# Bishop Viard College > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bishop_Viard_College > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bishop_Viard_College.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Viard_College > Source revision: 1348123032 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Secondary school in New Zealand Bishop Viard College Location 20 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua, New Zealand 41°08′25″S 174°50′21″E / 41.1404°S 174.8393°E / -41.1404; 174.8393 Information Type State integrated, Co-educational, Secondary Years 7–13 Motto Truth is Light Established 1968; 58 years ago Ministry of Education Institution no. 256 Principal Chris Theobald Enrollment 390[1] (March 2026) Socio-economic decile 1C[2] Website viard.school.nz **Bishop Viard College**, also known as **Viard College** or **BVC**, is a coeducational, [integrated](/source/State-integrated_school), secondary school (years 7–13) located in [Kenepuru](/source/Kenepuru), [Porirua](/source/Porirua), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). ## History The college was founded in 1968 by Cardinal [Peter McKeefry](/source/Peter_McKeefry), Archbishop of [Wellington](/source/Wellington), and was staffed by the [Assumptionist Fathers](/source/Assumptionist_Fathers) and the [Brigidine Sisters](/source/Brigidine_Sisters). The school was named after [Philippe Viard](/source/Philippe_Viard), the first Catholic Bishop of Wellington. Originally the school consisted of two institutions (for boys and girls) on the same site, however it became a single co-educational unit in 1975. The school celebrated its 50th Jubilee on Labour weekend, 19–21 October 2018.[3] ## Notable alumni Main category: [People educated at Bishop Viard College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_educated_at_Bishop_Viard_College) - [Brent Anderson](/source/Brent_Anderson_(rugby_union)) – rugby union player[4] - [Bernard Cadogan](/source/Bernard_Cadogan) – poet, philosopher, and historian[5] - [Joe Filemu](/source/Joe_Filemu) – [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union) player[6] - [Izzy Ford](/source/Izzy_Ford) – local-body politician and rugby union player - [Faifili Levave](/source/Faifili_Levave) – rugby union player - [Tom Maiava](/source/Tom_Maiava) (born 1999) - [rugby sevens](/source/Rugby_sevens) player for Samoa. - [Vince Mellars](/source/Vince_Mellars) – [rugby league](/source/Rugby_league) and rugby union player - [Anthony Perenise](/source/Anthony_Perenise) – rugby union player - [John Schwalger](/source/John_Schwalger) – rugby union player ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-NZ_school_roll_data_1-0)** ["New Zealand Schools Directory"](https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/data-services/directories/list-of-nz-schools). New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150124000031/http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/SchoolOpsResourcing/OperationalFundingDeciles/DecileChanges_20142015.xls). Ministry of Education. 29 November 2013. Archived from [the original](http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/SchoolOpsResourcing/OperationalFundingDeciles/DecileChanges_20142015.xls) on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["BVC redirect"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724202131/http://www.viard.school.nz/). Archived from [the original](http://www.viard.school.nz/) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Bishop Viard rugby reunion recalls glory days"](http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/70107930/bishop-viard-rugby-reunion-recalls-glory-days). 9 July 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Guest Lecturer Dr. Bernard Cadogan "Treaty and Method: New Zealand's Treaty Constitution and the Interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi""](https://www.treasury.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2011-04/tgls-cadogan.pdf) (PDF). April 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["John A Filemu"](https://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/player/john-a-filemu). *New Zealand Rugby History*. ## Sources - Lillian G. Keys, *Philip Viard, Bishop of Wellington*, Pegasus Press, Christchurch, 1968. - Ernest Richard Simmons, *Brief history of the Catholic Church in New Zealand*, Catholic Publications Centre, Auckland, 1978. - Michael King, *God's farthest outpost : a history of Catholics in New Zealand*, Viking, Auckland 1997. - Michael O'Meeghan S.M., *Steadfast in hope : the story of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington 1850–2000*, Dunmore press, Palmerston North, 2003. - Broadbent, John V. ["Viard, Philippe Joseph 1809–1872 Priest, missionary, bishop"](https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1v1). *[Dictionary of New Zealand Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_New_Zealand_Biography)*. [Ministry for Culture and Heritage](/source/Ministry_for_Culture_and_Heritage). Retrieved 5 April 2011. - [Te Kete Ipurangi](https://web.archive.org/web/20020902130302/http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=256) ## External links - [School website](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724202131/http://www.viard.school.nz/) v t e Schools in the Wellington Region, New Zealand State secondary & composite Aotea College Heretaunga College Hutt Valley High School Kāpiti College Kuranui College Makoura College Mana College Naenae College Newlands College Onslow College Ōtaki College Paraparaumu College Porirua College Rongotai College Taita College Tawa College Upper Hutt College Wainuiomata High School Wairarapa College Wellington College Wellington East Girls' College Wellington Girls' College Wellington High School State-integrated Bishop Viard College Chanel College Hutt International Boys' School Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School Rathkeale College Sacred Heart College Solway College St Bernard's College St Catherine's College St Mary's College St Matthew's Collegiate School St Oran's College St Patrick's College, Wellington St Patrick's College, Silverstream Private Chilton St James School Queen Margaret College Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Scots College --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bishop Viard College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Viard_College) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Viard_College?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.