Principal’s Notes

Kia ora Alumni,

Elsewhere in the Newsletter you will read of the very successful reunion of the 1970’s year group held here at Springs over King’s Birthday weekend. This got me thinking of all the well-known (even famous) people who have attended the College over the years, that may be unknown to people.

As we watch the papaya orange Formula 1 McLaren racing cars roar to victory in race after race this year, as well as driving past the McLaren cars showroom nearby in Great North Road it is well worth remembering that the founder – Bruce Mclaren attended Seddon Memorial Technical College in the early 1950’s before heading off to Engineering at Auckland University. He then left, after his first year at university on the Driver to Europe scheme, and well, the rest is history. Bruce’s sister, Jan McLaren, also attended SMTC and post school became one of New Zealand’s first female bank managers.

At the same time as Bruce was at school at SMTC, so was Jim Anderton the politician who was New Zealand’s 15th deputy prime minister 1999 to 2002. Jim is best known and remembered for his work in establishing KiwiBank. Who knew that Dr Paul Modrich, distinguished professor at Duke University in the United States and winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2015 attended SMTC in the 1950s! To this list we can add musicians Che Fu (Che Ness), Nesian Mystic (Polysaturated), Joel Little (producers of Lorde’s breakout album Pure Heroine). My research also notes that Viliami Ofahengaue attended Seddon High School in the 1980’s. He played in the world cup winning Australian Rugby side of 1991!

What other notable names can you add to my list?

Ivan Davis
Principal