Christchurch West High School

File:St Andrew's Church (Christchurch).jpg]]

The school was opened on 15 November 1858 by the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on their triangular site formed by Tuam Street, Antigua Street, and Oxford Terrace. The original name was Christchurch Academy and the school enjoyed a good reputation. The school committee that ran the school decided in 1863 that a bigger site was needed and they purchased the current school grounds opposite South Hagley Park some {{convert|400|yd}} from their original site. The name changed to High School of Christchurch when the school relocated in July 1863.{{cite thesis |last=Fricker |first=Gerald William |date=1965 |title=From Christchurch Academy to Hagley High School, 1858–1966 : a study of educational opportunity in New Zealand |type=MA |chapter=The Academy and High School of Christchurch 1858–1873 |publisher=University of Canterbury |hdl=10092/4054 }}

A main source of income for early Christchurch schools was an annual grant by the Canterbury Provincial Council, with funds distributed to school committees in proportion of the denomination of the population. The educational system changed in 1873 and the province discontinued its grants. Reluctantly, the school committee decided to offer the school buildings and grounds to the newly established West Christchurch educational committee. The chairman of the West Christchurch educational committee, Henry Tancred, sanctioned the purchase in September 1873. The school was renamed West Christchurch Borough School and it became public that year; 70 existing pupils transferred to the new school. The roll greatly increased and by the end of 1877, there were 868 pupils.{{cite thesis |last=Fricker |first=Gerald William |date=1965 |title=From Christchurch Academy to Hagley High School, 1858–1966 : a study of educational opportunity in New Zealand |type=MA |chapter=West Christchurch School 1873–1877 |publisher=University of Canterbury |hdl=10092/4054 }}

The main school building, built in 1924, is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage structure with registration number 1874.{{NZHPT|1874|Christchurch West High School}} It was originally called the West Christchurch Public School.{{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District |year=1903 |chapter-url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d20-d24.html |publisher=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand |author=Cyclopedia Company Limited |access-date= 4 May 2011 |location=Christchurch |chapter=Primary Schools}} A centenary book was published in 1958.

• Tony Foster (1853–1918), headmaster from 1882 until ca 1904{{DNZB|McGeorge|Colin|3f10|Thomas Scholfield Foster|14 November 2012}}
• William Habens (1839–1899), on the staff from 1868{{cite book |last1=Keey |first1=R. B. |title=To Him be the glory: the story of Trinity Congregational Church |date=1974 |publisher=Pegasus |location=Christchurch |page=31 }}

{{main category|People educated at Christchurch West High School}}

• Derek Arnold (born 1941), All Blacks player{{All Blacks|20}}
• William Baverstock (1883–1975), first director of the Christchurch Art Gallery
• Sir Frank Callaway (1919–2003), influential music educator and administrator in Perth, Western Australia
• Ben Couch (1925–1996), All Black (1947–49), Member of Parliament for Wairarapa and Minister of Māori Affairs (1978–84)
• Colleen Dewe (1930–1993), National MP for Lyttelton (1975–1978){{cite book |title=Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 |editor-last=Traue |editor-first=James Edward |editor-link=Jim Traue |year=1978 |edition=11th |publisher=Reed Publishing |location=Wellington | page=99|title-link=Who's Who in New Zealand }}
• Maurice Dixon (1929–2004), All Black (1953–57)
• Pauline Gardiner (born 1947), former member of parliament
• Sydney Josland (1904–1991), bacteriologist
• Tommy Taylor (1862–1911), former Christchurch Mayor, New Zealand Member of Parliament, businessman and prohibitionist (advocate of temperance){{DNZB|Grigg|A. R.|2t16|Taylor, Thomas Edward|3 June 2011}}
• Ada Wells (1863–1933), suffragette{{DNZB|Fogarty |Philippa |2w11 |Wells, Ada – Biography|11 September 2011}}
• Owen Wilkes (1940–2005), peace campaigner
• Cecil Wood (1878–1947), architect{{DNZB|Helms|Ruth M.|4w25|Wood, Cecil Walter|30 January 2022}}
• Denis Young (1930–2020), All Black (1956–64)

{{Reflist}}

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{{Schools in Canterbury}}

{{Coord|43|32|15.24|S|172|37|24.43|E|region:NZ_scale:1000|display=title}}

Category:Secondary schools in Christchurch

Category:Defunct schools in New Zealand

Category:Heritage New Zealand Category 2 historic places in the Canterbury Region

Category:Christchurch Central City

Category:1924 establishments in New Zealand

Category:1920s architecture in New Zealand

Category:1966 disestablishments in New Zealand