Wellington Commercial & Grammar School

On February 20th 1855, following exhaustive and animated discussions as to the viability and right of the State to play a part in the education of the people (as opposed to the Church) the Wellington Provincial Council passed a Bill to promote the establishment of common schools funded by the State in the Wellington Provincial District. On January 19th 1857 Edward Toomath, already a Schoolmaster, opened the Wellington Commercial & Grammar School on the corner of Wellington Terrace (now The Terrace) and Aurora Terrace. Messrs W H Holmes, W Mowbray, J H Brann, Sir W Butler and the Reverend Kirton were visiting masters. Average fees for the students were �2-12-6 per quarter. Subjects studied by the students were; Scripture, Latin, French, grammar, composition, arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, history, geography, writing and drawing.