A Short History of Sacred Heart Girls’ College

The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions started a convent school with a boarding facility in 1884. The school was next to the present St Joseph’s Church in New Plymouth and catered for primary & secondary students. In 1960 the school moved to its present site and was renamed Sacred Heart Girls’ College. The boarding hostel was added in 1970, and its name was changed to Elizabeth House in 2000. It has a strong caring, family atmosphere and caters for up to 78 boarders.

The college became an integrated secondary school, with an attached intermediate school in 1982. This means that the government covers the cost of teachers salaries and basic operating funding, whilst the land, building and special character remains in the control of the Mission College New Plymouth Trust Board.

Over the last 25 years the school has expanded to meet the needs of the modern curriculum. This including new art, music library, staff room and administrative facilities known as the Centennial Wing. Recently a new Mathematics block, Religious Studies block & Graphics workshops have been added to cater for the increasing roll. In 2004 the latest addition of 5 new classrooms (including soft materials technology) opened in Term 2. These facilities are set in spacious grounds that include tennis/netball courts and sports field. Sport is now an important part of school life. This would have been a surprise to pupils and teachers of the original 1884 school.

Te timatanga ko te Kupu Na te Atua te Kupu Ko te Atua ano taua te Kupu I te timatanga

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and God is the Word in the beginning

This Maori carving, representing Hine Ahu One, the first mortal female created, carved by Bryce Manu, is especially appropriate to our school and was presented to Sacred Heart Girls’ College by the leaving class of 1993.

The head and face are typical of Taranaki and Te Atiawa tribes with the distinctive pointed shape representing Mount Taranaki. The notches in groups of three (pu nga werewere) on the forehead and mouth depict the raukura, three feathers worn in the hair by the Taranaki and Te Atiawa tribes, meaning “Glory to God, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all mankind”.

Designs on the arms and legs represent nga hau e wha, the four winds, and our students come from north, south, east and west to become kotahitanga, one people, one race, one school. The lower mouth depicts the female element. On a marae women are the first and last to greet you. A greeting call or karanga is uttered by a woman as you enter the gates of a marae then after a kaumatua (male elder) has finished his speech a woman will sing a waiata or song to support what he has said.

Hine Ahu One was the creation of the 71 children of Papatuanuku, Earth Mother, and Ranginui, Sky Father, but the nose above the lower mouth represents “Tihei Mauri Ora,” the breath of life given to Hine Ahu One by Tane I Te Wananga as he pressed his nose to hers, thus breathing life into her so that she would come into being.

The pu nga werewere in the border surrounding this taonga (treasure) consecrate it to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.