Venue

Venue Profile

Villa Maria College is set in 4.8 hectares of grounds in the North West of the city, close to the University of Canterbury.

The Sisters of Mercy purchased the property on which the College is now situated in 1917. The school was opened on 18 February 1918 with 14 pupils enrolled.
The school continued to grow due to housing developments in the area and additional building was undertaken to keep pace with the growth. This included accommodation for boarders. However, the Sisters decided to phase out the boarding school from 1979, and Villa Maria reverted to a day school.

The auditorium was opened in 1998 and is used regularly as a performance venue by the Canterbury Philharmonia.