Welcome from the Housemaster
My family and I feel privileged to be part of the Corfe House community.
As Corfe Housemaster, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the Wood clan. Vikki, who is a primary school teacher, and I have been married for 27 years. Our daughter, Rebekah, is studying Clinical Psychology at UC while our son, Joshua, is completing his Sports Coaching degree at UC. We immigrated from South Africa in 2007 – where I was Director of Boarding at Durban High School – and I took on the role of HOD Mathematics at Buller High School, Westport. I then joined Christ's College in 2008 as a Mathematics teacher. I left teaching at the end of 2012 to pursue an opportunity in industry before returning to College in 2016 as a member of the Mathematics and Physical Education departments. I was appointed School House Housemaster in 2017. In 2022, I took on the new role of Diploma Awards Coordinator, helping to lead the development of the Christ’s College Diploma. I love sport and have coached the College 1st XV and, more recently, the U15A rugby and the Year 9A cricket teams.
We look forward to meeting you and welcome the opportunity to help your son grow and develop at College and, in particular, within the supportive and encouraging environment of Corfe House.
Welcome from Head of Corfe House
Corfe House is a place where all boys are encouraged to get involved and embrace the opportunities and challenges of everyday College life.
The environment is inclusive and supportive, and we aim to have fun while supporting each other. There is interaction between the year groups and all new boys settle into Corfe seamlessly. In recent years, Corfe House has had great success in interhouse competitions and individual boys have achieved well, academically, culturally and in sporting endeavours. Our ethos is that you give everything your best shot and make the most of your time in the House.
Reme Bene.
Matthew Moggie
Head of House 2024
House staff
Andrew Levenger
Deputy Housemaster/Mentor
Andrew Levenger
Deputy Housemaster/Mentor
Andrew was a strike bowler, taking a best of eight for 52 and securing a 50-wicket haul in his final year at school. A back injury forced his retirement from the cut and thrust of club cricket in 2007. He has scored one century and taken the wickets of two test players – although they were both a little past their prime.
Following a fine season coaching the 9A Blacks to silverware in 2018, Andrew has moved up and continues to work his wonders as 1st XI manager.
Hannah Clarkson
Mentor
Hannah Clarkson
Mentor
Hannah took on the leadership of Drama in 2021 after 15 years in charge of Dance and as a Drama teacher and Dean at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. With a Bachelor of Education with specialisation in Performing Arts, Hannah is an experienced choreographer who grew up dancing, and later branched out into musical theatre and acting. She has worked on many joint Christ's College/Rangi Ruru Girls' School productions, with the most recent being 2020’s blockbuster, Evita, 2021’s Fame and 2022’s spectacular Light at the End of the Tunnel.
In 2023, Hannah featured both drama and musical theatre through alternating productions for both junior and senior students. This included the senior production of Peter Pan in May, followed by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. in November. There are many other opportunities for boys with the Shakespeare Festival, NZ Dance Made national competition, Theatre Festival, House Plays, Theatresports, and the Dance Company as a winter sport.
Tony O’Connor
Mentor
Tony O’Connor
Mentor
Mathematics teacher and rowing coach Tony O’Connor emigrated to New Zealand in 2004 and is now enjoying his third stint at Christ’s College.
From Dublin, Tony is a former world champion and Olympic finalist. He was on the Irish national team for nine years and spent two years coaching the national team. Last year he coached Old Boy Sam Bosworth (coxswain) and the New Zealand’s men’s eight to gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Tony says rowing requires total commitment – “you learn a lot in the classroom, but you learn a lot on the river, too. You learn how to lose, and that can teach you more than winning.”
Shannon Small
Mentor
Shannon Small
Mentor
Shannon Small first became involved in Theatresports as an Ashburton College student, travelling to Christchurch for competitions. He was awarded a blue – the equivalent of a College Colour – for his contribution to Theatresports at secondary school. Shannon then completed a Theatre Studies degree at the University of Otago, including papers on improvisation. Next, he gained entry to the prestigious Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School to study for a degree in acting. Following his graduation, workshopping and devising plays became part of his professional life. A career change into teaching took Shannon in a different direction. In 2023, he returned to the sport by coaching the Christ’s College Theatresports teams, with the junior team winning that year.
House booklet
History of Corfe House
The current Corfe House began in the building now known as Selwyn. That building was originally a Master’s House and then it accommodated Condell’s House.
With the increase in dayboy numbers in the 1960s, the residential part of the House became the fourth dayboy House, Corfe, and the upstairs area was turned into a biology laboratory and a classroom. The name Corfe had earlier been associated with a House within the College. In the 1870s, those boys who had boarded with the Headmaster, Charles Carteret Corfe, had, in the tradition of the time, taken on the name of their Housemaster.
Corfe House has taken the tui or parson bird’s head as its symbol. This forms the crest of the College Arms, and the white tuft with almost black plumage reflects College colours — black and white. In 2002 Corfe, moved across Rolleston Avenue to the new dayboy Houses in Gloucester Street. The building in which it was once housed was renamed Selwyn after George Augustus Selwyn, the First Warden of Christ’s College and the only Anglican Bishop of the whole of New Zealand.