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Marist Bros and Convent of Mercy from the roof of St Patricks Church, Greymouth, 1960.
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DescriptionMarist Bros and Convent of Mercy from the roof of St Patricks Church, Greymouth, 1960.
Shared with permission from Beth Browne for V C Browne & Son.
Image: PB1310-10PhotographerV C Browne & SonDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
Shared with permission from Beth Browne for V C Browne & Son.
Image: PB1310-10PhotographerV C Browne & SonDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
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Category TagTownship
From Facebook
Date Created5th October 2020CommentsDel Godfrey
Wow, that’s a great photo Maye Dunn, must have been a lot of kids at those schools then!
·
Maye Dunn
Del Godfrey yes Del it looks pretty big
·
Margaret Malloch
Came up from hokitika playing netball competitions nice and sheltered
·
Margaret Malloch
We even won a few times.
.
Trish Leckie
Love this.
.
James Codyre
I went to the primers at St Patrick's Convent 52-53 then the Marist Primary
·
James Codyre
Shifted to the NI in mid 57 where there was over 50% Maori so a bit of a culture shock.
·
Owen Winstanley
The building in the middle on the hill side still has scaffolding around it so must have been nearing completion, perhaps. In '62 when I started high school that block accommodated the entire form 3 to form 6 of Marist Bros. Science and woodwork rooms were between that and the Brothers house on the left.
.
Des Kennedy
Great photo. I spent time in the two top classrooms with the scaffold around the building. Left on 25 Nov 1962.
·
Lyn Whittle
Just how I remember it when I went there , can’t say it was the best years of my life
Matt McNabb
Which building is the convent?
Diane Baird
Convent out of picture. It was to the right of the photo past St Patrick’s school.Also not in photoPeter Gray
pretty much as I remember it, left in 59, helped wear out a few Canes along the way, Grizz, Hank, Eddie........
Jason Mather
I used to live in The Convent of Mercy after the Nuns had stopped using it, I was there with the Baker family about 1988/89, I had 2 bedrooms side by side & are the 2 windows on the top floor on the right side frontage, we used the Chapple as a Rumpus room type setup & it still had the piano in the Chapple too.
Jim Jefferies
I remember my time at the school so well. The revelation came much later on a cycling trip down the Coast and we stayed a couple of nights in the Marist Brothers house, it had become a hostel. The mysteries of that place were revealed!
Caroline Dunlop
Jim Jefferies Think I might be another of your rellies. I am Graham Jones sister, and cousin of Catherine Kearins.
Jim Jefferies
Caroline Dunlop nice to hear from you. Assume you are the Karamea Jones's? See Catherine from time to time.
Caroline Dunlop
Yes, from Karamea, but have been living in Christchurch for past 50+ years. Still call the Coast home!
Christine Farrell
Remember it being hostel. I went to school their I'm dooley
Des Kennedy
Brings back memories
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Taught there in the 1970s
Pauline Schafer
Pam Englefield-Absolum You taught me!
Julie Taylor
Started school there in 1955
Annabel Boland
Had happy school days there many years ago.
Bernie Merrick
Started school there 1957
Maggie Bell
As I recall, it was often light on the mercy.
Colleen Yee
Whichbuilding is the convent and/or the Marist Briothers? Did they both have Chapels? ? and what happened to those chapels? Would love to know.
Ian Haussmann
Colleen Yee marist brothers on the right both had chapels
Owen Winstanley
Ian Haussmann Marist high school is middle back of the photo with what appears to be scaffolding around it. Next to that (left) is the Brothers' house. The two larger buildings in foreground are St Mary's School, I think. Marist Primary is almost obscured by St Mary's, roof corner just visible or is my memory playing up. Where was the Marist Chapel?
Ian Haussmann
Owen Winstanley they had small chapel in the accommodation block down the hall
Clare Pierson
Owen Winstanley No, your memory is more accurate than most commenting here. The Chapel was within the Marist Brothers House on the back left as you say.
Clare Pierson
Colleen Yee This photo has both the Marist High School and Brothers house. The other side of the road has St Mary's High School. Apart from the roof in the right foreground there is no photo of the Sisters of Mercy Convent. The Polytech is now where th… See more
Clare Pierson
Colleen Yee The Convent of Mercy was demolished when Te Tai Poutini Polytechnic was built. The Chapel within the Convent was demolished. The swing doors at the front of the Polytech are from the Convent. The land had been loaned for a Convent and school to be built. When the Convent was vacated, that land was returned to the rightful owners, Ngai Tahu.
Hiria Apanui
Wow look at the background Chunns hill !!
compared to nowdays...as kids we climbed that hill (1970s) avoiding the mine shafts that were dotted all over
Julie Coggins
Remember flatting across the road watching radio pictures on tv and falling down the concrete steps and ripping my new levis
Hiria Apanui
Was that at Steve's? I tripped down that path landed on my knees
John O'Brien
My brothers, Tom & Danny Shanahan had 2 years at Marist in the 1950’s. I went to St Patrick’s- sadly some extremely cruel & probably very unhappy nuns there. Patricia.
Alex McDougall
My early school years at both from the primers at the convent to the standards at Marist.
