1923: Term III, the school under Headmaster Armour introduces four competition houses – Scinde, Heretaunga, Clyde and Hawke
1938: The house system is abolished.
1945: The house system is reintroduced, with the establishment of four houses – Hawke, Clyde, Napier and Colenso. Boarders are dispersed between the four houses.
1954: Scinde is restored as one of the four houses and Hawke is abolished.
1957: The number of houses is expended to six ; Hawke and Heretaunga are re-established
1965: Colenso and Heretaunga are abolished in a return to the four house system
1967: House shields are designed
1968: The house shields appear for the first time in the Scindian’s House notes.
1981: Houses are abolished, replaced by an inter-form competition,
1990: The house system, with the four 1965 houses, is reinstated.
Clyde House
Named after the Hill site of the original school – on Clyde Road. Sir Colin Campbell, Baron Clyde, had led the Highland Regiments in the Crimean War but was most prominent as the Commander-Chief in India charged with rescuing civilians trapped by the Siege of Lucknow and suppressing the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Taking his title from the famous English ship-building river in England Clyde is yet another link with the heroes and events of Imperial expansion in British India, a tradition in Hawke’s Bay place names.
Hawke House
Hawke Bay was named in 1769 by Captain James Cook in honour of Sir Edward Hawke, First Lord of the Admiralty, his superior in London
Heretaunga - named after the plains south of Napier. In 1923 only Te Aute College, Hastings District High School and the District schools in Waipawa and Waipukurau drew boys from the same area.
Napier House
As the the city, named after Sir Charles Napier (1782 – 1853), who served in the Napoleonic Wars but was most famous for his 1843 victory over the Amirs of Sind (Scinde) in the Battle of Miani (Meeanee), adding that province (now in Pakistan) to the British Indian possessions.
Scinde House
The name of the boarding house established in 1884, from Scinde Island (Bluff Hill). As part of the British India naming tradition Scinde commenorates Napier’s victory with a force of 2,800 over 30,000. Napier is reputed to have informed his superiors in London of his victory with a one word despatch : “Pecavvi” ( I have sinned) – the latin pun did not amuse the Generals at the War Office.
One of the most exciting additions to school life this year has been the introduction of the Interhouse Shield. The Shield was created by the Headmaster to strengthen house spirit and give students even more opportunities to compete across a wide range of activities – from sport and cultural challenges to academic contests. Each time a house wins a challenge, their name is placed beneath the Shield, and valuable interhouse points are added to their tally.
The Shield has already added a new layer of energy to our house system, with competitions drawing strong support and enthusiasm from students and staff alike. It has quickly become a sought-after prize and a visible symbol of house pride.
In true Napier Boys’ fashion, the Shield also developed a story of its own when it “went missing” for three weeks mid-year. A student, frustrated by the return of long-standing rules and standards, decided to make his point by hiding the Shield. Thankfully, the matter was quickly resolved, and the Shield was returned safely after the culprit was found out.
Now firmly back on the hall stage where it belongs, the Shield continues to do what it was designed for, inspiring spirited competition, teamwork, and pride in our interhouse competition. With only its first year complete, we look forward to seeing it become a central tradition in the life our school.