St Kevin's College, Oamaru

Another Dominican school for girls had closed in 1977 but it's memory is also part of the tradition of St Kevin's College. St Patrick's College, a secondary boarding school for girls operated by the [[Dominican Sisters]], existed at Teschemakers, 10 kilometres south of Oamaru, for 65 years from 1912 to 1977. The school was associated with the McCarthy family of North Otago which donated the property, and it opened with seven Dominican sisters and seven boarders. In its early years the school tried to be self-supporting and the student day commenced with 4am cow-milking. There was no running water. it had to be pumped by hand, and there was no electricity, only oil lamps and candles. The college's fine buildings were erected and the beautiful and tranquil surroundings impacted on and shaped the lives of the pupils and teachers.[https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/old-girls-go-back-time David Bruce, "Old Girls go Back in Time", ''Otago Daily Times'', 26 March 2012] (Retrieved 6 November 2023)

Another Dominican school for girls had closed in 1977 but it's memory is also part of the tradition of St Kevin's College. St Patrick's College, a secondary boarding school for girls operated by the [[Dominican Sisters]], existed at Teschemakers, 10 kilometres south of Oamaru, for 65 years from 1912 to 1977. The school was associated with the McCarthy family of North Otago which donated the property, and it opened with seven Dominican sisters and seven boarders. In its early years the school tried to be self-supporting and the student day commenced with 4am cow-milking. There was no running water. it had to be pumped by hand, and there was no electricity, only oil lamps and candles. The college's fine buildings were erected and the beautiful and tranquil surroundings impacted on and shaped the lives of the pupils and teachers.[https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/old-girls-go-back-time David Bruce, "Old Girls go Back in Time", ''Otago Daily Times'', 26 March 2012] (Retrieved 6 November 2023)

The [[Gothic revival]] chapel of the Holy Rosary was commissioned in 1912 and paid for by the generosity of a local benefactor from Oamaru, Frances Grant. It was also designed [[Frank Petre|F. W. Petre]] and completed in 1916. The frequent liturgical events in the chapel were an abiding and influential memory for the students.[https://www.dominicans.org.nz/profiling-willie-campbell/ "Profiling Willie Campbell", ''Aotearoa personalities'', Dominican Family Aotearoa New Zealand] (Retrieved 16 January 2025)

The [[Gothic revival]] chapel of the Holy Rosary was commissioned in 1912 and paid for by the generosity of a local benefactor from Oamaru, Frances Grant. It was also designed by [[Frank Petre|F. W. Petre]] and completed in 1916. The frequent liturgical events in the chapel were an abiding and influential memory for the students.[https://www.dominicans.org.nz/profiling-willie-campbell/ "Profiling Willie Campbell", ''Aotearoa personalities'', Dominican Family Aotearoa New Zealand] (Retrieved 16 January 2025)

Teschemakers, once home to 140 boarding girls, was closed as a school, mainly because there weren’t enough sisters to teach and manage it. Many of the students transferred to St Thomas's Girls Secondary School. In 1980, the campus became a conference and retreat centre until the Dominicans sold it in 2000. After the sale, there was controversy over the future of the Gothic Revival-style Carrara marble altar with its alabaster depiction of [[The Last Supper]]. The Dominicans had given the altar to a church in Dunedin. However a ruling by the Environment Court meant that the altar remained. The chapel is open to the public daily. It is used as a wedding venue and the convent buildings are a boutique hotel. In 2025 there was still a Dominican presence at Teschemakers.[https://thisnzlife.co.nz/sister-mary-horn-of-teschemakers-dominican-convent-finds-her-third-calling/ Natalie Brown, "Sister Mary Horn of Teschemakers Dominican convent finds her third calling", ''ThisNZlife''] (Retrieved 6 November 2023)

Teschemakers, once home to 140 boarding girls, was closed as a school, mainly because there weren’t enough sisters to teach and manage it. Many of the students transferred to St Thomas's Girls Secondary School. In 1980, the campus became a conference and retreat centre until the Dominicans sold it in 2000. After the sale, there was controversy over the future of the Gothic Revival-style Carrara marble altar with its alabaster depiction of [[The Last Supper]]. The Dominicans had given the altar to a church in Dunedin. However a ruling by the Environment Court meant that the altar remained. The chapel is open to the public daily. It is used as a wedding venue and the convent buildings are a boutique hotel. In 2025 there was still a Dominican presence at Teschemakers.[https://thisnzlife.co.nz/sister-mary-horn-of-teschemakers-dominican-convent-finds-her-third-calling/ Natalie Brown, "Sister Mary Horn of Teschemakers Dominican convent finds her third calling", ''ThisNZlife''] (Retrieved 6 November 2023)