Anne Clarkson
Went to convent my brother John Clarke atmarist brothers. We loved it family shifted to the bay of ple
plenty. North Island 1959
Paul Southon
The house directly behind the Marist Brothers was 19 Alexander Road and the home of my grandparents Arthur and Jess Colins until the early 60s. It has since been demolished but still have great memories of the climb up the hill to the house and the area
Wayne Southon
The last year I played rugby against Marist Bros 1st xv
Wow, that’s a great photo Maye Dunn, must have been a lot of kids at those schools then!
·
Maye Dunn
Del Godfrey yes Del it looks pretty big
·
Margaret Malloch
Came up from hokitika playing netball competitions nice and sheltered
·
Margaret Malloch
We even won a few times.
.
Trish Leckie
Love this.
.
James Codyre
I went to the primers at St Patrick's Convent 52-53 then the Marist Primary
·
James Codyre
Shifted to the NI in mid 57 where there was over 50% Maori so a bit of a culture shock.
·
Owen Winstanley
The building in the middle on the hill side still has scaffolding around it so must have been nearing completion, perhaps. In '62 when I started high school that block accommodated the entire form 3 to form 6 of Marist Bros. Science and woodwork rooms were between that and the Brothers house on the left.
.
Des Kennedy
Great photo. I spent time in the two top classrooms with the scaffold around the building. Left on 25 Nov 1962.
·
Lyn Whittle
Just how I remember it when I went there , can’t say it was the best years of my life
Matt McNabb
Which building is the convent?
Diane Baird
Convent out of picture. It was to the right of the photo past St Patrick’s school.Also not in photoPeter Gray
pretty much as I remember it, left in 59, helped wear out a few Canes along the way, Grizz, Hank, Eddie........
Jason Mather
I used to live in The Convent of Mercy after the Nuns had stopped using it, I was there with the Baker family about 1988/89, I had 2 bedrooms side by side & are the 2 windows on the top floor on the right side frontage, we used the Chapple as a Rumpus room type setup & it still had the piano in the Chapple too.
Jim Jefferies
I remember my time at the school so well. The revelation came much later on a cycling trip down the Coast and we stayed a couple of nights in the Marist Brothers house, it had become a hostel. The mysteries of that place were revealed!
Caroline Dunlop
Jim Jefferies Think I might be another of your rellies. I am Graham Jones sister, and cousin of Catherine Kearins.
Jim Jefferies
Caroline Dunlop nice to hear from you. Assume you are the Karamea Jones's? See Catherine from time to time.
Caroline Dunlop
Yes, from Karamea, but have been living in Christchurch for past 50+ years. Still call the Coast home!
Christine Farrell
Remember it being hostel. I went to school their I'm dooley
Des Kennedy
Brings back memories
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Taught there in the 1970s
Pauline Schafer
Pam Englefield-Absolum You taught me!
Julie Taylor
Started school there in 1955
Annabel Boland
Had happy school days there many years ago.
Bernie Merrick
Started school there 1957
Maggie Bell
As I recall, it was often light on the mercy.
Colleen Yee
Whichbuilding is the convent and/or the Marist Briothers? Did they both have Chapels? ? and what happened to those chapels? Would love to know.
Ian Haussmann
Colleen Yee marist brothers on the right both had chapels
Owen Winstanley
Ian Haussmann Marist high school is middle back of the photo with what appears to be scaffolding around it. Next to that (left) is the Brothers' house. The two larger buildings in foreground are St Mary's School, I think. Marist Primary is almost obscured by St Mary's, roof corner just visible or is my memory playing up. Where was the Marist Chapel?
Ian Haussmann
Owen Winstanley they had small chapel in the accommodation block down the hall
Clare Pierson
Owen Winstanley No, your memory is more accurate than most commenting here. The Chapel was within the Marist Brothers House on the back left as you say.
Clare Pierson
Colleen Yee This photo has both the Marist High School and Brothers house. The other side of the road has St Mary's High School. Apart from the roof in the right foreground there is no photo of the Sisters of Mercy Convent. The Polytech is now where th… See more
Clare Pierson
Colleen Yee The Convent of Mercy was demolished when Te Tai Poutini Polytechnic was built. The Chapel within the Convent was demolished. The swing doors at the front of the Polytech are from the Convent. The land had been loaned for a Convent and school to be built. When the Convent was vacated, that land was returned to the rightful owners, Ngai Tahu.
Hiria Apanui
Wow look at the background Chunns hill !!
compared to nowdays...as kids we climbed that hill (1970s) avoiding the mine shafts that were dotted all over
Julie Coggins
Remember flatting across the road watching radio pictures on tv and falling down the concrete steps and ripping my new levis
Hiria Apanui
Was that at Steve's? I tripped down that path landed on my knees
John O'Brien
My brothers, Tom & Danny Shanahan had 2 years at Marist in the 1950’s. I went to St Patrick’s- sadly some extremely cruel & probably very unhappy nuns there. Patricia.
Alex McDougall
My early school years at both from the primers at the convent to the standards at Marist.
Anne Clarkson
Went to convent my brother John Clarke atmarist brothers. We loved it family shifted to the bay of ple
plenty. North Island 1959
Paul Southon
The house directly behind the Marist Brothers was 19 Alexander Road and the home of my grandparents Arthur and Jess Colins until the early 60s. It has since been demolished but still have great memories of the climb up the hill to the house and the area
Wayne Southon
The last year I played rugby against Marist Bros 1st xv
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West Coast New Zealand History (15th Dec 2021). Marist Bros and Convent of Mercy from the roof of St Patricks Church, Greymouth, 1960.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 13th Apr 2026 07:39, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28527