St Thomas' School (Winton)
Record Group
Identifier: A0393
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1898 - 1954
St Thomas' School
Catholic Mass was first celebrated in Winton in the Oddfellows Hall, with the foundation stone for a church not being laid until 1880. It was finished a few years later when Fr Kilkenny came to Winton in 1896 and pushed for its completion. The final church was a handsome building with a landmark 80ft spire.
In 1898 Fr Patrick O'Neill, rector of the Winton Parish, negotiated the founding of a Mercy Sisters' convent and school. Sisters Mary Clare Nowland, Gertrude Grealish and Philomena Lynch were the first in the new convent which was a two-storyed brick building alongside the church. The convent was used up until 1982 when a more modern house was purchased on the other side of the road (as by this time the school was also on this side).
Along from the church the new St. Thomas's School was built and opened on the 29th of August 1898. At the time the three Sisters taught approximately 40 students in a small one roomed wooden building. There was some ill-feeling in the community at the time when the Catholic children were withdrawn from state schools to attend St Thomas's causing their rolls to fall.
The second school was built in 1909 and had two classrooms. At this point around 80 children attended. Over time new classrooms, sports courts, play-shed and pool were added. By 1953 there were four classrooms and approximately 120 pupils. In 1961 fundraising began for a new school building. It was to be built across the road and was completed by 1966.
Sisters of Mercy nuns taught at the school, aside from the occasional reliver, up until 1970 when lay teachers were also employed. In 1988 the last Sister of Mercy, Sr Regis, left the school.
Prominent past pupils have included the Most Rev L. Boyle, Bishop of Dunedin; Sr Mary Crowe (Sr Denise), Superior General of the Mercy Congregation in Dunedin; Dr Bill Murphy, Director General of Health; Bill English, MP for Clutha-Southland; Martin Kean, Dean of Otago Dental School: Lindsay campbell, Actor on British TV and Stage; Kevin Murphy MBBS University of London, and Surgical Fellowships from England and Dublin; Dr. Brian McConvill GP; Bren Langford, top jumps jockey; Father odoric fathers OFM, Head of Padua College in Brisbane.
There was a fire at the school in 1967 which destroyed 3 of the 6 classrooms. It was the result of arsonist who had set fires in several other places in the town.
- Notes by E. Easton -
See Bibliography for References
In 1898 Fr Patrick O'Neill, rector of the Winton Parish, negotiated the founding of a Mercy Sisters' convent and school. Sisters Mary Clare Nowland, Gertrude Grealish and Philomena Lynch were the first in the new convent which was a two-storyed brick building alongside the church. The convent was used up until 1982 when a more modern house was purchased on the other side of the road (as by this time the school was also on this side).
Along from the church the new St. Thomas's School was built and opened on the 29th of August 1898. At the time the three Sisters taught approximately 40 students in a small one roomed wooden building. There was some ill-feeling in the community at the time when the Catholic children were withdrawn from state schools to attend St Thomas's causing their rolls to fall.
The second school was built in 1909 and had two classrooms. At this point around 80 children attended. Over time new classrooms, sports courts, play-shed and pool were added. By 1953 there were four classrooms and approximately 120 pupils. In 1961 fundraising began for a new school building. It was to be built across the road and was completed by 1966.
Sisters of Mercy nuns taught at the school, aside from the occasional reliver, up until 1970 when lay teachers were also employed. In 1988 the last Sister of Mercy, Sr Regis, left the school.
Prominent past pupils have included the Most Rev L. Boyle, Bishop of Dunedin; Sr Mary Crowe (Sr Denise), Superior General of the Mercy Congregation in Dunedin; Dr Bill Murphy, Director General of Health; Bill English, MP for Clutha-Southland; Martin Kean, Dean of Otago Dental School: Lindsay campbell, Actor on British TV and Stage; Kevin Murphy MBBS University of London, and Surgical Fellowships from England and Dublin; Dr. Brian McConvill GP; Bren Langford, top jumps jockey; Father odoric fathers OFM, Head of Padua College in Brisbane.
There was a fire at the school in 1967 which destroyed 3 of the 6 classrooms. It was the result of arsonist who had set fires in several other places in the town.
- Notes by E. Easton -
See Bibliography for References
Extent
1 box(es) (Box 1)
Language of Materials
English
Bibliography
'St. Thomas's School, Winton, 1898-1998' by St Thomas's Jubilee Committee
Reference: LC 372 SAI
Reference: LC 372 SAI
- Pages 16-20: Memories of Dean O'Neill.
- Page 20: List of Winton Priests.
- Pages 21-22: Timeline of events in Catholic education.
- Pages 24-29: School management, Board of Trustees and Tomorrow's Schools.
- Page 67: List of Lay teachers.
- Pages 88-111: List of Pupils 1898-1997
- Also features various reminiscences of pupils and teachers, as well as class, communion and school outing photographs.
- Title
- St Thomas' School (Winton)
- Language of description
- English, Old (ca.450-1100)
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
