Our Legacy
The St Kevin’s College story can be traced back to the arrival of John McLean to New Zealand in 1818. Our College stands on the site of his original Ōamaru residence where his nephew, John McLean Buckley, built the Redcastle Residence. Their legacy still takes pride on our campus to this day.
In the mid 1920’s, the Redcastle property and surrounding buildings were purchased by a Catholic religious order, with the intent to open a Catholic school for boys. On February 6, 1927, almost 100 years ago, St Kevin’s College opened its doors to the first students it would welcome over its long legacy of education.
Since then, the College has grown, consistently carving a path ahead of its time, all whilst keeping the Roman Catholic values at the forefront of its work. Over the century, St Kevin’s College has seen integration into a co-educational institution, the development of new buildings and facilities to enrich the students’ school experiences, and has grown to become the College we know today in the care of the local Dunedin Catholic Diocese.
We are fostering students who will go on to create a better society by providing quality education that can take them anywhere in the world. Our dream is to provide exceptional resources, immaculate grounds, a positive school experience and a quality education for anyone who wants to join our Kevinian family. We want to be the first choice for families.
That’s why we still need your help.