Editing Wellington College of Education

{{Short description|New Zealand educational institution training teachers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}
[[File:Wgtn Teachers College C 09.jpg|thumb|320x320px|Main entrance and hall (in 2020).]]

'''Wellington College of Education''' (formerly '''Wellington Teachers' Training College''') was established in 1888 with the purpose of educating teachers in [[New Zealand]]. It became the Faculty of Education of [[Victoria University of Wellington]], formed from the School of Education (of the Faculty of Humanities of Social Sciences) of the University, and the Wellington College of Education on 1 January 2005.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ness |first1=Daniel |last2=Lin |first2=Chia-Ling |title=International Education: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Issues and Systems |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-46751-9 |page=263 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_FnBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA263 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Richard |first1=Hartshorne |title=Teacher Education Programs and Online Learning Tools: Innovations in Teacher Preparation: Innovations in Teacher Preparation |date=2012 |publisher=IGI Global |isbn=978-1-4666-1907-4 |page=100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=666eBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA100 }}</ref><ref name="barrowman">{{cite book |last1=Barrowman |first1=Rachel |title=Victoria University of Wellington, 1899-1999: A History |date=1999 |publisher=Victoria University Press |isbn=978-0-86473-369-6 |page=374 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3GbQsYgk4UsC&pg=PA374 }}</ref>

From 1968 to 2016, it occupied an architecturally award winning campus in the Wellington suburb of [[Karori]], designed by local architect [[William Toomath]]. The campus was awarded an [[NZIA]] Silver Medal (1972), and an NZIA Local Award (Enduring Architecture) (2005).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2018|title=Wellington Teachers' Training College (Former)|url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/9797|access-date=18 June 2020|website=[[Heritage New Zealand]] }}</ref> The campus had many facilities including a ''[[marae]]'' called Ako Pai Marae that was closed in 2016.

==About==
Wellington Teachers’ Training College had a 125th anniversary in 2005, the College having been originally established in 1880.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Creese |first1=Mary R. S. |last2=Creese |first2=Thomas M. |title=Ladies in the Laboratory III: South African, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian Women in Science: Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries |date=2010 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7289-9 |page=119 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K9FkFg5ogZAC&pg=PA119 }}</ref>

A decision to expand the teacher training facilities in Wellington was made in the 1930s, however it was not until 1966 that the building of the Karori campus began. There were teacher training reforms in the mid-twentieth centenary that were triggered by increased populations after World War Two.<ref name=":0" />  The campus was architecturally significant and had a Category 1 rating by [[Heritage New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-20 |title=Karori Campus (former) |url=https://historicplaceswellington.org/advocacy/karori-campus-former/ |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=Historic Places Wellington |language=en-GB}}</ref> It was transferred from the Ministry of Education to Victoria University of Wellington in 2004 for $10. It was sold by Victoria University of Wellington to [[Ryman Healthcare]] in 2017 for $28 million.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Katarina |date=2019-11-05 |title=Two heritage buildings at ex-Karori campus to be demolished amid safety concerns |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/117139302/two-heritage-buildings-at-exkarori-campus-to-be-demolished-amid-safety-concerns |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> Two of the heritage buildings were subsequently planned for demolition as part of the development by Ryman's, with Historic Places Wellington stating this would be a "significant cultural loss".<ref name=":3" /> A local group proposed the hall and cafeteria be retained for community use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woolf |first=Amber-Leigh |date=2018-05-31 |title=Karori residents ask for sophisticated architecture for planned retirement village |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/104351094/karori-residents-ask-for-sophisticated-architecture-for-planned-retirement-village |access-date=2022-04-24 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref><gallery mode="nolines">
File:Wgtn Teachers College A 04.jpg|Part way through demolition in 2020
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 01.jpg|Architectural detail
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 18.jpg|Side of the hall
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 26.jpg|Tower block during demolition
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 10.jpg|Architectural detail
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 21.jpg
File:Wgtn Teachers College B 08.jpg
File:Wgtn Teachers College C 15.jpg|'Te Whanau o Ako Pai o te Upoko o Te Ika' - sign over main entrance
</gallery>The faculty has had many notable teachers and students over its long history, significantly in New Zealand’s education system, arts sector and Māori rights movement.<ref name=":0" />

Māori studies was introduced in 1963 with the appointment of [[Barry Mitcalfe]] in the Department of Social Studies. [[Tipene O'Regan|Tīpene O'Reagan]] joined Mitcalfe in 1968 and then redesigned the programme in 1972 when Mitcalfe left.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Walker|first=Ranginui|date=22 Oct 2014|title=Māori Studies – ngā tari Māori - Teachers' colleges and wānanga|url=http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/41812/tipene-oregan-and-amster-reedy-1982|website=[[Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] }}</ref>

