Hukarere Girls' College

Establishment of the school on Hukarere Road

Bishop William Williams worked with his son-in-law Samuel Williams to establish the girls’ school as a related school to Te Aute College, 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.

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'). Miss Minton was the matron for a number of years and Miss Down was the head teacher who was assisted for various periods by Misses Webb, Prentice and L. Down. 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.

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.

Trustees were appointed to hold the property of the school. From 1892 the Te Aute Trust, which was established to maintain Te Aute College, contributed to the maintenance of the Hukarere Maori Girls' School in accordance with the Hukarere Maori Girls' School Act 1892. The school was governed by the Te Aute Trust Board, which was responsible for both Hukarere and Te Aute colleges.

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.

From 1927 to 1944 Mere Haana Hall, an old girl of the school, was the principal. On 3 February 1931 the concrete buildings were damaged in the earthquake that devastated Napier. The students relocated to 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. 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 2014 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 - the Te Aute Trust Proprietors Board is the proprietor 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.

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 is a gift to the school from the Hukarere Old Girls' Association. The decoration of the interior of the chapel was directed by Lady Ngata and Mrs R. Paenga with the students involved in the weaving of the panels, using traditional materials. The tukutuku panels were carved in Gisborne by John Taiapa with the assistance of Derek Mortis, Riki Smith and Bill Paddy. The painting of the kowhaiwhai 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.

School principals and head teachers

Notable alumnae