Canon Henry Williams, vicar of St Mark’s, established St Mark’s Church Day School in June 1921 on the grounds behind the vicarage between Cholmondeley Ave and Church Lane (now Locarno St), Opawa.

St Mark’s Open Air School

• Reverend Mother Eleanor was the founding teacher at St Mark’s School. She was thanked by the parish in 1932 “for her wonderful work in establishing and carrying on our Church School for a number of years”.

• The vestry dedicated one acre of church land to the school in 1924. The “Association of the Love of God” built an open air school room that same year, in 1924.

• The Christchurch City Council built the original school fence along Locarno Street during street widening in 1933.

• The parish contributed a second open air class room in 1936. A third room was added later thanks to an anonymous donation made through the Community of the Sacred Name.

• By 1965 the school had grown to four teachers and 125 pupils with four classrooms, library, sick bay, office, kitchen and staff facilities.

Sources