In 1914, the Sisters of Mercy were invited to open a school in St Joseph’s Parish. There was no actual school building, so the Sisters had to use the Church as a school. After school on Friday the desks were removed from the Church, and the Church was made ready for Sunday Mass. On Monday morning, the Church was turned back into a classroom. The first Sisters to teach at the new St Joseph’s School were Sr Aquin, Sr Goodyer and Sr Gonzaga.

Finally in 1924 a new brick school with three classrooms was built. When the Mercy convent in Picton closed in 1969, a Sister of Mercy travelled everyday by car from Blenheim to teach at the school. Sisters did this until they finished teaching at St Joseph’s School in 1980.

www.stjosephsschool.co.nz

When there was a water break at the school, a local hotel filled a beer tanker with water for the children