Author [[David McGill (writer)|David McGill]], who attended in the early 1960s, says of his experience: <blockquote>As students, we all wore desert boots, fishermen's knit jerseys. We'd go to cafes and pubs. Barrett's was the nearest pub, or the George. Girls weren't allowed into pubs, so we'd go into coffee bars with them.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Romanos|first=Joseph|date=11 November 2010|title=The Wellingtonian Interview: David McGill|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/4330207/The-Wellingtonian-Interview-David-McGill|access-date=22 June 2020|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> Those were the days, at that wonderful teachers' college in Karori, with liberal teachers like [[Jack Shallcrass]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Burnell|first=Cameron|date=13 April 2014|title=Writer closes chapter on life|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/9937071/Writer-closes-chapter-on-life|access-date=22 June 2020|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>Wellington Teachers Training College was renamed the Wellington College of Education in 1988 in line with government policy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colleges of Education: Wellington -Te Whanau o Ako Pai ki te Upoko o te Ika|url=http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/d/directory-of-official-information-archive/directory-of-official-information-december-1997/alphabetical-list-of-entries-1/c/colleges-of-education-wellington-te-whanau-o-ako-pai-ki-te-upoko-o-te-ika|access-date=30 November 2012|publisher=Ministry of Justice}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Tina |first1=Du, Jia |title=Library and Information Science Research in Asia-Oceania: Theory and Practice: Theory and Practice |date=2014 |publisher=IGI Global |isbn=978-1-4666-5159-3 |page=230 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQKXBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA230 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Britton |first1=E. D. |last2=Paine |first2=L. |last3=Raizen |first3=S. |title=Comprehensive Teacher Induction: Systems for Early Career Learning |date=2003 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-1147-4 |page=150 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e04_Wgc63U4C&pg=PA150 }}</ref>

== Notable staff ==

* [[Fanny Irvine-Smith]] lectured in New Zealand history and [[Māori culture]] until 1932. (These subjects were not taught much at this time and so this was quite unique). Irvine-Smith was also the president of the Wellington Teachers College dramatic society.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bremner|first=Julie|date=1998|title=Irvine-Smith, Fanny Louise|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4i1/irvine-smith-fanny-louise|access-date=22 June 2020|website=[[Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Macdonald |first1=Charlotte |last2=Penfold |first2=Merimeri |last3=Williams |first3=Bridget R. |title=The Book of New Zealand Women |date=1991 |publisher=B. Williams Books |isbn=978-0-908912-04-9 |oclc=28180678 }}{{pn|date=September 2023}}</ref>
* [[Doreen Blumhardt]] (b1914), head of the Art Department in the early years.<ref name=":0" />
* [[Apirana Mahuika]] (b1934) Māori leader and chair of Te Rūnanga o [[Ngāti Porou]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taumaunu|first=Korōria|date=9 February 2015|title=The life of Dr Apirana Mahuika|url=https://www.teaomaori.news/life-dr-apirana-mahuika|access-date=22 June 2020|website=Māori Television|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Olive Smithells]] (b1920), lecturer in health and physical education.<ref>{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|211171465}} |last1=Stothart |first1=Bob |title=Obituary: Olive Smithells 1920-2007 |journal=New Zealand Physical Educator |volume=40 |issue=2 |date=August 2007 |pages=8 }}</ref>
* [[Barry Mitcalfe]], Department of Social Studies (1963 - 1972)<ref name=":2" />
* [[Tipene O'Regan|Tīpene O'Regan]] (b1939) Senior Lecturer in Māori studies - started in 1972
* [[Jan Bolwell]], Head of Performing Arts (1987-1997)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-02|title=Honour welcomed as recognition of the arts|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/honour-welcomed-recognition-arts|access-date=2020-09-14|website=[[Otago Daily Times]] |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Jack Shallcrass]] (b1922) writer and educationalist.<ref name=":1" />
* [[Keri Kaa]], Senior Lecturer in Māori Studies (1979 - 1998), chair of ASTE, and member of the College Council.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-09-19|title=Reedy taught valuable lessons for life|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/255057/reedy-taught-valuable-lessons-for-life|access-date=2020-08-26|website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bridget|first=Underhill|title=Keri Ngapera Kaa|url=https://komako.org.nz/person/420|access-date=2020-08-30|website=Kōmako - a bibliography of writing by Māori in English}}</ref>
* [[Geraldine McDonald]], lecturer in Professional Studies (1971 - 1974)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Middleton |first1=Sue |chapter=Geraldine In her own words |pages=19–46 |hdl=10289/12891 |hdl-access=free |editor1-first=Sue |editor1-last=Middleton |editor2-first=Helen |editor2-last=May |title=For Women and Children: A Tribute to Geraldine McDonald |date=2019 |publisher=NZCER Press |isbn=978-1-988542-78-2 }}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==

