#ANZMarist150 | From 1876 Onwards: Br Edward Clisby Reflects on the First Century of Marist Education in Aotearoa New Zealand (Part 1)
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This week marks the 150th anniversary of Marist education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The journey began in 1876 when the Marist Brothers began teaching, laying the foundations for a ministry that has touched generations of young people.
In the lead-up to this anniversary, we are sharing a series of articles and interviews featuring Marist educators, leaders and alumni who have helped shape this rich legacy.
In the first article of the series, historian and author Br Edward Clisby reflects on the first century of Marist education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Known for his seminal work Far Distant Shores, which traces the journey of the Marist Brothers from 1838 to the early 21st century, Br Edward offers a fascinating account of the foundations, growth and enduring legacy of Marist education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more.
The first Marist Brother to come to Aotearoa New Zealand arrived in 1838 as a member of the group of Marist missionaries led by Mgr J. B. Pompallier. At this time, St Marcellin Champagnat’s Bothers were an integral part of the Society of Mary, and their mother house, the Hermitage, provided most of the first Brothers for the Oceania mission. Many of them had done some catechist/teacher training and some had even taught in schools in France before coming to Aotearoa New Zealand. As the Māori mission became established, schools were opened in places like Korarereka in the Bay of Islands, Auckland, and Whanganui. But the main ministry of the first Brothers was the material maintenance and development of the stations.
By the 1870s the situation was different. Champagnat’s Brothers were now a separate congregation with a much greater focus on education. The growth of the settler population in Aotearoa New Zealand meant that the Society of Mary was now more involved in the establishment and growth of parishes rather than in the Māori Mission. And a still largely Marist hierarchy and clergy saw the need for a comprehensive Catholic school system.
Up to 1876, primary education was the responsibility of Provincial Education Boards which could provide limited funding for Catholic schools. But the establishment of a national education system that year that was ‘free, secular and compulsory’, in a social setting that was predominantly Protestant, meant that the Church was forced to look after itself in this area. Thus, the need for teaching religious. Invitations had already come to the Brothers’ General House from Marist parish priests, and in 1869, Bishop Philippe Viard himself visited and asked the Superior General for three brothers for a school in Wellington. These eventually arrived in May 1876.
They began taking classes in June but did not have a school of their own until Easter 1877 when they began teaching in Boulcott Street, Wellington.
Other foundations followed quickly: Napier 1878, Auckland 1885, Christchurch 1888, Timaru 1891, Greymouth 1892, Wanganui 1894. These were in Marist dioceses of parishes, but when the Brothers’ schools opened themselves to government inspection, they were able to spread wider. Thus, they could respond to an invitation from Invercargill in 1897. These were all primary schools, though it was not long before small secondary classes were added.
In Auckland, for example, a high school was established at the Sacred Heart school in Pitt Street in 1891. It already included boarding students, and it was not long before it was transferred to a property of its own in Ponsonby under the name of Sacred Heart College.
The schools followed the government curriculum, with religion classes added. From the beginning, music and sport played an important part, and this led to the establishment of social and sports clubs for school leavers, initiatives of the brothers, the parish authorities or the old boys themselves. In a mainly English Non-Catholic society, they helped flourish a predominantly Irish Catholic community as well as offering good opportunities for outreach to that society. It is not surprising, then, that Marist Old Boy social and sports clubs should proliferate in the period up the First World War.
When Br Theophane, Superior General, visited Aotearoa New Zealand in 1893, there were 36 brothers in the country, French, English, Irish, Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand. The administration remained centralised in Europe, but 10 years later, in 1903, a provincial was appointed to Sydney to look after Australasia. The years that followed up to 1916 saw more consolidation than foundations, but the Pacific missions expanded with brothers from Germany, Italy and Spain joining those from France, Australia and New Zealand already present. Some of these were later to end up in communities in this country. And the schools were now producing plenty of recruits for the priesthood and brothers as well as the secular professions.
By 1916, there were enough brothers in New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa for the area to become a province of its own. The new administration was then faced with providing its own manpower and resources. In formation, for example, hitherto entirely done in Australia, there was need for a juniorate for candidates at school level, what was to become Lavalla College at Tuakau, established in 1922, a novitiate, opened at Claremont in 1932, and a scholasticate for teacher training, established in 1935 at Sacred Heart College.
This moved to Mt Albert in 1943, and then developed into a much larger institution, Marcellin Hall in 1961. More secondary departments were established and boarding schools opened. As secondary education became the norm, particularly after World War II, there was increasing pressure for more Brothers. Nine schools were opened between 1945 and 1969, including one completely boarding, St Peter’s Maori College, later Hato Petera College, in 1946.
Brothers in primary moved to secondary and many were now doing university studies as well as their teaching and sports coaching. The situation even led to a temporary closure of the scholasticate in the 1950s as young professed went straight from the novitiate into the classroom. Recruitment programs proceeded apace but could hardly keep up with demand.
If the 1950s and the 1960s can justly be considered the golden age of Catholic education in this country, they took a toll on the religious teaching congregations which only became evident in the following decades.
In 1976, the Brothers celebrated the centennial of their arrival in New Zealand for the ministry of the schools. At that time, there were around 200 Brothers in the country teaching some 9,000 students in 21 schools, primary and secondary. With the other schools in the Catholic system, the vast majority still conducted by religious congregations, they had successfully integrated a well-educated Catholic population into mainstream society, produced leaders for Church and state and local institutions, and contributed to the country’s growth and development.
The name ‘Marist’ was known throughout Aotearoa New Zealand particularly for rugby, the national sport. The Old Boys’ Associations were widespread and influential. This was made evident by the celebrations which accompanied the event. Local celebrations were well attended and publicised, special sporting fixtures featured a NZ Marist rugby team against a Wellington XV, and a jubilee dinner organised by the Old Boys in Wellington attracted the leading figures of Church and State as well as international guests, including Brothers from Rome and other provinces of the Institute. In additional recognition, the Provincial, Br Urban Howie, received a CBE in the New Year’s Honours of 1977.
It was indeed a fitting conclusion to a century of hard work.
Marist Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand through history:
Pics courtesy: Far Distant Shores and Marist Brothers and Māori 1838 - 1988 by Br Edward Clisby
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