Originally Marsden was known as Town House, until it was split into Marsden and Peart in 1947.
Town House was formed in 1926 with 100 boys. Before 1926, for the first four years after the move of the College to Middlemore, Day boys had no House in the full sense of the word. Largely for participation in sport, they were divided into two groups under the names of ‘City’ and ‘Manukau’.
As Town House numbers increased from to 198 in 1947, Town House was divided into two Day boy Houses - Marsden and Peart. ‘Marsden’ originates from the Reverend Samuel Marsden, called the ‘Apostle of New Zealand’ by the New Zealand Prayer Book. He is remembered for being the first person to preach the Christian Gospel in New Zealand on Christmas Day 1814.
In 1977, Marsden, Major, and Peart Houses moved to new buildings, along with Major and Peart, each taking on its own special character.
The Marsden House shield shows the traditional cross marking the place where Samuel Marsden celebrated the first Anglican Service in New Zealand in 1814 at Rangihoua in the Bay of Islands.
Housemaster: Ben Simperingham
