Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has a roll of nearly 2,300 as of 2026, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand.
| Epsom Girls' Grammar School | |
|---|---|
 Epsom Girls' Grammar School and Ōhinerau / Mount Hobson seen from Maungawhau / Mount Eden | |
| Location | |
 | |
Silver Road, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand | |
| 36°52′38″S 174°46′28″E / 36.87722°S 174.77444°E | |
| Information | |
| Type | State Single Sex Girls Secondary (Year 9–13) with Boarding Facilities |
| Motto | Latin: Per Angusta, Ad Augusta (Through difficulties to greatness.) |
| Established | 12 February 1917 |
| Auckland Grammar School | |
Ministry of Education Institution no. | 64 |
Principal | Brenda McNaughton |
| Enrollment | 2,298[1] (March 2026) |
| Colours | Navy and gold |
Socio-economic decile | 9Q[2] |
| Website | Epsom Girls Grammar School |
The principal is Brenda McNaughton, the 12th principal, who succeeded Lorraine Pound in 2024.[3][4] She succeeds a long line of distinguished educators such as Margaret Bendall and Marjory Adams.[5]
History
edit
Epsom Girls Grammar School was established through an endowment of land in 1850 and officially opened on 12 February 1917 with 174 students.[6] Establishing Epsom Girls was described as a "struggle", as "despite a clear need for a second girls’ school in Auckland, education administrators continued to prioritise boys’ education. Eventually EGGS emerged as an old, adapted Villa and a handful of classrooms on the Silver Road site. When the doors opened in 1917 the School had already exceeded capacity."[6]
Boarding facilities are provided on-site at Epsom House, providing full accommodation for 150 students from overseas and rural New Zealand.[7]
The Old Girls Association was established in 1921, and holds a number of events each year for alumnae.[8]
In 2021, Metro (magazine) reported that Epsom Girls Grammar School was the top performing non-religious state school in Auckland over the last five years (based on Ministry of Education data of the five-year average of university entrance attainment).[9]
Property prices in the Epsom Girls Grammar School and Auckland Grammar School school zones (known as the "double Grammar zone") are particularly high - Epsom Girls is the second most expensive school zone to buy in within Auckland (with the first being Auckland Grammar School).[10] The zone covers large swathes of four of the city’s highest value suburbs – Remuera, Epsom, Parnell and Mount Eden. Real estate agents have commented that being in the "double Grammar zone" could add up to $500,000 to the value of a family home.[11]
Enrolment
editAs of March 2026, Epsom Girls' Grammar School has a roll of 2,298 students, of which 217 (9.4%) identify as Māori.[1]
As of 2026, the school has an Equity Index of 402,[12] placing it amongst schools whose students have the fewest socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 9 and 10 under the former socio-economic decile system).[13]
Principals
edit- Annie Christina Morrison 1917–1929[14]
- Agnes L. Laudon 1930–1947[15]
- Margaret G. Johnston 1948–1952[16]
- Marjory F.E. Adams 1953–1970[17]
- Alisa M. Blakey 1970–1979[18]
- Gaewyn E. Griffiths 1979–1988[19][20]
- Verna E. Dowdle 1988–1996
- Margaret A. Bendall 1996–2004
- Annette Sharp 2005–2008[21]
- Madeline J. Gunn 2008–2016[22]
- Lorraine Pound 2016–2023[23]
- Brenda McNaughton 2024–present[24]
Notable alumnae
editMedia and the arts
- Deidre Airey – ceramic artist
- Petra Bagust – television presenter[25]
- Ruth Castle – weaver
- Chaii – rapper and songwriter
- Angela D'Audney – television news anchor[26]
- Jude Dobson – television presenter
- Eve de Castro-Robinson – composer[27]
- Hinemoa Elder – youth forensic psychiatrist and former television presenter[28]
- Kate Elliott (actress) – television and film actress[29]
- Tui Flower – food writer
- Rosalie Gascoigne – sculptor and artist[30]
- May Gilbert – printmaker and artist
- Lisa Harrow – actress[31]
- Kate Hawkesby – television presenter and radio broadcaster
- Hayley Holt – television presenter[32]
- Rowena Jackson MBE – ballerina and later artistic director of the New Zealand Ballet Company
- Florence Myrtle Keene – historian and author
- Yvonne Lawley – actress[33]
- Tianyi Lu – orchestral conductor[34]
- Marya Martin – flautist[25]
- Ingrun Helgard Moeckel – German model and Miss Germany winner
- Hannah O'Neill – principal ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet[35]
- Susan Moller Okin – feminist philosopher
- Charlotte Piho – Cook Islands photographer
- Wilma Smith – lead violinist in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- Freda Stark – dancer[36]
- Rima Te Wiata – comedian and actress[37]
- Olivia Tennet – actress, dancer
- Konai Helu Thaman – poet and academic
- Karen Walker – fashion designer[38]
- Lois White – artist
- Robin White (artist) – painter and printmaker[39]
- Dorothy Wills – architect
- Jean Wishart – former editor of the New Zealand Woman's Weekly
Public service and law
- Anna Adams (lawyer) – Solicitor-General[40]
- Helen Clark – 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand and former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme[41]
- Miriam Dell – President, National Council of Women[25]
- Jeanette Fitzsimons – politician and former co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Ngapare Hopa – Māori academic and former member of the Waitangi Tribunal
- Dorothy Jelicich – Member of Parliament for Hamilton West (1972–1975)
- Judith Potter – former High Court judge
- Charmaine Pountney – educator, rights activist
- Alison Quentin-Baxter – constitutional lawyer
- Marie Shroff – former Cabinet Secretary, Privacy Commissioner and chair of the New Zealand Electoral Commission
- Suzanne Sinclair – Member of Parliament for Titirangi (1993–1996)
- Chlöe Swarbrick – politician and co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Augusta Wallace – first woman appointed to the judiciary in New Zealand
Science
- Viopapa Annandale-Atherton – doctor
- Ruth Black – doctor
- Elizabeth Brown (botanist) – bryologist
- Joan Chapple – first New Zealand female plastic surgeon
- Lucy Cranwell – botanist
- Kirsten Finucane – paediatric heart surgeon, former Chief Surgeon of the Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service at Starship Hospital
- Barbara Heslop – immunologist
- Joan Metge – anthropologist[25]
- Louise Nicholson (academic) – neuroscientist
- Brenda Shore – botanist
Sport
- Vera Burt – professional cricketer and field hockey player
