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Remembering the ANZACs: Closure of the College

Remembering the ANZACs Chapel

St John’s Theological College was closed for the War

With the outbreak of World War One in 1914, the student population at St John’s College steadily declined with students leaving overseas to serve in the war.

Class photograph from St John's Theological College
St John’s College photograph, 1915. [SJC 28-4-3]
From this College photograph from 1915; Walter Averill, Charles Smith, Harry Reynolds and Arthur Bongard survived the war, Jack Rose and Paul Clark were killed in action.

sjt-1-2-4-sjctb-minutes-sep-30-1915-p45 sjt-1-2-4-sjctb-minutes-nov-4-1915-p47 sjt-1-2-4-sjctb-minutes-sep-30-1915-p44

The College Warden, Percy Temple Williams, was appointed Chaplain to the Eighth Reinforcements and submitted a leave of absence. With only eleven students in residence at the College, the Trustees came to the decision to close St John’s Theological College for the duration of the war.

It was re-opened in 1920, with six students temporarily residing at Bishopscourt in Parnell then the College resuming at Tamaki in 1921 with 14 students.

St John’s College photograph, 1921. [SJC 28-4-4]

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