Saint Kentigern College opened in 1953 on an attractive rural site 16 kilometres from the centre of Auckland, bordering on the waters of the Tamaki Estuary.
3 February 1953, the bell rang, and the first 92 pupils assembled in front of a modest building for a simple outdoor opening ceremony. Neil (Polly) Macky, Chairman of the Trust Board, entrusted Reverend A. MacFarlan with the responsibility for the educational development of Saint Kentigern College, in the spiritual traditions of the Presbyterian Church.
One year later, in 1954, Bruce House opened its doors to 46 boarders. Named in honour of Reverend David Bruce, one of the foremost pioneers of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand and the first Presbyterian Minister of St. Andrew's Church in Auckland, the house quickly became an integral part of the Saint Kentigern community. By 1956, the number of boarders had grown to 103, and Bruce House offered a homely atmosphere that became central to their experience. Early housemasters, including Mr. Jack S. Paine and Mr. J. Stan Mair, played a key role in cultivating this unique culture. Over the years, Bruce House has played a vital role in the success of Saint Kentigern College, with its hundreds of boarders making significant contributions to College life. In 1954, the Intermediate Department was established with two classes for each level.
In 1958, Elliot Hall, the magnificent gift of the late Sir George Elliot was completed and the College and was used both as an Assembly Hall and Gymnasium.
Christian faith has always been central to life at Saint Kentigern. In the early years, Divinity lessons were filled with vivid storytelling and hands-on demonstrations that made Bible stories unforgettable. Boarders attended weekly church services, and moments of worship and reflection were a natural part of school life. The long-held dream of a dedicated chapel began in 1953 with the establishment of a Chapel Fund. Nearly two decades later, with support from Miss Elaine Goodfellow’s bequest and the generosity of parents, the Chapel of Saint Kentigern was opened on 30 July 1972. With its Iona stone and lamp-lit staircases, it remains a lasting symbol of faith, tradition, and community
A New Chapter: Education for girls
The introduction of girls to Saint Kentigern College was a significant step in the school’s evolution, reflecting a broader vision for the future of education. In 1996, a key milestone was reached with the amendment of the Trust Deed, paving the way for this change. A few years later, the decision was made to proceed, and in 2003, the first girls were welcomed to the College, marking the beginning of a new era. This transition also introduced Saint Kentigern’s distinct parallel education model, combining the benefits of single-gender learning in the classroom with shared opportunities beyond. What began as a vision became a defining moment in the school’s history, shaping the inclusive and dynamic learning environment that continues today.
A Journey of Growth and Leadership
The foundation Headmaster of the College, chosen in 1952, was a Scottish minister, the Reverend Adam MacFarlan. With a distinguished academic record at the University of Glasgow and a Military Cross from active service in World War II, Reverend MacFarlan led the College from its beginnings until his retirement in 1983.
An exceptional preacher, teacher and public speaker, Reverend MacFarlan made a great impact on the many hundreds of boys who came under his influence, and on the wider community as well. In 1972 he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree by his old university for 'services to education in New Zealand' and on his retirement, he received an OBE.
As its second Headmaster, Saint Kentigern College chose an Old Boy, Mr Nigel Toy. Having taught extensively overseas as well as in New Zealand, Mr Toy brought a new perspective to the College from the end of 1983 and a demand for excellence in all aspects of College life.
During his leadership, the College grew from 700 to over 1000 students and a building programme saw significant new facilities, including the Sir William Goodfellow Memorial Library and a fine new classroom block, as well as refurbished dormitories and new residential lodges at Bruce House, the College boarding hostel, where Mr Toy had once been Head Prefect.
In 1997, Mr Toy was succeeded as Headmaster at Saint Kentigern by the Reverend David Williams, formerly Chaplain to the College. A fine intellectual and keen sportsman himself, Reverend Williams not only built on the strong foundations already established, but in his four years as Headmaster, led major initiatives in pastoral care and information technology which transformed the daily school life of students. Major landscaping changes enabled the development of a huge Sports Centre as well as new sports fields and opened the way for the possibility of girls' education at Saint Kentigern in its second half-century.
In 2001, Mr Warren Peat who, from a background of teaching in New Zealand co-educational schools, was charged with leading the College in its introduction of girls in 2003 and undertaking significant campus development.
With Mr Peat in the position of Executive Head, Saint Kentigern College was restructured as a Senior School and Middle School and the roll rose to over 1600 boys and girls. As well as the Elizabeth MacFarlan Centre for girls, the magnificent Art and Technology complex and the extensively re-developed Music and Science buildings provided impressive specialist facilities for an expanding College.
Mr Peat attracted a large staff of men and women, highly qualified across a wide range of subject disciplines, and challenged both staff and students to set the highest standards in all their endeavours. Major academic initiatives under his leadership saw both strong achievement in NCEA assessments and the endorsement of the College as an IB World School, authorised to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
At the end of 2008, Mr Steven Cole from St Bede’s School in England was appointed as the new Headmaster with the Deputy Head at that time, Mrs Suzanne Winthrop, filling in as Acting Head until Mr Cole completed the St Bede’s academic year, taking up his tenure in July 2009.
Mr Cole continued to set high academic, co-curricular and service expectations for both his students and the staff. As well as continued excellent results in NCEA, the College also produced pleasing results in the International Baccalaureate Diploma, setting the College firmly amongst the best academic schools in the country. Alongside the academic programme, the Service programme was extensively reviewed and extended offering many opportunities for our students to offer their time for the betterment of others. Mr Cole also overhauled the sports programme, opening the way for the College’s best elite young sports stars to be coached and trained to prepare them for a possible future professional career in their chosen sport.
During his tenure, girls’ boarding was introduced to Bruce House in 2011. There was continued campus development during these years with the development of a significant, central Administration and Student Services building that now commands the entranceway to the College, the conversion of the former library to a large learning commons named the Goodfellow Centre, the construction of an indoor cricket training facility and work began on a significant extension to the Sports Centre.
When Mr Cole announced his intention to retire from the teaching profession at the end of Term 1 2017, the Trust Board reviewed the structure of Saint Kentigern as one organisation. After rigorous review, a new structure was put in place.
The position of Head of College was disestablished and from the beginning of 2017, the former positions of Heads of Senior and Middle Schools at the College were renamed, Middle College Principal and Senior College Principal, with their roles moving towards a full responsibility principalship. Mr Duncan McQueen (Middle College) and Mrs Suzanne Winthrop (Senior College) were appointed to these roles. They, along with the Principals of the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, Mr Peter Cassie and Ms Juliet Small, reported to the new Head of Saint Kentigern, Mr David Hodge who took up the role at the start of Term 2, 2017.
In 2021 the Trust Board again reviewed the structure and in 2022 appointed Dr Kevin Morris as Executive Trustee responsible for overall leadership of the Saint Kentigern organisation.
Mr Duncan McQueen took on the role of acting principal until the appointment of Mr Damon Emtage as the new College Principal in 2023.
