The roll of Wesley College’s famous old boys hints at strong currents that flow through the school: cultural identity, sporting success, and academic achievement. Notable alumni include Jonah Lomu, actor Temuera Morrison, Oscar winner Richard Taylor, former Children’s Commissioner Roger McClay, and the first Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Sir Peter Kenilorea.
Set amidst rolling farmland and perched above well-groomed sports fields, Wesley College has a special place in the life of New Zealand and Te Haahi Weteriana. It is the country’s oldest registered secondary school.
Wesley College took its current form through the amalgamation of two schools, one for young Maori and the other for the children of missionaries working in the Pacific. It shifted from Three Kings, Auckland to its current site at Paerata, near Pukekohe, in 1922. While it is non-sectarian, a key element of the college’s charter is to maintain the ethos of contemporary New Zealand Methodism.
