Our History
Exploring the rich heritage and milestones of James Hargest College
School Production "The Pirates of Penzance"
School Production - "The Pirates of Penzance".
Eddie Dawkins Wins World Cup Sprint Gold
Hargest alumnus Eddie Dawkins won gold in the men's sprint at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Beijing, setting off a decorated international track cycling career.
School Production "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
School Production - "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".
School Production "Me and My Girl"
School Production - "Me and My Girl".
Nathan Cohen Wins Olympic Gold in London
Former Hargest student Nathan Cohen won gold in the men's double sculls at the 2012 London Olympics (alongside Joseph Sullivan), following back-to-back World Championship titles in 2010 and 2011.
C Block Fire
During the early hours of Thursday 3 January 2013, the C Block was badly damaged by a deliberately lit fire. The block was undergoing major renovations at the time. Fortunately, most of the equipment in the block, such as computers and servers, had been removed months prior to the fire. On 15 January 2013, it was revealed that the fire was deliberately lit by two ex-students of the school. They were sentenced to 3 years, 4 months jail and 3 years, 6 months jail respectively.
School Production "South Pacific"
School Production - "South Pacific".
Peter Beck – Innovation & Aerospace Achievement
Hargest alumnus Peter Beck established Rocket Lab into an international aerospace leader, pioneering commercial satellite launches with the Electron rocket.
School Production "Oliver!"
School Production - "Oliver!".
School Production "My Fair Lady"
School Production - "My Fair Lady".
School Production "The Sound of Music"
School Production - "The Sound of Music".
School Production "Brigadoon"
School Production - "Brigadoon".
60th Diamond Jubilee
James Hargest College holds celebrations to honour 60 years since the opening of the school.
School Production "Evita"
School Production - "Evita".
Ko te Kakahu Huruhuru o Hemi Hakena
Constructed across 8 collaborative workshops, Ko te Kakahu Huruhuru o Hemi Hakena was created by 190 past pupils, staff, students, and whanau under master weaver Robin Hill and helper Margie Bell. Built in collective woven panels, its design incorporates Tane's three baskets of knowledge (Te Kete Aronui, Te Kete-Tuauri, Te Kete-Tuatea), Poutama, Koru, Ng? Maunga, 3 Rakau, Nga Hau e Wha, and the Hargest Lion. Embedded within the cloak is a sacred albatross feather gifted back to the kura by Associate Principal Nadia Rose upon her retirement in 2017 after 42 years of service.
Principal Andy Woods announces his resignation
Andy Woods, who had been Principal since 2010, announced his resignation from the role due to retirement. He remained principal until the end of Term 1 in 2020.
Mr. Woods' successor announced
Mike Newell has been appointed as the new principal of James Hargest College in Invercargill. Newell, who was the Northern Southland College principal, replaced Andy Wood in 2020.
Senior Campus Redevelopment Begins
Demolition and site preparation commenced for the new Senior Campus building developments aimed at replacing aging infrastructure.
School Production "Annie Get Your Gun"
School Production - "Annie Get Your Gun".
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