Rongotai College is a state single-sex boys' secondary school in the southeastern suburb of
Rongotai
Rongotai is a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, located southeast of the city centre. It is on the Rongotai isthmus, between the Miramar Peninsula and the suburbs of Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay. It is known mostly for being the location of th ...
,
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand. Serving Years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 18), the school has students as of .
About 55 percent of the students are of European heritage, 18 percent identify as
Pasifika,18 percent identify as Asian, and 20 percent are
Māori, and there are various Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African students (MELAA).
A highlight for the school is the annual McEvedy Shield athletics event.
Location
The school stands on the Rongotai isthmus which separates
Lyall Bay and the
Cook Strait
Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, ...
to the south from
Evans Bay
Evans Bay () is a large bay at the southern end of Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. Located between the Miramar Peninsula and Hataitai, it was the site of New Zealand's first patent slip and served as Wellington's international flying-boat t ...
on Wellington Harbour to the north. Having the sea on two sides gives it a particularly bracing microclimate, with gusty winds from the north and, in winter, icy blasts from the south. It is bounded to the east by
Wellington Airport
Wellington International Airport — formerly known as Rongotai Aerodrome or Rongotai Airport, or simply Wellington Airport — is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It lies ...
, and residential
Rongotai
Rongotai is a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, located southeast of the city centre. It is on the Rongotai isthmus, between the Miramar Peninsula and the suburbs of Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay. It is known mostly for being the location of th ...
to the West. Wellington's city center is a few kilometers to the northwest.
History
Rongotai College was opened in 1928 with Mr. Fritz Martyn Renner as its first headmaster and a teaching staff of seven. It was started as an "overspill" for
Wellington College, which was overstretched, and Rongotai became the new school for Wellington boys in the eastern suburbs.
Rongotai College originally accepted enrolments from students of Intermediate School age. However, when Evans Bay Intermediate School opened its doors in 1964, it became purely a secondary school, catering to young men in what are now called years 9 to 13.
The Assembly Hall, known as the Renner Hall, was opened in 1966 and is named after the founding headmaster.
Achievement
The 2013 ERO report was favorable while pointing out areas for improvement, for example in monitoring achievement and attendance levels.
School leadership
Principals
Houses
The four houses at Rongotai College are named after the school's first four headmasters,
* Renner (Red)
* Heron (Blue)
* Lock (Green)
* Mackay (Yellow)
Notable alumni
''Dates denote period enrolled as student''
The Arts
*
Andrew Fagan
Andrew Fagan (born 1962) is a New Zealand writer, singer-songwriter and long-distance solo sailor. He grew up in Wellington. He gained fame in New Zealand in the 1980s as the lead singer of the pop group The Mockers.[The Mockers
The Mockers were a New Zealand pop band formed in Wellington in 1979 by Andrew Fagan
Andrew Fagan (born 1962) is a New Zealand writer, singer-songwriter and long-distance solo sailor. He grew up in Wellington. He gained fame in New Zealand ...]
*
Tofiga Fepulea'i – actor and comedian, member of the stand up comedy duo
Laughing Samoans
*
Kyle Lockwood (1991–1995) – architectural designer, designer of the
Silver fern flag
*
Ben Lummis
Ben Lummis (born Isileli Junior Brown on 1 June 1978) is a New Zealand R&B/pop/gospel recording artist who rose to musical fame as the winner of the first season of ''New Zealand Idol'' in 2004.
Biography ''New Zealand Idol'' 2004
Lummis aud ...
(1992–1996) – singer,
New Zealand Idol
''New Zealand Idol'', also known as ''NZ Idol'', was the New Zealand version of the ''Idol'' series which originated in the United Kingdom as '' Pop Idol''. New Zealand first saw the ''Idol'' format when TV2 aired '' American Idol 2'', which gar ...
winner
*
Lani Tupu (1969–1972) – actor
*
Gordon Walters
Gordon Frederick Walters (24 September 1919 – 5 November 1995) was a Wellington-born artist and graphic designer who is significant to New Zealand culture due to his representation of New Zealand in his Modern Abstract artworks.
