Tīpene / St Stephen's School
| Tīpene / St Stephen's School | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Te Poho o Tīpene, St Stephen's School main building, Bombay, Auckland, in 1940 | |
| Location | |
1832 Great South Road, Bombay , 2675 New Zealand 37°10′31.8″S 174°58′52.7″E / 37.175500°S 174.981306°E | |
| Information | |
| Other names |
|
| Former name | St Stephen's Māori Boys School |
| Type | Charter, boarding secondary school |
| Motto | Māori: Titiro matatau ki te rangi (Steadfast towards excellence) |
Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| Established | 1860 |
| Queen Victoria School (closed 2001) | |
| Oversight | St Stephen's Queen Victoria (SSQV) Trust Board |
Ministry of Education Institution no. | 3687 |
| Headmaster | Nathan Durie & Yvette McCausland-Durie |
| Years | 9–13 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Colours | Black and gold |
| Yearbook | Tipene |
| Website | tipene |
Tīpene / St Stephen's School (now called Tipene, and historically St Stephen's Māori Boys School) is an Anglican charter boarding secondary school for boys in Bombay, Auckland, New Zealand.
Tīpene / St Stephen's is one of New Zealand's oldest Anglican boarding schools, predominantly serving Māori and Pasifika boys. The school was established in 1844 and became a Māori girls' school in Parnell, Auckland before becoming a boys-only Māori boarding school in 1860. In 1931 it moved to Bombay, Auckland.
St Stephen's became a state school in 1973 and was closed in 2000. The school reopened as Tīpene / St Stephen's charter school in 2025.
History
St Stephen's started in Te Araroa in 1844 as an Anglican mission school, then became a Māori girls' primary school in Taurarua / Parnell, Auckland, and then became a Māori boys' boarding primary school in 1860. In the 1920s, St Stephen's developed its own secondary department. In 1931 it moved to Bombay, in the south of Auckland and the secondary roll grew steadily.[1][2][3][4]
From 1939 to 1945, during World War II, the school was requisitioned as a hospital and students went to nearby schools. St Stephen's re-opened in 1949.[2]
St Stephen's became a state school in 1973.[2] The school was known for its academic, cultural, and sporting achievements and produced prominent Māori leaders. However, the school was closed in 2000 by the board, church and Education Minister Trevor Mallard due to performance and financial concerns, and chronic bullying allegations.[5][6][7]
While it was closed, the school site was used by the New Zealand Army for target practice, and as a film location for the Netflix series Sweet Tooth.[7]
In 2024, the Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau diocese of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia gave its support to the reappointment of the board for the Auckland Anglican Māori boy's high school.[8][9]
In February 2025, the school reopened as Tīpene / St Stephen's School, operating under Associate Education Minister David Seymour's charter schools system.[5] Te Tuara Trust was the school's governing body and the St Stephen's Queen Victoria Trust Board was the owner of the land and buildings.[10][11] The school was a collaboration between the two trusts and Te Rauhitanga o te Mano o Tipene / St Stephens Old Boys Association.[12]
In 2025 and 2026, former student and principal of the school, Te Ururoa Flavell was the school board chairperson.[5][4] The school's co-principals were past pupil, Nathan Durie and his wife Yvette McCausland-Durie.[13]
In early 2026, a documentary called Tīpene – A Legacy Reborn, directed by Kimiora Kaire-Melbourne, presented the renewal and 2025 reopening of Tīpene / St Stephen's, including the volunteer work of the school's old boys association and the 13 large carvings that tohunga whakairo / master carver, Pakariki Harrison made for Te Poho o Tīpene, the main school building.[6]
In July 2026, the school opened Tīpene Archive, a dedicated archive room of photographs, taonga, records and stories to connect students with 180 years of Māori education history. Former student, Professor Te Kani Kingi led the project for over ten years.[14]
Notable alumni
- Ngahiwi Apanui – Māori Language Commission head[6]
- Frederick Bennett – Anglican bishop
- Alex Chan – Kiwis player
- Brendon Daniel – rugby player
- Te Ururoa Flavell – politician
- George Foote – radiologist[15]
- Hone Kaa – Anglican minister
- Hōne Heke Ngāpua – politician
- Hone Harawira – politician
- Kīngi Īhaka – Anglican minister
- Shane Jones – politician
- Te Kani Kingi – professor
- Nuk Korako – politician
- Lee Lidgard – Māori All Blacks player
- Sidney Moko Mead – anthropologist and historian
- John Moorfield – scientist
- Tuku Morgan – politician
- Deon Muir – rugby player
- Colin Nicholson – lawyer and judge
- Selwyn Parata – Māori leader
- Māui Pōmare – medical doctor and politician
- Jim Rukutai – rugby player
- Te Waihoroi Shortland – broadcaster[6]
- Dallas Seymour – All Blacks player
- Kīngi Tūheitia – Māori King
- Joe Warbrick – All Blacks player
References
- ↑ "The city and education | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "TE HĪTORI O TIPENE". TIPENE. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "St Stephen's cadets | Māori education – mātauranga | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 Smale, Aaron (16 June 2024). "Expectations & Consequences". North & South Magazine. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Tipene St Stephens reopens its doors after 25-year break". 1News. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Middleton, Atakohu (21 March 2026). "Tīpene: A legacy reborn". E-Tangata. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 Hollingworth, Adam (8 December 2023). "St Stephen's: Māori boys boarding school set to reopen after 20 years". Stuff. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Paterson, Te Aniwaniwa (13 December 2024). "Tipene – once St Stephen's Māori Boys School – reopens in 2025". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Polynesia, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and. "Anglican Taonga – News for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia". anglicantaonga.org.nz. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "TE TUARA TRUST". TIPENE. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "About Us – St Stephen's Queen Victoria Trust Board". ssqv.co.nz. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "TIPENE :: Charter Schools | Kura Hourua". www.charterschools.govt.nz. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Clark, Poppy (12 December 2023). "One of the oldest boarding schools in Aotearoa, St Stephen's School/Te Kura o Tīpene, set to reopen doors". Stuff. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Tuesday; June 30; Tuitupou, 2026 • ByLineni. "St Stephen's School history finds permanent home in Tīpene Archives". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Success Stories - St Stephen's Queen Victoria Trust Board". ssqv.co.nz. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2026.