Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does
the Trust Board intend to reopen St Stephen’s School and Queen
Victoria School?
No.
If the Trust Board does not open a school at
the Parnell site of Queen Victoria School will it give the land
back to Ngati Whatua?
No.
The Trust Board does intend, in time, to open another school at
the Parnell site.
The land was not gifted by Ngati Whatua to the Anglican Church.
It was sold by Ngati Whatua to the Crown on 20th October 1840
“for whatever purposes Her Majesty may deem right”. It was
granted by the Crown to Bishop Selwyn in 1850 for educational
purposes.
If the Trust Board does not open a school at
the Bombay site of St Stephen’s School will it give the land
back to Tainui?
No.
The Trust Board is reserving a school site of about 10 acres at
Bombay to make provision for a possible new school in the
future.
The land was not gifted by Tainui.
Prior to 1930 St Stephen’s School was located in Parnell on land
granted by the Crown to Bishop Selwyn. In the 1920s the Anglican
Church came under pressure from the Auckland Education Board,
Auckland City Council and local Parnell residents to give up the
St Stephen’s School site at Parnell to make way for a state
primary school.
In 1930 the Anglican Church sold the St Stephen’s site at
Parnell to the Auckland Education Board and bought freehold farm
land at Ramarama south of Auckland. A new school was built and
St Stephen’s School was relocated.
The present Parnell primary school on St Stephen’s Avenue is
where St Stephen’s School used to be.
Does the Anglican Church have the power to
order the Trust Board to reopen the schools?
No.
The Anglican Church has a defined role in relation to the Trust
Board as follows:
- The General Synod
appoints trustees.
- The Trust Board
presents an annual report to the Standing Committee of the
General Synod and to the General Synod.
- The Anglican Church
Trusts Act 1981 provides that certain lands, including lands
held for the purposes of a church, church hall, school or
hostel, cannot be sold without the consent of the General
Synod.
That is the extent of the
formal role of the Church. The Church and the Trust Board, as
would be expected, consult closely and frequently and the Trust
Board receives considerable support from the Church in its work.
However, consultation and support quite clearly does not in any
sense constitute ownership, management and control.
Does the Trust Board intend to sell the
sites of St Stephen’s School and Queen Victoria School?
No.
Has the Trust Board considered selling the
sites?
Yes.
In 2000 and 2001 the Board investigated the possibility of
selling the sites and buying a completely new school site with
the proceeds. At the time is was thought that it might be
possible to buy a new site that would accommodate both schools.
However that option was abandoned for lack of suitable
alternative sites in Auckland. No purchase offers were sought
and none received.
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