Our Vision and Spirit

Our House system

• History of the House System

  The St Andrew’s College House system started in 1925 with the creation of four Houses – two for boarders – Strowan and Rutherford, and two for dayboys, Erwin and Thompson. These were named after the College property (Strowan), the benefactor who enabled the College to purchase it (Mr Duncan Rutherford), the Board’s first Chairman (the Reverend Dr Robert Erwin) and the College founder (the Rev. A T Thompson).

  There is sometimes a bit of confusion because there are two types of Houses at StAC: boarding houses and competition Houses, and these two types of Houses have often carried the same names.

  In 1982, Rector Dr John Rentoul rearranged the House system, allocating all students a competition house regardless of whether they were boarders or not. All teaching staff were also allocated a competition house. From 1983 onwards, Houses have been scored for their successes in a wide range of activities beyond just the Athletics Day and Swimming Sports events.

  Each House has a Staff Leader with Student Leaders at both the Middle and Senior School levels. The Houses are distinguished by different colours – Thompson (Green), Erwin (Red), Rutherford (Blue) and MacGibbon (Yellow).

  The House system builds a closer rapport between students and teachers and helps new staff and students to adapt to the culture of St Andrew’s.

• Erwin House

  Erwin House was named after The Very Reverend Dr Robert Erwin, who was the first Chairman of the St Andrew's College Board. He was regarded as a man of flawless integrity, visionary ideas, great knowledge, and biblical commitment.

  Erwin was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1882, where he was licensed to the Auckland Presbytery. After a brief time at Papatoetoe, he accepted a call to the North Belt Church in Christchurch, now known as Knox Church.

  As Board Chairman, Erwin guided the College from its inception in 1917 until 1931, and he was also College Chaplain for much of this time, leaving a lasting mark on the school. While students may have found his Scripture lessons a bit dry, there is no denying that Robert Erwin's seasoned wisdom and resolute leadership made the College grow and prosper.

• MacGibbon House

  MacGibbon House is not only a competition House, but also a boarding house for boys from Years 9–11. Its name honours William S. MacGibbon, a Scottish-born accountant who was an early advocate of St Andrew's College, as well as the first treasurer of the College's first Board of Governors, and on his death in May 1962, a major benefactor of the College.

  MacGibbon left a substantial amount of money to the College; his generous bequest allowed a number of upgrades and new builds, including the construction of a mountain lodge in Castle Hill and the start of our Outdoor Education programme. The mountain lodge was officially opened on 1 May 1965 after 19 months of hard work by the entire College community, and then rebuilt in 2008 into the award-winning Alistair Sidey Mountain Lodge, the state-of-the-art centre for outdoor programmes which are enjoyed by hundreds of St Andrew’s College students every year.

  There are very few schools with such exceptional facilities and outstanding Outdoor Education programmes, and the College is very grateful to William MacGibbon for the legacy he helped to create with his generous bequest.

• Rutherford House

  In addition to being a competition House, Rutherford House is also a boarding house for boys from Years 11–13. It was named after one of our first major bequestors, Duncan Rutherford, who enabled the College to purchase Strowan House and grounds.

  Rutherford was born in South Australia and came to New Zealand when he was seven. He was a successful, generous runholder in North Canterbury and a founder of Hanmer township and its hospital. Rutherford left a generous gift to the College in his will around the same time the Stead family put their property ‘Strowan Park’ on the market, and his bequest enabled St Andrew’s College to find its home in 1917.

  Duncan Rutherford is remembered in a variety of ways throughout the College, and one of these is the 1917 Society – a special group through which we recognise all those who have chosen to make a gift to the College through their Will. His legacy continues to live on not only through our school, but also through the people who share his generosity of spirit.

• Thompson House

  Thompson is not only a competition House, but also our only boarding house for girls from Years 9–13, its name honours the founder of St Andrew's College, Reverend Alexander Thomas Thompson.

  Thompson was minister of three parishes, an exceptional orator, scholar, fundraiser and visionary. He served in the British and Foreign Bible Society in New Zealand and Australia for 20 years, and was part of the Flying Doctor Service’s early years. However, he was most proud of founding St Andrew's College; he devoted decades of his life to the College and was the driving force behind the Memorial Chapel.

  His driving ambition was to ‘educate the sons of the Presbyterian and Scottish community of Canterbury’, and due to his determination, St Andrew’s College opened its doors in Christchurch in 1917, with 19 boys and four teachers. We are thankful to Reverend Alexander Thompson and his efforts which enabled our College to exist and thrive.