Brief History

Faith, Good Works and Striving for Excellence

A Brief History Of Our School

St Patrick's School first opened in 1866 in Arney Street, Greymouth.

Initially the staff were lay 'gentlemen teachers', but by 1882 five Sisters of Mercy had arrived to staff the school from their convent in Hokitika. The sisters established All Saints Convent (on the site currently occupied by Tai Poutini Polytech) and taught at St Patrick's School.

At this time the Sisters also opened St Mary's High School with 20 pupils and visited the sick and the bereaved of the parish.

In 1892 the need for secondary education for Catholic boys was recognised and the Marist Brothers arrived to establish and staff Marist Brothers School. St Patrick's School moved from Arney Street to Chapel Street where it was located for many years. The current site on Puketahi street was opened in 1985 by the Bishop of Christchurch, Denis Hanrahan, a former student of our school. 

During the last 140 years, St Patrick's School has been staffed and managed by Mercy sisters and Marist brothers. Since 1990 the staff has been made up of lay women and men. St Patrick's School serves families of the parish of Greymouth (formerly Cobden, Greymouth, Grey Valley, Kumara, and Runanga) teaching boys and girls from Year 0-8.

First Roman Catholic School in Arney Street, Greymouth

Catholic Schools, Greymouth

Contact office@stpatricksgm.school.nz     I     Phone (03) 768 7830 or Fax (03) 768 7831     I     13 Puketai Street, Greymouth, New Zealand