The evolution of the St Bede's uniform and a call out for past items...

In preparation for Boarding 100 we are busy looking through our archive for stories and memories from our boarding school. As part of this event, we would also like to highlight the uniforms students wore while at school. In our archive we have plenty of St Bede’s blazers, boaters, caps and ties but there are other items we would love to acquire to display during the Boarding 100 weekend.

If you have any old shirts, shorts, pants or even an old Cambridge grey suit lying around from your school days and would be happy to either donate them to the school archive or loan them to us for the Boarding 100 event please get in touch with our Archivist, Emily Rosevear, at erosevear@stbedes.school.nz.

A brief history of uniform at St Bede’s

When St Bede’s opened in 1911 students were not required to wear a uniform. It wasn’t until 1925 that a uniform was formally introduced although it did not become compulsory until the following year.

The original school uniform was a dark-grey Cambridge suit, costing families approximately £4, the equivalent of a term’s fee for a day boy or just over $200 today. For those in the boarding school they were also required to have a second suit for school use, an overcoat, and four day shirts. According to the 1925 Bedean the suits could be “obtained from the leading firms of the city” and a pattern could be forwarded onto parents so they could be handmade if desired. Suits remained the school uniform for the next 60 years.

Boarder David Cotter (1953-1958) remembered about the uniform he wore while at school:

“Grey shirt, short sleeves, grey shorts, socks, black shoes. That was about it. On the daily basis. You had a blazer which you wore if you were going to anything outside the college which was of any importance. But we didn't wear long trousers until you got to be a fifth former.”

Over the years a few changes were made to the uniform with a belt added by 1930 and in 1948 we have the first mention of the white shirt worn by day boys. Blazers were also introduced sometime around 1930 with representative blazers worn by students representing the college in rugby or cricket (they would later be extended to athletics as well). Made of black silk cloth with facings of red cord, the school crest was embroidered over the pocket and bands of red were worn on the sleeves to indicate how many times the student had represented the school.

Richard Catterall (1969-1973) remembered how during his free Sundays as a boarder they had to wear a certain uniform in order to leave the school grounds:

“… we could actually leave the property but instead of borders greys, we had to put on our day boys' whites, white shirt, tie and blazer when we left the property, and as soon as we got to wherever we were going, we got changed, but then we had to change back to come back in. And you had to be back in in time for chapel on Sunday night.” 

In the late 1980s there was a campaign led by Robyn Kilworth (who was the first woman appointed to the Board of Trustees) to change the uniform. At the time there were six different accepted uniforms including a different uniform for boarders and day boys. A school blazer had been introduced years before but was only worn for Wednesday and weekend sporting events. Fr Cummings (who would go on to become Rector) and Mrs Kilworth wanted to see the blazer become the main uniform and for all students to look the same.  The new blazer was made of different material to help it stand up to the wear and tear of everyday use. After a year of campaigning the suits were finally dispensed with and the new blazer introduced.

In 2010 the uniform went through another change with the establishment of the onsite uniform shop. Today’s uniform is still based around the traditional black blazer with red trim but with one uniform for all students no matter if they are a day boy or boarder, they are immediately recognisable as a St Bede’s student.