A History of St Joseph's Maori Girls College

This is the first comprehensive history of St Joseph's Māori Girls' College, the second oldest Māori boarding school, which was started by Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission in 1868. For 152 years, the college has been dedicated to nurturing the aspirations of young Māori women. Their teachings are grounded in Whānaungatanga, Māoritanga, religious values and academic excellence. The college has given rise to numerous Māori trailblazers in a variety of fields.

But success has not come without its challenges: the college has had to respond to anti-Catholic and anti-French sentiments, financial struggles and prejudice towards educating Māori women in a Pākehā male-dominated education system. This book brings together the recollections of former pupils, staff and Whānau (over 160 interviews were conducted). At its core, it is a story of sisterhood.