Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland

Diocesan School for Girls (Dio) is a private girls' school in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. It is consistently a top-achieving school nationally. The school is Anglican-based and was established in 1903. It caters to international students and has accommodation for 50 boarders at Innes House. The school elected to offer students the option of International Baccalaureate diplomas, as an alternative to the national NCEA qualification, from 2008.^[2]

Diocesan School for Girls
Aerial view of Diocesan School for Girls in 1957
Address
Clyde Street Epsom Auckland New Zealand.
Coordinates	36.8801°S 174.7797°E / -36.8801; 174.7797
Information
Type	Private, girls, composite (Year 1–13) with boarding facilities
Motto	Latin: Ut Serviamus (That we may serve)
Denomination	Anglican
Established	1903; 121 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.	67
Principal	Heather McRae
School roll	1702[1] (August 2024)
Socio-economic decile	10
Website	diocesan.school.nz

History

Bishop Moore Richard Neligan first proposed the Diocesan School for Girls in October 1903. A subcommittee of the synod purchased land in November 1903, and the first class began on 27 May 1904 with twenty-five students and Mary Etheldred Pulling as headmistress.^[3] Neligan formally dedicated the school on 14 June 1904, and the school celebrates its birthday on this date. The founders were Auckland businessperson Stephen Cochrane,^[4] Dr Ernest Roberton, Lord Ranfurly, Edwin Mitchelson, Bishop Williams of Waiapu and Bishop Neligan^[5]
The former Goodall Construction company constructed many of the buildings.^[6]

Enrolment

As a private school, Diocesan School receives little funding from the government and charges parents of students tuition fees to cover costs. As of 2022, the school tuition fees for domestic students (i.e. New Zealand citizens and residents) are approximately $24,785 for day students in Years 1 to 6 and $21,000 for day students in Years 7 to 13. Boarders pay an extra $17,595 per year.^[7]

At the school's May 2021 Education Review Office (ERO) review, Diocesan School had 1,659 students, including 35 international students.^[8] Around 59 percent of students at the school identified as New Zealand European (Pākehā), 31 percent as Asian, 0.5 percent as Māori, and 0.2 percent as Pacific Islanders.^[9]

Technology

The school opened a $4 million science block in 1999.^[10] During that year a pilot system to supply all students with notebooks was run with two year-8 classes. By November 1999 the school had three IT staff, supporting 469 PCs (150 of which were notebooks), 110 printers, and 6 file servers.^[11] The school introduced electronic whiteboards in 2005 that allow students to download class notes directly to their notebooks.^[12] In 2006, it ranked as the 96th largest IT organisation in New Zealand, with a staff of eight supporting 300 PCs and 1,170 notebooks.^[13] in 2012 the school officially opened a new water-based sports turf and underground car park. The sports turf is identical in likeness to the one in London built for the 2012 London olympics.^[14][15]

Headmistresses and principals

Since the school was established, there have been 11 headmistresses or principals.^[16]

	Name	Portrait	Term
1	Mary Pulling		1904–1926
2	Ethel Sandford		1927–1932
3	Eliza Edwards		1933–1950
4	Dorothy Shrewsbury		1951–1965
5	Elizabeth Roberton		1966–1972
6	Jean Crosher		1973
7	Beverley Williamson		1974
8	Dawn Jones		1974–1993
9	Gail Thomson		1993–2003
10	Ann Mildenhall		2003–2008
11	Heather McRae		2009–present

Notable alumnae

• Stephanie Bond – netball player ^{[citation needed]}
• Margaret Brimble – chemist^[17]
• Alice Bush – doctor and paediatrician^[18]
• Niki Caro – writer and director of Whale Rider and Mulan^[19]
• Kimberley Crossman – Shortland Street television actor^[20]
• Sian Elias – New Zealand's first female Chief Justice^[21]
• Holly Rose Emery – model^[22]
• Georgia Fowler – supermodel
• Charlotte Glennie – television journalist ^{[citation needed]}
• Katie Glynn – field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–)^[23]
• Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie – winner of the first cycle of New Zealand's Next Top Model, attended in 2009 ^{[citation needed]}
• Ella Gunson – field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–)^[23]
• Samantha Harrison – field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–)^[23] (also attended Whangarei Girls' High School)
• Anna Lawrence – Olympic field hockey midfielder ^{[citation needed]}
• Jamie McDell – New Zealand singer, before moving on to King's College ^{[citation needed]}
• Meredith Orr – Olympic field hockey midfielder ^{[citation needed]}
• Una Platts – art historian^[24]
• Allison Roe MBE – winner of the 1981 New York and Boston Marathons ^{[citation needed]}
• Jaime Ridge – Socialite,^[25] before moving to King's College for Year 12
• May Smith – painter, engraver, textile designer and textile printer ^{[citation needed]}
• Peggy Spicer – artist^[26]
• Sarah Ulmer – first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold medal ^{[citation needed]}
• Arena Williams – member of New Zealand Parliament^[27]

References

1. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
2. "Top girls school latest to offer alternative to NCEA". New Zealand Herald. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
3. "School History". Diocesan School for Girls. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
4. "Old buildings record city's commercial past". New Zealand Herald. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
5. http://www.diocesan.school.nz/filedownload?id=fdfb78e4-51f9-44c7-b6bf-05c5ab3bf238 Archived 13 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
6. Gibson, Anne (8 March 2000). "Building company liquidation saddens founder". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
7. "Fees". Diocesan School For Girls. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
8. "Diocesan School For Girls | Education Review Office". ero.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
9. Counts, Education. "Ministry of Education - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
10. Young, Andrew (25 March 1999). "Science changing by degrees". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
11. Gifford, Adam (22 November 1999). "Dio laptops on backburner". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
12. Gregory, Angela (25 October 2005). "Button-pushing students". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
13. "MIS 100 2007(81–100)". CIO (Fairfax). 27 February 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
14. School's new sports turf world class The Aucklander 15 February 2012
15. Diocesan multi-purpose sports turf complex Governor-General's speech 15 February 2012
16. "Our history". Diocesan School for Girls. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
17. Williams, Tony (2007). 101 Incredible Kiwis. Auckland, New Zealand: Reed. p. 101. ISBN 9780790011783.
18. "Alice Mary Bush (nee Stanton)". The Early Medical Women of New Zealand. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
19. "Notable Women". Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
20. "Kimberley Crossman". TVNZ. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
21. "Elias – top judge and judicial activist". New Zealand Herald. 28 March 2005. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
22. Williams, Bronwynn (3 September 2012). "Chubby duckling turns into swan". Stuff Magazine New Zealand. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
23. Maddaford, Terry (15 February 2012). "College sport: World-class hockey pitches at Diocesan". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
24. "Una Platts Papers" (PDF). Retrieved 3 September 2017.
25. "The Ridges", Yahoo! Lifestyle, 11 May 2012, retrieved 17 April 2014
26. "Peggy Spicer". www.arcadja.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
27. "Williams, Arena - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 28 October 2023.

External links

• School website