The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions started a convent school with a boarding hostel in 1884. The school was for primary and secondary students, boys and girls, next to where St Joseph’s Church is now in New Plymouth. In 1960, the school shifted to its present site on Pukaka Street and was renamed Sacred Heart Girls’ College.
The boarders remained at the hostel in town until 1970, when Sacred Heart Hostel was opened. The name of the hostel was changed to Elizabeth House in 2000 to commemorate the last principal who was a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions, Sister Elizabeth Molloy. The hostel has a caring, family atmosphere for up to 84 boarders.
The College became an integrated secondary school with an attached intermediate in 1982. This means that the government pays teachers’ salaries and an operations grant for running the school. The buildings are owned by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who have handed over their responsibilities for the land and buildings to the Mission College New Plymouth Trust Board. The Centennial Wing, which is now the RST, English and Admin areas was opened in 1984. In the 1990’s the College expanded more. The “old” Maths block arrived and a Religious Studies Block was built where the new Maths block now stands as well at the Technology Block. The Memorial Block which houses Social Sciences opened in Term 2, 2004. In March 2007 the Events Centre was opened, allowing for whole school assemblies and Masses and much improved sports facilities. In 2011, the old school hall was demolished to make way for new Year 7 and 8 classrooms upstairs and Māori, Music and Drama downstairs.
From 2016 onwards all of our learning spaces have been upgraded with substantial renovations. Our newest building is the Mathematics and Statistics block opened in Term 4, 2023.
The Events Centre provides indoor netball, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts and our turf adjoining the Events Centre was upgraded in 2019. Sport is an important part of College life. Netball, Basketball, Hockey and Tennis have always been popular but sporting opportunities for girls now include such activities as: Rugby, Touch Rugby, Football, Cross Country and many more. This would have surprised the girls and their teachers in 1884.
Sacred Heart still lives by and teaches the values that Jesus Christ taught. Age Quod Ages means we strive to do the very best we can in every part of their lives. The V and K on our emblem stand for Virtue and Knowledge. We have a strong academic focus and a wide range of extra-curricular activities that students can be involved in. We believe that everyone is made in God’s image and God loves us unconditionally. This is the way we continue to do the work started by Euphrasie Barbier and her early band of missionary Sisters.
At Sacred Heart Girls’ College we ‘Live the Mission’ through Ako, Manaakitanga and Wāhine Toa.