The history of Ashburton College is comparatively short when viewed next to the histories of other Canterbury secondary schools. However, in the half century since Ashburton College’s inception in 1965, thousands of students, teachers, parents and other supporters have shaped Ashburton College into the highly successful co-educational school it is today.
Although it may seem that Ashburton College is the school that was and, always has been Ashburton’s sole secondary school. Those that attended Ashburton College in the early days know that Ashburton College was hard fought for and rose out of the ashes of Ashburton’s two former schools; Ashburton High School and Hakatere College (formerly Ashburton Technical School).
Thus the Latin maxim underneath the College insignia, the Phoenix, chosen by Dr. Ronald Baker –