The Holy Family Parish Timaru guides our religious & spiritual heart

Our school is part of the Holy Family Parish of Timaru and we are helped in our mission by the priests located across the road at the Sacred Heart Basilica. 

The first Sacred Heart Parish School opened on 3rd November 1879 with its early foundations in the Marist Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy.

Our Parish Priest is Father Chris Friel.  He welcomes enquiries from parents and community about our special character and values teaching. Father Do Nguyen is our Assistant Parish Priest.

Call our parish office on 03 6844 263 for either of them.

A Little History . . . 

How did we get here? 

A short history of Sacred Heart School 

The first Sacred Heart Parish School opened on 3 rd November 1879, before the Sacred Heart Sisters came. Although the school had both boys and girls, they were not taught together in those days. Bishop Redwood asked for plans to be drawn up for a boys’ school to be built on Browne Street and a girls’ school to be built on Craigie Avenue. 

The Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in France were asked by Bishop Redwood if they would come to teach in Timaru. Six nuns landed in Wellington in 1880. When they finally arrived in Timaru, no convent had been built, so for a while the sisters lived in part of the school. The sisters continued to teach at the school until 1935. 

Following this, the Mercy Sisters were asked to come and teach in Timaru; they were welcomed in December 1935. The school roll was 248 in 1936. Throughout the years, many Mercy Sisters continued to teach at the school. The Marist Brothers took charge of the boys’ school in 1891. 

In 1924 the school burnt down and a new school was built in Browne Street. This is now our Rooms 1 and 2. In 1983 the Bishop decided that it was better to have just one school built on the Marist Brothers’ grounds. The Marist Brothers left to teach at other schools in New Zealand. They had taught in Timaru for 91 years. At this point the Marist Brothers boys’ school closed down. 

The old Sacred Heart School on Craigie Avenue also closed down. Both schools joined together on the Marist Brothers’ grounds which is where we are now. Rooms 8, 9 and 10 were once the Marist Brothers’ house. Their housekeepers’ flat is now our administration block. Room 7 was shifted from the old Sacred Heart School. Rooms 4, 5 and the Library were built for the new school. The statue of Our Lady which is inside the school office came from the old Sacred Heart School; it had been a present to the school from past pupils in 1911. 

The school has continued to change and evolve as time has passed and while there are no Sisters or Brothers on the present teaching staff, the foundation that they laid way back in 1879 continues to guide us.