=== Attended prior to 1960 ===
*[[Marie Bell (educationalist)|Marie Bell]] (1922–2012), educationalist. Attended in 1939.
*[[Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi|Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi]] (1929–2025), advocate of [[Māori language]] education and the [[Kohanga Reo]] movement (1947–1948).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thomson |first1=Margie |title=Womankind: New Zealand Women Making a Difference |date=2019 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-377272-9 |oclc=1088421180 }}{{pn|date=September 2023}}</ref>
*[[Sydney Jones]] (1894–1982), National MP for Hastings (1949–1954).<ref>{{cite book |last = Gustafson |first = Barry |author-link = Barry Gustafson |title = The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party |year = 1986 |publisher = Reed Methuen |location = Auckland |isbn = 0-474-00177-6 |page = 324 }}</ref>
*[[Alistair Campbell (poet)|Alistair Campbell]] (1925–2009), poet, playwright, and novelist. Graduated in 1954.<ref>{{DNZB |last=Williams|first=Mark|id=6c7|title=Campbell, Alistair Te Ariki|access-date=2022-03-12|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Cliff Whiting]] (1936–2017), [[Māori people|Māori]] artist and teacher. Attended in 1955.
*[[Noel Hilliard]] (1929–1996), journalist and novelist. Graduated in 1955.
*[[Rose Pere]] (1937–2020), educationalist and spiritual leader. Attended in 1956 and 1957.
*[[Patricia Grace]] (born 1937), writer.

=== Attended in the 1960s and 1970s ===
*[[Margie Abbott]] (born 1958) businessperson and the wife of [[Tony Abbott]], the 28th [[Prime Minister of Australia]] (attended in 1974).
*[[Helen Beaglehole]] (born 1946), children's author and historian. Attended 1978.
*[[Maureen Lander]] (born 1942), weaver and artist. Attended 1963.
*[[Robert Lord (playwright)|Robert Lord]], playwright, attended in 1969 and 1970.
*[[Sam Hunt (poet)|Sam Hunt]] (born 1946), poet, attended in 1968.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wellington Teacher's College students celebrate 50 years on {{!}} Wellington Faculty of Education {{!}} Victoria University of Wellington|url=https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/education/about/news/1710910-50-year-reunion-of-the-wellington-teachers-college-1968-cohort|access-date=18 June 2020|website=www.wgtn.ac.nz|date=2 November 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2016|title=Hunt, Sam|url=https://www.read-nz.org/writer/hunt-sam|access-date=18 June 2020|website=Read NZ}}</ref>
*[[David McGill (writer)|David McGill]] (born 1942), writer, attended early 1960s.

=== Attended in or after the 1980s ===
*[[Helen Kelly (trade unionist)|Helen Kelly]] (1964–2016), trade unionist. Enrolled in 1983, she also became the president of the student association.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Macdonald|first=Nikki|date=14 October 2016|title=From the archives: The making of unionist Helen Kelly|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/77155163/from-the-archives-the-making-of-unionist-helen-kelly|access-date=22 June 2020|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Nina Nawalowalo]] (born 1963), theatre director and founder of The Conch theatre production company.

=== Dates of attendance unknown ===
*[[George Lowe (mountaineer)|George Lowe]] (1924–2013), mountaineer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Laing|first=Doug|date=22 March 2013|title=Farewell to Everest conquering climber George Lowe|language=en-NZ|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11094343|access-date=22 June 2020|issn=1170-0777}}</ref> 
*[[Roy Cowan]] (1918–2006), potter, illustrator, and printmaker.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roy Cowan Tribute|url=http://dowse.org.nz/news/media-releases/2006/roy-cowan-tribute|access-date=22 June 2020|website=The Dowse Art Museum|language=en}}</ref> 
*[[John Drawbridge]] (1930–2005), artist.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=City Gallery Wellington|url=https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/john-drawbridge-wide-open-interior/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203082027/https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/john-drawbridge-wide-open-interior/|archive-date=2021-02-03|access-date=2021-02-03|website=City Gallery|language=en}}</ref>
*[[Kuni Kaa Jenkins|Kahu Kaa Jenkins]] (born 1941), educationalist, researcher and author.
*[[Diane Prince (artist)|Diane Prince]] (born 1952), contemporary Māori artist and weaver.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/education}}
*''Press releases/VicNews bulletins on the merger:''
**[http://www.vuw.ac.nz/home/about_victoria/news_article.asp?ArticleID=1042148085 Merger finalised announcement]
**[http://www.vuw.ac.nz/home/about_victoria/news_article.asp?ArticleID=1042148325 First press release by the University after the merger on the new Faculty]
**[http://www.vuw.ac.nz/vicnews/2004/041209.pdf VicNews: Order-in-Council signed] (PDF)
**[http://www.vuw.ac.nz/vicnews/2004/041118.pdf VicNews: Merger finalised] (PDF)
**[http://www.vuw.ac.nz/vicnews/2005/050113.pdf First post-merger VicNews issue] (PDF)

{{Vocational education in New Zealand}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Victoria University of Wellington]]
[[Category:Wellington City]]
[[Category:Colleges of education in New Zealand]]