OUR HERITAGE
Lindisfarne is still a reasonably new School with our doors being open to students since 1953. This being said we have an extremely rich history embedded into Scottish Culture which is hundreds of years old. Built from Christian Roots, we stand strong in the characters and values that were built along with the walls on day one.

The Beginning

Lindisfarne College opened its doors to 33 foundation pupils on April 14th, 1953, but it was the generosity of E.J. Herrick which made the creation of Lindisfarne a possibility. In 1951 he offered the land and buildings of his Hastings farmlet named "Lindisfarne" to the Presbyterian Church for £20,000 - leaving £5,000 to the College as a gift if the extra £15,000 was raised within a month. Excited by the prospect of establishing a private Presbyterian Boys' Boarding School in Hastings, the school's 3 founding fathers - Reverend F.H. Robertson (the College's first Rector), A. Kirkpatrick (the first College Council Chairman), and R.D. Brown, arranged the purchase within time, thanks to the generosity of a relatively small group of local supporters.

The beautiful park-like surroundings of the school grounds, and the gracious old 3 storeyed 'Homestead' building, have been nurtured and well maintained so that the College environment is a peaceful and pleasant educational environment for pupils and staff. The old tennis court area, dating from the 1900's, has evolved into the sweeping Homestead lawn, edged by flower beds, native ferns bordering the trickling stream and many marvellous old English trees.

​​​​​​​The College Council marked the new millennium with extensive renovations of the Homestead building, managing to keep its 'Olde World' charm by employing skilled craftsmen to renew the wooden panelling, leather armchairs and tiled roofing. The 'Homestead' now houses the staff common room, Rector's office, Boardroom and administration areas.  The outstanding modern facilities of the College are designed and constructed to match the Homestead and enable a modern learning environment within a heritage setting.

Lindisfarne Coat of Arms

The Lindisfarne Coat of Arms which appears on the uniform and stationery is the distinctive icon by which the school is recognised. The importance of having a unique symbol associated with the school was recognised early on and before the college had even opened its doors, a coat of arms was requested from the College of Heralds in London. The coat of arms produced features a representation of St Oswald’s head and the dominant feature of the shield is the St. Cuthbert’s cross. In addition, the diagonal division of the shield is a reference to St. Aidan, the first Bishop of Lindisfarne. The wave patterns on the shield are also a reference to the establishment of Lindisfarne College far across the sea. The motto “Ascensiones in Corde” comes from Psalm 84 and was suggested by the Reverend Robertson, the first school Rector. The preferred translation is “Highways in the Heart” The Letters Patent which is the official certificate of the Coat of Arms is framed and hangs in the school dining room.​​​​​​​

Read about the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne.

Rector's Roll

1953-1954 — Reverend F.H. Robertson (Roll 33 boarders)
1955-1956 — P.H.G. Southwell 
1956-1959 — J.W. Scougall
1959-1970 — A.C. Francis 
1970-1978 — J.H.N. Pine 
1978-1980 — P.M. Hill 
1980-2000 — W.G. Smith 
2000-2009 — G.W. Lander 
2010-2020 — K.G. MacLeod  
​​​​​​​2020- current — S.D Hakeney

Homage to our Heritage
​​​​​​​The 'DIBBLE' Statues in the College

The College is fortunate to have three significant statues created by world renowned sculptor, Paul Dibble.  These were commissioned by the College Foundation and each unique piece has been designed to represent aspects of the college's culture. The scuptures also highlight the importance of the arts and cultural pursuits in the school.​​​​​​​

The most recent piece is a bronze and Corten steel, seven-piece sculpture  inspired by changing seasons, the various different kinds of arts and great artists both past and present.  A large heart signifying the school's motto Highways in the Heart - has the names of famous artists engraved in it.

The Good Man Window

The Good Man window was installed In 2007 as part of a full chapel refurbishment. The concept of the window had arisen from a project undertaken by the late Celia Lashlie in which she travelled around New Zealand encouraging boys’ schools to explore their understanding of masculinity and define what makes a “good man”.  Mr Graham Stewart from Christchurch was commissioned  by Rector Grant Lander to create five stained glass windows depicting the houses of the college and the school values as represented by “The Good Man”concept. The four men depicted in the window are Sir Edmund Hilary, Charles Upham,  Sir Ernest Rutherford and John Rangihau, each of whom is considered to represent different aspects of being a “good man”.

​​​​​​​The values depicted in the window echo the school’s core values of Respect, Integrity, Courage, Kindness, Service and Humility. " Past Rector Grant Lander said "The people selected for the window represent many of his own qualities - the things boys need to aspire to in future. The four men, representing qualities such as adventure, courage and humility, were chosen after consultation with the school's Parents and Friends Association, local iwi, pupils and staff."

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CUTHBERT HOUSE

St Cuthbert is the most famous Bishop of Lindisfarne and became the patron saint of Lindisfarne.  He was the son of very humble parents and in early life he was a shepherd boy.  He lead a life of great sacrifice and his corpse became a religious relic believed to have healing properties.  As with Aidan House, Cuthbert House was established in the first year of the College’s existence, 1953.

OSWALD HOUSE

St Oswald was restored to the throne of Northumbria after heathen occupation. He asked for missionaries from Iona to restore the Christian faith and one of those sent was St. Aidan. Oswald was  killed by pagan invaders at the battle of Maserfield and his body was dismembered.  Begun as a dayboy House, Oswald House was named as the third of Lindisfarne College’s four houses in 1974.

DURHAM HOUSE

Durham Priory was home to a community of monks who looked after the shrine of St Cuthbert and cared for all the visitors and pilgrim to the shrine.  The monks were good stewards of the property and brought wealth, security, education and welfare to the region. The youngest of the four Houses at Lindisfarne College, Durham House began as a dayboy house in 1977.

AIDAN HOUSE

​​​​​​​St Aidan was sent as a missionary from Iona and when asked by Oswald where he wanted to establish his church, he asked for the island of Lindisfarne within the sight of the King’s castle.  He became known for his evangelism and built churches and schools around Northumbria.  Aidan House was one of the two original Houses (with Cuthbert) established at Lindisfarne College in 1953.

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