Onslow College

Onslow College is a state co-educational secondary school located in Johnsonville, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. It had a student population in 2020 of 1250 students.[3] The current principal is Sheena Millar.

Onslow College
Aerial photo of the school grounds
Onslow College and surrounds
Address
Burma Road

Johnsonville

Wellington
6440

New Zealand
Coordinates41°13′51″S 174°47′49″E
Information
TypeState co-ed secondary; years 9–13
MottoLatin: Levavi oculos meos in montes
Māori: Ka anga atu aku kanohi ki nga maunga
Lift your eyes to the hills
Established1956; 68 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.269
PrincipalSheena Millar
School roll1,073[1] (February 2024)
Socio-economic decile10Z[2]
Websiteonslow.school.nz

History

Onslow College opened in 1956 to serve Wellington's rapidly growing northern suburbs.[4][5] It was named after the 4th Earl of Onslow, governor of New Zealand from 1889 to 1892.[4]

The school roll grew from 201 third form pupils in 1956 to 1180 pupils in 1969.[4]

The "Onslow Way" is difficult to define but a former principal Stuart Martin described it as "socially liberal but educationally conservative, decile 10 but physically run down".[4] In 1969, Peggy-Anne Wendelken became New Zealand's first woman chair of a school board of governors; at this time Onslow's board had student representation, twenty years before this became a legal requirement.[4]

The school has not had a school uniform since 1974 when it was abolished following student protest,[6] despite the strong opposition of the Headmaster.[4] In 2016 Onslow was one of the first schools in the region to have gender-neutral toilets for students.[7]

Several staff have received awards for teaching excellence. Terry Burrell, received the prestigious Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize in 2014,[8] and the same year Esme Danielsen (Maths) received a Woolf Fisher Fellowship.[9]

Onslow students won The Prime Minister's Future Scientist Prize in 2009, 2016 and 2018.[10]

Music – Smokefree Rockquest Wellington regional finalists in 2021 were Obsidian Sun.[11] In 2016 Onslow College bands and individuals took out 5 of the 8 awards the Regional Final: Best Vocalist – Raquel Abolins-Reid, Musicianship Award – Noah Spargo, Best Lyricist – Sarah Mc Bride, 3rd placed band – Bird on a Wire, 1st placed band and overall winners of the Wellington Regional Final – Retrospect.[12][13]

In 2017 Onslow College won the Wellington regional "Festival Cup"[14] for the school best representing the spirit of the Big Sing,[15] a school choral festival organised by the New Zealand Choral Federation.

On 13 February 1997, 18-year-old former student Nicholas Hawker murdered 15-year-old St Mary's College student Vanessa Woodman on the school's grounds. Woodman was strangled, had her throat slit, and was stabbed 32 times. Hawker was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 10-year non-parole period.[16] He was released on parole in 2015, but is not allowed in the North Island.[17]

School principals

The school has had the following principals:[4]

  • 2018–present Sheena Millar
  • 2010–2018 Peter Leggat
  • 2009–2009 Hamish Davidson (acting)
  • 2001–2009 Dr Stuart Martin
  • 1998–2000 Peter Smith
  • 1994–1998 John Carlyon
  • 1987–1993 Neale Pitches
  • 1979–1986 Bill Officer
  • 1977–1979 Harvey Rees-Thomas
  • 1966–1977 Dudley Hughes
  • 1956–1965 Colin Watt

Notable alumni

Academia
  • James Belich – Professor of History and writer
  • Mary Morgan-Richards – Professor of Wildlife evolution

The Arts
  • Jackie van Beek – film and television director, writer and actor[18]
  • John McDougall – guitarist-songwriter (The Holidaymakers)[19][20]
  • Fazerdaze – singer-songwriter[21]
  • Kate Camp – poet and author[22]
  • Nick Bollinger – musician (Rough Justice, Windy City Strugglers), music critic and author[23][24]
  • Peter Marshall – singer (The Holidaymakers)[19][20]
  • Rosemary McLeod – writer
  • Sue Wootton – award-winning author
  • Taika Waititi – film director and actor. Academy award winner.[25]
  • Leon Wadham – actor, writer and director
  • Riiki Reid – singer-songwriter

Broadcasting and journalism
  • Ian Wishart – editor Investigate magazine
  • Rocky Wood – non-fiction author and freelance journalist
  • Warwick Slow – radio DJ

Public service

Sport
  • Alan Isaac – International Cricket Council President[28]
  • Gavin Larsen – New Zealand cricket player[29]
  • Jeremy Coney – New Zealand cricket player
  • Joe Wright – New Zealand Olympic Rower 2015
  • Martin Dreyer – New Zealand Chess Champion
  • Noah Billingsley – New Zealand football player[30]
  • Richard Ussher – New Zealand multisport athlete & World AR champion 2005/2006

Notable staff
  • Jeremy Coney – New Zealand cricket player
  • Penny Kinsella – New Zealand cricket player
  • Tina Manker – German Olympic rower

References
  1. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. "About Us". www.onslow.school.nz. Retrieved 7 July 2020. Onslow College is a co-ed state high school in Wellington with 1250 students including 50 international students
  4. Onslow College, 1956–2006 : a biography. Wellington: Onslow College. 2006. ISBN 0-473-11627-8.
  5. "View of new building, Onslow College, Johnsonville, Wellington". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1956. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  6. "School uniform debate: Principals argue for and against". Stuff. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  7. "Wellington High, Onslow College get gender-neutral bathrooms". Stuff. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  8. "Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize Winner 2014 | The Prime Minister's Science Prizes". Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  9. "Past Fellowships 2004 – 2019 – Woolf Fisher Trust". Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  10. "Ngā toa i mua Previous winners | The Prime Minister's Science Prizes". Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. "Rockquest | Aotearoa's only nationwide, live, original music, youth event". www.smokefreerockquest.co.nz. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  12. "Onslow College band Retrospect eye people's choice in Smokefree Rockquest". Stuff. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  13. "Onslow College: ONSLOW COLLEGE BULLETIN TERM TWO, WEEK NINE". moodle.onslownet.school.nz. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  14. "New Zealand Choral Federation – Big Sing Wellington" (PDF). 7 June 2017.
  15. "The Big Sing". New Zealand Choral Federation Inc. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  16. Reid, Neil (27 September 2009). "Victim's mum fights killer's freedom bid". Sunday News (via Stuff.co.nz). Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  17. "Schoolgirl Vanessa Woodman's killer freed on parole". Stuff. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. Screen, NZ On. "Jackie van Beek NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  19. "Peter and The Wolves, by Peter and The Wolves". Peter and The Wolves. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  20. "EELMAN RECORDS NEW ZEALAND Lots Of History". www.eelmanrecords.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  21. FAZERDAZE Interview- growing up in New Zealand, self confidence, music video, retrieved 11 November 2022
  22. "Writers Festival author tells of mischievous childhood". NZ Herald. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  23. "Goneville – a memoir of the 70s rock'n'roll music scene". Stuff. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  24. "Goneville – by Nick Bollinger from The Listen Anytime Library". RNZ. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  25. Catherall, Sarah (10 December 2014). "My secret Wellington: Taika Waititi". Fairfax New Zealand.
  26. "Georgina Beyer". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  27. The Georgina Beyer story ... how a change for the better came about Archived 31 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  28. "The Wellingtonian Interview: Alan Isaac". Stuff. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  29. "The Wellingtonian interview: Gavin Larsen". Stuff. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  30. "Noah Billingsley off to US university to further his football career". Stuff. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
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