Education
G ...
– artist and designer
*
Clive Revill (1944–1947) – actor, singer, Two time Tony Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee
Science
* Dr Barry Dent (1973–1977) – CEO of BDG Synthesis, (
organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic matter, organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain ...
)
* Professor Alex Malahoff (1951–1956) – pioneered use of
submersible
A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger ship, watercraft or dock, platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent ope ...
s to explore
submarine volcano
Submarine volcanoes are underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt. Many submarine volcanoes are located near areas of tectonic plate formation, known as mid-ocean ridges. The volcanoes at mid-ocean ridges ...
es, CEO of
GNS Science 2002–2012
* Tony Mahon (1947–52) – built a reputation for his extensive research on
geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is thermal energy extracted from the crust (geology), crust. It combines energy from the formation of the planet and from radioactive decay. Geothermal energy has been exploited as a source of heat and/or electric power for m ...
; awarded Joseph Aidlin Award
* Dr Campbell Nelson FRSNZ (1957–61) – ex-Professor of Earth Studies at Waikato University, awarded 2004 Hutton medal by the Royal Society
Misc
*
Sam Morgan (1989–1992) – founder of
TradeMe
*
Gerald Shirtcliff – fraudster
Politics and public service
* Hon. Justice Andrew Becroft (1971–1975) – Principal Youth Court Judge of New Zealand
*
David Farrar (1981–1985) – political activist, blogger and pollster
*Hon. Justice Richard Heron (dec.) (1948–1954) – former high Court judge
* Professor
Stuart McCutcheon (1968–1972) – Vice-Chancellor, the
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...
*
Rear Admiral E.C. (Ted) Thorne CB, CBE, Rtd (1935–1938) – Chief of Navy 1972–1975
*
Peter Button – OBE, Rescue Helicopter Pilot.
Sport
Basketball
*
Troy McLean –
Wellington Saints
The Wellington Saints are a New Zealand professional men's basketball team based in Wellington. The Saints compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Bank Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as ...
and former
Tall Blacks basketball player
Cricket
*
Bruce Edgar (1970–1974) – former New Zealand cricketer
*
Don Neely – cricket historian, administrator, and former player
*
Jeetan Patel (1994–1998) –
Black Cap
Black Cap may refer to:
*Black cap, a cap formerly worn by English judges when passing the death sentence
*The Black Cap, a London gay pub
*Black Cap (Antarctica), a peak on Teall Island
*Black Cap Mountain (Alaska), a mountain in Glacier Bay Natio ...
(New Zealand cricketer)
*
Barry Sinclair – former New Zealand Test captain
*
Ian D S Smith (1970–1973) – sports commentator and former New Zealand cricketer
Football
*
Billy Harris (1977–1981) –
New Zealand football
New Zealand Football () is the governing body for the sport of association football in New Zealand. It oversees the seven New Zealand Football federations, as well as the New Zealand men's national football team (nicknamed the "All Whites"), th ...
player
*
Chris Killen (1995–1998) – New Zealand football player
*
Shane Rufer (1974–1979) –
New Zealand football
New Zealand Football () is the governing body for the sport of association football in New Zealand. It oversees the seven New Zealand Football federations, as well as the New Zealand men's national football team (nicknamed the "All Whites"), th ...
player
*
Wynton Rufer (1976–1979) –
New Zealand football
New Zealand Football () is the governing body for the sport of association football in New Zealand. It oversees the seven New Zealand Football federations, as well as the New Zealand men's national football team (nicknamed the "All Whites"), th ...
player
*
Terry Serepisos (1977–1981) – former owner of
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League Men, under Professional sports league organization#Systems around the world, licenc ...
*
Michael Utting – New Zealand football player
Hockey
*
Mitesh Patel (1990–1994) –
Black Sticks (New Zealand hockey player)
Rugby League
*
Sione Faumuina (1994–1997) – rugby league player,
Castleford Tigers
The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England. They play their home games at Wheldon Road (currently known as the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for sponsorship reasons) and compete in the Super League, t ...
