Houses

In addition to a culture of performing and valuing multicultural experiences, Cullinane College also has a vibrant House Competition Culture. Our four houses reflect our Marist (Mannix and Marist) foundations as well as our Josephite influences (Columba and Woods).

These House names give recognition to the work that these two Orders encouraged in the Whanganui region giving the College over one hundred years of education deliverance in the area.

COLUMBA HOUSE (Blue)

Name after Sister M. Columba rsj. She became the Mother General of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth in 1908. She was the one who decided to move Sacred Heart from the CBD to its new site in Oakland Avenue. She died in May 1924.

MANNIX HOUSE (Black)

Fr John Mannix was ordained a Marist priest in Christchurch in 1934. The first St Augustine’s College opened in the Villa next to St Mary’s presbytery in Campbell St. There were 28 students when classes began in 1944. Fr john was the first rector.

WOODS HOUSE (Red)

Fr Julian Tenison Woods was the cofounder of the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth. Working with Mary MacKillop they founded the order in 1867. From this start, four sisters came to Whanganui in 1880.

MARIST HOUSE (Green)

The Society of Mary – Marist Fathers – was founded in Lyon, France by Jean Collin in 1836. The first Marist priests came to New Zealand with Bishop Pompallier. The Marist Order was asked to staff St Augustine’s College when it first opened in 1944.