" is a song by New Zealand group Pātea Māori Club off the album of the same name. Released in 1983, the song was sung entirely in the Māori language and featured a blend of Māori cultural practices in the song and accompanying music ...
'' and ''
E Ipo
"E Ipo" (English: "By Love") is a 1982 song written by Prince Tui Teka and Ngoi Pēwhairangi in tribute to Teka's wife Missy, sung bilingually in Māori and English. The song was a number-one single in New Zealand for two weeks.
The melody ...
''.
Awarded .
*
Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki or Pa Tepaeru-a-Tupe, (1923–1990) was Pa Ariki, one of the two ''
ariki
An ariki (New Zealand, Cook Islands), ꞌariki ( Easter Island), aliki (Tokelau, Tuvalu), ali‘i (Samoa, Hawai‘i), ari'i (Society Islands, Tahiti), Rotuma) aiki or hakaiki ( Marquesas Islands), akariki (Gambier Islands) or ‘eiki (Tonga) is o ...
'' titles of the
Takitumu tribe on the island of
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...
of the
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...
. She is one of the authors of "
Te Atua Mou E
"" ("God is Truth") is the national anthem of the Cook Islands. It was adopted in 1982, replacing the previous New Zealand anthem "God Defend New Zealand".
History
The music is by Sir Tom Davis, then Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. The ly ...
" ("God is Truth"), the national anthem of the Cook Islands. She was president of the
House of Ariki
The House of Ariki () is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs (''ariki''), appointed by the King's Representative. While it functions in a similar way to the House of Lords and the Senate of Canada ...
from 1980 to 1990.
*
Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi (born 1928) –
Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi, behind Ngāpuhi, with an estimated 102,480 people according to the ...
community leader; advocate of
Māori language
Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
education and the
Kohanga Reo movement.
Awarded .
*
Jean Gloria Edith Puketapu or Jean Puketapu-Waiwai (1931–2012) was a
Ngāi Tūhoe
Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning 'steep' or 'high noon'. Tūhoe people a ...
Māori language
Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
activist and co-founder of the first
kōhanga reo. Awarded .
* Manihira Te Ra Purewa Royal (Hira Royal) was born in Otaki in 1932. She was involved in the Anglican Church, as Kaikaraka (
Deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
) and was ordained as a priest by
Muru Walters,
Te Pīhopa o Te Upoko o Te Ika (Bishop of the Head of the Fish), at the
Rangiātea Church in 1996.
She completed her religious study at Te Wānanga o Raukawa and
St John's College, Auckland
The College of St John the Evangelist or St John's Theological College is the residential theological college of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
The site at Meadowbank in Auckland is the base for theological education ...
.
*
Linda Waimarie Nikora – professor of psychology and indigenous studies.
Further reading
* Kuni Jenkins and
Kay Morris Matthews, 'Hukarere and the politics of Maori girls’ schooling'. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 1995
* 'Hukarere Centenary, 1875–1975', compiled by Rosalie and William Spence; Hukarere Old Girls Association, Napier: Allen Print, 1975
References
{{Schools in Hawke's Bay
Boarding schools in New Zealand
Girls' schools in New Zealand
Educational institutions established in 1875
Secondary schools in Hawke's Bay
Schools in Napier, New Zealand
1875 establishments in New Zealand
Māori schools in New Zealand