Katherine Mansfield; an influential modernist New Zealand author in the early 20th century. Many of her most significant works were produced in the last years of her life, while battling tuberculosis. She spent time in her young adulthood travelling and living amongst a variety of people from all backgrounds, learning from her experiences and taking inspiration from lives different from her own. This included spending time in the Ureweras in 1907, with local iwi. To hold on to a piece of TGC tradition and history, we chose not only to keep Mansfield as a house, but it will also remain our Yellow house.

Kate Shepphard; she was a prominent member of the New Zealand suffrage movement. Passionate about learning, she is known for her extensive knowledge on the arts, sciences and Law. Shepphard was an advocate for the welfare of women and children, and she led a determined campaign to ensure all women of New Zealand gained the right to vote. She inspired 1000s of women all over the world to join in this fight and in 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Sheppard house will be purple.

Te Auetu Harata Hall of Ngāti Ranginui, was born at Huria Marae in 1850s. Having strong family links to the land that TGC now stands on, she would display great bravery as she accompanied her mother - Matatu - to Pukehinahina to aid dying soldiers, in the wake of the battle in 1864. We continue to learn about the story of this compassionate young wahine whose descendants have attended Tauranga Girls’ College, and still do today. We look forward to sharing more with you in the future, as we work with family and iwi, to gain an accurate insight into her life. Te Auetu house will be red.