- Suzy Dawson – rugby union coach and former member of the Black Ferns
- Taylor Flavell – professional squash player
- Kylie Foy – Olympic field hockey player[29]
- Anna Green (footballer) – former association footballer[29]
- Winifred Griffin – Olympic swimmer[29]
- Andrea Hams – weightlifter and hurdler[29]
- Maggie Jenkins – New Zealand representative footballer
- Elizabeth Lamb (athlete) – high jumper[42]
- Annalie Longo – International and professional footballer
- Brigitta Lotu-Iiga – former member of the Black Ferns
- Jan Martin – Olympic hockey player[29]
- Moana Manley – swimmer and Miss New Zealand winner
- Hannah McLean – former competitive swimmer
- Marnie McGuire – golfer[43]
- Phillis Meti – professional golfer
- Melanie Hulme – softball player[29]
- Melissa Ingram – Olympic swimmer[44]
- Brenda Perry – tennis player and former director of the ASB Classic (tennis)[45]
- Kayla Pratt – Olympic rower[46]
- Kim Robertson (athlete) – track and field sprinter
- Francesca Snell – water polo player[47]
- Jean Spencer – Olympic gymnast
- Sheryl Wells – former manager of the New Zealand national netball team[29]
- Yvette Williams – first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for New Zealand[48]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ↑ "Senior Leadership Team". Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ↑ Lynn, Alastair (27 January 2016). "Lorraine Pound takes the reins at Epsom Girls Grammar School". Stuff (company). Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ↑ Robyn Langwell (23 December 2007). "Principal's shock exit from Epsom Girls". The New Zealand Herald.
- 1 2 "Our History". Epsom Girls Grammar School. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ "Who we are". Epsom Girls Grammar School. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ↑ "Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association Inc". Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association Inc. Online Community. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ Inderbitzen-Waller, Karen. "Metro — The Best Schools in Auckland". www.metromag.co.nz. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ "$2m-plus: Prices soar in top school zones". The New Zealand Herald. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ Martin, Nicola (1 January 2024). "'Steroids for house prices': Do Auckland buyers still care about double grammar zone?". Oneroof. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ↑ "New Zealand Equity Index". New Zealand Ministry of Education.
- ↑ "School Equity Index Bands and Groups". www.educationcounts.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ↑ New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. "Morrison, Annie Christina". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ↑ "Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association (Inc)" (PDF). April 2018.
- ↑ "Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association (Inc)" (PDF). February 2017.
- ↑ "Pōwhiri welcomes new students, staff and new Principal". Epsom Girls Grammar School. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "TEACHERS REGISTER Parts B and C SECONDARY and TECHNICAL" (PDF). 26 April 1979.
- ↑ "Lifelong learner Gae Griffiths: still attending lectures at 81 - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "Gaewyn Griffiths ONZM" (PDF).
- ↑ "Principal's shock exit from Epsom Girls". The New Zealand Herald. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "12 Questions: Madeline Gunn". The New Zealand Herald. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "Lorraine Pound takes the reins at Epsom Girls Grammar School". Stuff. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ Counts, Education. "Ministry of Education - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 "Founders' Awards" (PDF). 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
- ↑ "Broadcaster Angela D'Audney dies". NZ Herald. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "2023 Founders Awards". Epsom Girls Grammar School. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Hinemoa Elder: Healing the past and focusing on the future". New Zealand Women's Weekly. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via PressReader.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association Inc. Online Community". Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association Inc. Online Community. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Rosalie Gascoigne: an inspiration to late bloomers - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Lisa Harrow: 'We married in a stone circle as the Vermont Symphony Orchestra played Bach'". NZ Herald. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
- ↑ "Secure Hayley Holt for your next event today!". Essential Talent NZ. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "Interview with Yvonne Lawley". natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Tianyi Lu - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ↑ "Kiwi ballerina Hannah O'Neill wins top dance prize". The New Zealand Herald. 18 May 2016. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- ↑ "Stark, Freda Beatrice – Biography – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- ↑ "Rima Te Wiata". Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ↑ Hewitson, Michele (20 June 2007). "Genius at work – Karen Walker". The New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ "Dame Robin White | Arts Foundation Laureate". Arts Foundation. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-adams-barrister/. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Helen Clark | Biography & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ↑ "Athletics: Teen takes giant leap into contention". NZ Herald. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Golf: Achiever with the drive to succeed". NZ Herald. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "College sports: Games hopeful in fast lane to crack standard". NZ Herald. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "College Sport: Stadium at EGGS part of big plan to catch up". NZ Herald. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Kayla in NZ team". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Our Olympians". Water Polo New Zealand. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ↑ "Epsom Girls Grammar School | The Governor-General of New Zealand". gg.govt.nz. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2025.