Clayton House was a two-storey concrete house built for William Henry Clayton in 1873. In 1878, Mr Williams bought the house and had the Tower Block added. The sea was across the road and down the cliff so the tower gave a good view. It was built of the finest kauri and Australian woods.

What we now call the main entrance was then the Garden Entrance. Where the Pivac Wing now stands was the main entrance and the horses, Punch and Judy, would deliver the Governor, the Mayor and maybe even Katherine Mansfield to dine and dance.

Queen Margaret College had two founding fathers. Dr Gibb, a Scot, was the first moderator of the United Presbyterian Church of New Zealand and a man who believed strongly in peace.

The second founder was the Mayor of Wellington, Mr Aitken, Chairman of the Wellington Education Board and the first lay Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly.

The dream of a girls' college began in 1914 but, as Scots College got in first, it was not until their roll doubled and they moved to Strathmore, that Queen Margaret College was opened on 19 February 1919 with 53 pupils - three boys and 14 boarders. The connection with Scots College has been retained through the years.

Our first headmistress was Miss Nancy Jobson, an upright and rather strict woman, who saw the school through its first year. Under Mrs Hayton , QMC made New Zealand history by forming the first girls' school radio club.

In 1924, Miss Irene Wilson came to QMC. Her influence was immense; she enlarged the Library, filled in the gully in front of the school and encouraged visits to theatre, concerts, opera and ballet. In 1924, we had our first university graduate, Isabel Smith BA.

In 1927, Miss Wilson introduced the House system. At first there were four Houses but later a fifth was added as the number of pupils grew. Berwick, Braemar, Glamis, Lochleven and Stirling House Meetings were held every Friday and banners were changed every Monday.

Over time the school has expanded and building has been ongoing. In 1935 the Wilson Wing was built for boarders (in 1950 the boarding school was closed) and the Junior School. In 1954, the new Assembly Hall was underway and the first assembly took place in it on 20 September 1955.

During the time Mrs Nancy Black was principal, the school celebrated the 50th Jubilee with the drama, The Daughters of Troy, and the gymnasium was completed in 1968. Mrs Black long service began as Head of English in 1954 through to her retirement in 1977.

Miss Marion McCree introduced computers, Heads of Departments and more specialist teachers and began the new Wilson Wing which was completed under Mrs Hilary Lamb.

In 2001, under principal Mrs Ann Mildenhall, Aitken House was built after a fire destroyed the Music Suite. The Pre-school was opened in 2003 and we became four schools in one. It was also time for the distinctive new uniform

In 2005, the refurbishment of the Tower Block began: every plaster moulding was removed copied and replaced and the building was strengthened, rewired and the kauri brought back to its original golden brilliance. The Tower graffiti was carefully photographed before it underwent its makeover.

The building continued with the Pivac Wing officially opened by the Governor General in 2006. The school is in good heart and has taken its latest step by becoming an IB World School in 2009.