Our History

Euphrasie Barbier the Foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in France in 1861, sent her first missionaries to New Zealand as early as 1865. She responded to a request from Bishop Viard of Wellington for Sisters to come to New Zealand and establish a school in Napier.  Even though the Order was then in its infancy, she responded readily and sent three young Sisters to that first mission. She herself visited New Zealand in 1872. From her base in Christchurch which was already an established convent and school,  she then  visited other foundations  in Nelson and Napier. After visiting her missions in India in 1883 she returned to New Zealand to visit New Plymouth and Ashburton in the South island. 

In 1884 she was present at the opening of a new convent and school in Hamilton.  It was here that she met Bishop Luck who asked the Mother Foundress to establish a school in Pukekohe, to educate the increasing large numbers of catholic children. He told her that he had three acres of land, previously owned by Mr Thomas Hogan, that he was willing to place at the Sisters’ disposal. When the Mother Foundress agreed to send some Sisters to Pukekohe, Father Costello (a great-uncle of Walter Stembridge and Noeline Fraser) as parish priest he got straight to work on a building to house for the Sisters and also provide class-rooms.

However, through some misunderstanding, on the 18th May 1885 the Foundress herself came to Pukekohe bringing four of her Sisters, who arrived earlier than they were expected, so that  the building was not ready for them.  Rev. Father was away at Waipipi at the time so when the Sisters arrived, the railway station was deserted, it was pouring rain, and the Sisters did not know the way to the Convent.  However, a man with a wheel-barrow came in sight, and kindly offered to act as a guide. The knight in dripping oilskins hoisted their luggage on his wheelbarrow, and they set out. The guide was not too sure of the way, and led them by a roundabout route so that it took them over an hour to reach the Convent, making their way through mud and driving rain.  The carpenters and painters were still at work on the building; everything was in disorder. They had to borrow mattresses and chairs from the few Catholics in the vicinity – only two chairs were available, but the Sisters found some boards and nails left by the carpenters and made a stool for themselves.  Wet clothes, no fires, not much food to cook – but they managed to make a fire and find a frying pan.

On Monday June 9th 1885 the Sisters opened school in their convent building.   During these first years the Sisters experienced extreme poverty and had to borrow money for buildings so that their missions could continue.

Among the foundation pupils enrolled were Mrs Hawke, Bridge Kennelly, John Hogan and many other Pukekohe pioneers. Characteristically, the Sisters had managed to get the house and grounds in order, and when the Bishop came he read the decree of erection of a religious Institute, and the Blessed Sacrament was placed in the new chapel. He also instituted the Societies of the Living Rosary and of the Children of Mary, receiving the first members of both.  

In 1888, the increase in the number of orphans and boarders necessitated additional building, so a verandah with a room at both ends was erected – cost fifty pounds, but by this time the Sisters were free of debt.  Their staff was also increased.  Postulants (young women intending to join this Religious Congregation) were sent from Nelson to help in the school. On Jan 20th 1893, Barbara Michie from Waipipi was also received as a Postulant. In 1897 after Barbara was professed as a Sister, she was sent with four other Sisters to found the first foundation of the Australian Province in Perth. 

In 1902 the Sisters found it necessary to build a new two-storied wing to the convent, to accommodate the increasing number of boarders. The Sisters in their charity, took in whole families of children who had been orphaned or were otherwise in need of care.  Some were two to five years of age, and each little one found a substitute mother in the girl appointed to look after her.  Up to forty-eight boarders lived in the convent, some permanently, some able to go home for weekends and term holidays, and they attended school with the local day pupils. This new building was opened on Feb. 3rd 1903 at a cost of nine hundred and eighty six pounds.  A bazaar held in April of that year raised three hundred pounds, one third of which was given to Father McMillan, and the rest used to pay off some of the debt on the new school building.  From then on all went well, and the Silver Jubilee of the Convent was celebrated on the feast of Corpus Christi 1910.

The old structure was quite inadequate, and it was imperative that more accommodation should be provided. This has been done, and the building is now three times as large as formerly. The plans for the new portion provide a school-room and dining-room in the basement, and on the upper story for a dormitory, bathrooms, etc.  The lower walls of the building are built of brick, and the upper portion of wood.  The total cost of the building is estimated at one thousand pounds. In 1916  a great improvement was made – hot and cold water laid on.  An addition of a balcony to the boarding school was built in 1922 providing another dormitory.