Clyde Quay School

Clyde Quay School is a comprehensive state school in the suburb of Mount Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand. It serves students ranging in age from five to thirteen. Approximately 240 children are enrolled as of April 2024. The school shares its site with Pikopiko, a kindergarten which accommodates children aged 3 to 4.

1800s – 1900s
The history of the school dates back to 1887, when the city was still in its early phases of development. The school was designed by architect Thomas Turnbull in 1887, and in 1888 builders Thomson and Mclean constructed the first building on 38/2 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, at a cost of £ 2111, equivalent to $NZ 300,000. Both main buildings were completed in March 1890.

1920s
In 1923, a new school was built at Elizabeth Street in Mount Victoria, and the infant department moved there.

Headmaster William Foster was honoured with an OBE in the 1923 New Years Honours.

1930s
On 21 December, 1935, the school made the decision to permanently close the original site on Oriental Parade because the site was required for the fire brigade to build a station. To farewell the original school, a jubilee and a final assembly of all former students took place at the school. The school's operations continued at the Elizabeth Street site without a change of name, and the former school site now houses Wellington City Fire Station.

1980s
The Cure, an English rock band, is well known in the school's community for playing their songs in the basement of Clyde Quay School.

"The jam was very noisy, but a lot of fun. The Neoterics played a few of their songs with The Cure's Lol Tolhurst on drums, then The Cure themselves did a few of theirs and sounded like a real garage band. We then did one of my band's songs with Robert on bass and Lol on drums, finally packing it in around 3am." a member of another band said.

1990s
New Zealand artist Robert Stewart painted numerous murals throughout the school which are still in place today.

Experts Masaaki Mitani and Masahiro Yamada from Japan performed a Kendo display at the school.

2010s
In 2012, students from Clyde Quay School were interviewed in the school library by the New Zealand comedy group Flight of the Conchords for lyrical ideas for their song Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That).

2020s
The principal has indicated that a hall relocation will take place in late 2024.

Ben Buchanan, a New Zealand artist, is currently painting new school murals, which are supposed to represent Clyde Quay School and its past. These murals will be displayed on the school's outer wall, replacing the previous ones.

Today
The schoolgrounds includes a library, a sports field, a hall, and recreational spaces.

Notable former students

 * Richard Campion (1923–2013), theatre director
 * Brenda Heather-Latu (born 1961), Attorney-General of Samoa
 * Rex Mason (1885–1975), politician
 * Marjory Nicholls (1890–1930), poet and playwright