Craighead Diocesan School in Timaru has a pretty interesting physical narrative, shaped by the people, values, needs and aspirations of its community. Since opening in 1911, Craighead has grown and adapted, with buildings that reflect both the challenges and achievements over generations. At the centre of this architectural journey stands Shand House, a remarkable structure whose story spans more than 140 years. After an extensive strengthening and rennovation, it will reopen in 2025, and the Civic Trust has arranged a blue plaque to recognie its built heritage significance.
Although Craighead opened in 1911 as a girls’ school, it was not the first institution in Timaru to provide education to young women. Timaru High School, which began in 1880, was co-educational in structure but offered single-sex classes for girls, ensuring that young women in the town could receive formal academic instruction. However, purpose-built schooling environments specifically for girls remained limited. Keep in mind that this was just a few years off Otago's Girls High School, which was the first high school for young women to open in the Southern Hemisphere. So by the time Craighead was ready to convert the bricks and mortar of a house to a school, education for young women was still in its infancy.
Craighead offered formal teaching in a Christian environment, to offer academic, social and spiritual life on a single campus, setting a new precedent for girls’ schooling in the region.
But I want to take you back to the distinguished residence before it was a school. Because I have been on many side quests learning about Henry Le Cren, and I think he and his family are super interesting. So here we go...
Shand House was built in 1875 by local contractor John Alves, under the supervision of surveyor and owner Henry Sealy. Architect Thomas Roberts provided design expertise, with a particular focus on concrete construction, which was highly unusual in Timaru at the time. Our family love Sealy, because he donated his moth and butterfly collection to the South Canterbury Museum, and we love to browse the draws every time we visit.
I also love Sealy, because of the legacy of alpine photography he left us. From a family of keen trampers there is something awesome about our mountains, particuarly seeing the shots capturing early moments of European pioneers exploring the valleys and peaks for the first time.
Sealy was a surveyor, and a little reminder of him is the street named after him, connecting Craighead to to Wai-iti Road.
Sealy's home stood on 40 acres of land with a sweeping drive and gardens that included lawns, a duck pond and a conservatory with an internal fountain. It was later bought by prominent settler Henry Le Cren who once owned the Beverly Estate, and renamed Sealys home “Craighead” after a Scottish castle associated with his brother-in-law. In 1910 the property was subdivided and offered for sale, paving the way for a new chapter of the site.
Craighead School opened in 1911, founded by the Shand sisters of Dunedin.
As enrolments quickly increased, significant modifications were made to Shand House. In 1912 a two-storey northern wing was constructed on the site of the old conservatory. This included two schoolrooms and a dormitory above. In 1913 another wing was added on the south-east side to provide additional dormitories and accommodation for maids.
By 1921 the original verandah had been enclosed to create a small classroom, and in the 1930s this became a kindergarten space. In 1929 a “sleeping balcony” was added above the verandah, and a gymnasium was built. This later became the Junior Common Room. By 1939, the expanded west wing had become a familiar sight, and Shand House had developed into a central hub of school life.
During this same period, the wider Craighead campus was also evolving. Key facilities such as the chapel and West-Watson Block were added, and additional boarding accommodation was secured at Salmond House and Oakeley House.
The post-war decades brought functional shifts rather than major exterior changes. Floor plans from the 1940s and 1960s show a continual reshuffling of rooms in Shand House to meet the needs of growing student and staff numbers. Dining rooms, senior classrooms and dormitories were all relocated and repurposed as circumstances required.
Throughout this time, the northern and eastern facades of Shand House remained largely unchanged. These areas were considered architecturally significant, especially by the Historic Places Trust, which later classified the building as Category 2. The Old Girls’ Association also expressed strong views about the preservation of Shand House, particularly valuing the building as they remembered it from their school days. While some supported restoration in its original form, others accepted that adaptive reuse was a necessary part of ensuring its longevity.
Elsewhere on campus, the 1950s to 1970s saw the dedication of the chapel, the building of the Principal’s residence, and the construction of the Helen Judge Science Block and Desmond Unwin Hall. In 1975, a severe storm caused significant damage to the school grounds, including the loss of over fifty trees. One of these was a mature Wellingtonia, and in a gesture that reflects Craighead’s deep connection to its trees and landscape, the timber from the fallen tree was milled and used to panel the east wall of Unwin Hall. This detail has become a quietly cherished part of Craighead’s story.
The school integrated with the state education system in 1981, though boarding remained private. This prompted further upgrades across the campus during the early 1980s.
From the late 1980s onwards, Craighead embraced careful modernisation. The boarding facilities were upgraded, including the opening of the Len Home wing in 1991. The old gymnasium was repurposed as a common room, a new library and drama suite were established, and science and technology spaces were improved. In 2005 the Sealy Wing was opened for Year 13 boarders and in 2008 the school auditorium was completed.
Yet Shand House remained a central symbol. Photographs from the early 2000s show the building in elegant form, still fulfilling a mixture of administrative and social functions. In 2010, the house remained a distinctive landmark, its black-and-white concrete façade unchanged in character but quietly carrying the memory of decades of use.
The Christchurch earthquakes of 2011 led to structural concerns, and in 2012 Shand House was closed. Unwin Hall was repurposed to accommodate junior boarders, and Aoraki House and the Lincoln building were moved on site to serve as classrooms. In 2014 a new senior boarding wing was built on the western side of Shand House.
By 2019, the grounds had been further updated. The removal of a large tree in front of the house, due to rot, opened up the façade once more. A new dormitory, built in 2014, stood to the west of the historic structure. While some changes were driven by necessity, others honoured the house’s heritage. The Historic Places Trust had always advocated for the preservation of the original 1875 exterior and internal features, and this respect for history has remained a guiding principle.
When I look at Craighead Diocesan School, I see it as more than the buildings and educational spaces. The built heritage are like monuments to the memories and story of our local community, and wider development for womens rights to education. Shand House, having transformed from a nineteenth-century family home to a much-loved heart of the school, story reflects the adaptability, creativity and spirit that have defined Craighead for more than a century.
Oh to have been a fly on the wall to hear the converstations of the students who have learned, lived and grown within its walls.