Wellington College is one of New Zealand’s oldest boys’ secondary schools, founded in 1867 through an endowment from Governor Sir George Grey. Set on spacious green belt land beside the Basin Reserve and Government House, the school has grown from its early wooden buildings into a major Wellington institution with a strong academic tradition and deep links to the history of the capital. Its motto, Lumen accipe et imperti, reflects a long-standing culture of scholarship, leadership and public service. Today the college is known for academic excellence, a broad co-curricular programme and a proud record in sport, including its dominant history in the McEvedy Shield. The campus blends historic facilities with modern teaching blocks, a major performing arts centre and shared use of the Gifford Observatory with Wellington East Girls’ College. Wellington College has produced leading figures in government, the military, science, business, the arts and international sport, maintaining its reputation as one of the country’s flagship state schools.
