Onslow College

Onslow College is a state co-educational secondary school located in Johnsonville, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. In 2022 it had 1405 students. The current principal is Jonathan Wyeth (acting).

History

Onslow College opened in 1956 to serve Wellington's rapidly growing northern suburbs. It was named after the 4th Earl of Onslow, governor of New Zealand from 1889 to 1892. despite the strong opposition of the Headmaster.

Several staff have received awards for teaching excellence. Terry Burrell, received the prestigious Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize in 2014, and the same year Esme Danielsen (Maths) received a Woolf Fisher Fellowship.

Onslow students won The Prime Minister's Future Scientist Prize in 2009, 2016 and 2018.

Music – Smokefree Rockquest Wellington regional finalists in 2021 were Obsidian Sun. In 2016 Onslow College bands and individuals took out five of the eight awards the Regional Final: Best Vocalist – Raquel Abolins-Reid, Musicianship Award – Noah Spargo, Best Lyricist – Sarah Mc Bride, 3rd placed band – Bird on a Wire, 1st placed band and overall winners of the Wellington Regional Final – Retrospect.

In 2017 Onslow College won the Wellington regional "Festival Cup" for the school best representing the spirit of the Big Sing, a school choral festival organised by the New Zealand Choral Federation.

Controversies

On 13 February 1997, 18-year-old former student Nicholas Hawker murdered 15-year-old St Mary's College student Vanessa Woodman on the school's grounds. Hawker was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 10-year non-parole period. He was released on parole in 2015, but is not allowed in the North Island.

In 2021, Onslow College teacher Derek Neal pinched a female student's bottom and said she had a "nice bottom" while the two took a photo during a school event dinner. During a subsequent Teaching Council's Disciplinary Tribunal Neal admitted to his actions and attempted to defend them by saying the student "threw herself at him". The tribunal censored him for serious misconduct. The English and media studies teacher was said by students to have had a history of making sexual comments in class.

In May 2025, Onslow College deputy principal Connor Baird was put on leave while both the Teaching Council and the New Zealand Police investigated serious misconduct allegations. Baird voluntarily agreed not to teach while the matter was being investigated. According to an email sent to caregivers, “Onslow College is currently undertaking a process that ensures the matter is managed respectfully and fairly".

School Buildings

On Friday 25 October 2024 the school received an engineering report on two of the school's blocks stating they were earthquake prone. The first building listed was the O block which was discovered to have a New Building Standard (NBS) rating of 30%, with an inner stairwell having a rating of 15% and the building having a 6% inter-story drift between floors.

Principals

The school has had the following principals:

2025–present Jonathan Wyeth (acting)
2018–2025 Sheena Millar
2010–2018 Peter Leggat
2009–2009 Hamish Davidson (acting)
2001–2009 Dr Stuart Martin
1998–2000 Peter Smith
1994–1998 John Carlyon
1987–1993 Neale Pitches
1979–1986 Bill Officer
1977–1979 Harvey Rees-Thomas
1966–1977 Dudley Hughes
1956–1965 Colin Watt

Notable alumni

Academia

James Belich – professor of history and writer

The arts

Jackie van Beek – film and television director, writer and actor
John McDougall – guitarist-songwriter (The Holidaymakers)
Fazerdaze (Amelia Rahayu Murray) – singer-songwriter
Kate Camp – poet and author
Nick Bollinger – musician (Rough Justice, Windy City Strugglers), music critic and author
Peter Marshall – singer (The Holidaymakers)
Sue Wootton – author
Taika Waititi – film director and actor. Academy award winner.
Leon Wadham – actor, writer and director
Riiki Reid – singer-songwriter
Ben Schrader – urban historian

Broadcasting and journalism

Ian Wishart – editor Investigate magazine
Rocky Wood – non-fiction author and freelance journalist

Politics

Catherine Delahunty – Green Party MP
Georgina Beyer – the world's first transgender mayor and later member of parliament.
Tāmati Coffey – Former TVNZ Breakfast weather presenter; Labour Party MP (2017–2023)
Trevor Mallard – former Labour Party MP and Speaker Of The House

Sport

Alan Isaac – International Cricket Council President
Gavin Larsen – New Zealand cricket player
Jeremy Coney – New Zealand cricket player
Joe Wright – New Zealand Olympic Rower 2015
Noah Billingsley – New Zealand football player
Richard Ussher – New Zealand multisport athlete & World AR champion 2005/2006