, formerly
New Zealand Warriors
The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...
and
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
*
Joseph Tapine (2007–2011) – rugby league player,
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugb ...
, formerly
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...
Rugby Union
*
Roy Kinikinilau (1993–1998) – rugby union player, Waikato and Chiefs, formerly Hurricanes, Highlanders
*
Motu Matu'u –
Wellington Hurricanes Hooker
*
Grant Nisbett (1964–1968) – sports broadcaster
*
Ma'a Nonu –
All Black Second Five-Eighth
*
Mark Reddish – rugby union player,
Wellington Lions,
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
,
Highlanders
*
Ardie Savea –
All Black,
Wellington Lions,
Wellington Hurricanes Flanker
*
Julian Savea –
All Black,
Wellington Lions, formerly
New Zealand Sevens
The New Zealand national rugby sevens team competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, Summer Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games. They have won a record 14 World Rugby Sevens Series titles.
The team played for the ...
team, IRB International junior player of the year,
Wellington Hurricanes winger
*
Ofisa "Junior" Tonu'u (1999–2000) –
All Black halfback
*
Graham Williams (1956–1963) – All Black flanker
*
Mick Williment (1953–1957) – All Black fullback
Running
*
Derek Froude (1973–1977) – represented New Zealand in the men's marathon, at the Olympics in 1984 and 1992
*Paul Lloyd (1979–1984) – represented New Zealand in the men's 110m Hurdles, at the Commonwealth Games, Auckland in 1990
Wrestling
*
Al Hobman dec. – former professional wrestler, trainer and promoter
Yachting
*Greg Wilcox (1974–1978) – former New Zealand world champion yachtsman OK Dinghy class
Videoed Canings Controversy
In October 1981, newspapers reported Principal, Noel Mackay, acknowledging that he had videoed the canings of about 25 boys. Mackay explained this as an experiment to see why experienced teachers often 'miss the target' and leave boys with embarrassing marks on their lower buttocks. Statements of support and criticism for Mackay followed. Both the Rongotai Parents' Association and Rongotai Ladies Auxiliary backed the Principal. Some students signed a petition in support of Mackay. The Education Department declined to comment, believing the matter was strictly between the Board and the Principal.
The Campaign Against Violence in Education (CAVE) called a special meeting to consider the Rongotai experiment. A CAVE spokesperson said the Rongotai case confirmed their fears of the sort of abuse they had suspected went on in schools. He added, "I find it rather creepy. The act of beating a young person is nasty in itself - photographing that nastiness is almost obscene."
The Governing Board appears to have been unaware of the filming before August 1981. The Board later asked for the practice to stop and for all videos to be erased. Mr Mackay offered his resignation, but the Board declined and set up a Committee of Inquiry. Mr Mackay stated that his offer of resignation was not linked to the videos.
Following a report from the Committee in November 1981, the Board found that Mr Mackay had acted within his authority while filming the canings and expressed their confidence in him.
Peter Street had complained to the Board after learning his son had been filmed during a caning. Mr Street, complained that his questions had not been answered by the inquiry and spoke of a whitewash. He asked the Board why there were inconsistencies in the answers given to him earlier by Mr Mackay and the Board chairman concerning the reasons for the experiment.
The Board collected all copies of the inquiry report and destroyed them.
In response to a 2019 allegation made by a former student of sexual impropriety by Mackay, the Rongotai College Board of Trustees stated they were unaware of the complaint until contacted by a reporter. The Chair of the Trustees added that the school and Board '... have strong protocols in place around the reporting and investigation of all forms of abuse... allegations will be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly and handled with confidentiality.'
Notes
Rongotai College Building Map
MapOfRongotaiCollege.png
External links
*
{{Authority control
Secondary schools in the Wellington Region
Boys' schools in New Zealand
Schools in Wellington City
Educational institutions established in 1928
1928 establishments in New Zealand