The school takes its name from the district of Christchurch in which it is situated, the name Mairehau having been adopted in 1916 as a compliment to Mrs Mairehau Hutton whose father, Arthur Gravenor Rhodes, owned considerable property in the area and was a notable benefactor to the district. The name mairehau belongs also to a shrub which grows well in the kauri areas of New Zealand. It is noted for its small, whitish, prolifically growing flowers and for its fragrance.

According to legend Maire was the Maori mist maiden. She, of course, was invisible to mortal eyes and her presence could be detected only by her perfume (hau), the nearest to which in nature was the shrub which thenceforward was known as mairehau.

The Crest and Colours

The encompassing shape is that of the prow of a canoe, a device often used to mark hallowed ground. In the upper part is a symbolic Mairehau flower and in the lower centre is a mere, the symbol of leadership. On each side are scroll patterns indicative of Maori culture through the ages.

The school colours are red and white, and these with black were the only colours available to the Maori craftsmen. Each colour has its special significance. Red is the colour of the physical existence of mankind as we know it; black represents the spirit world of past and future; the white line which runs turning and returning through both red and black is the eternal soul of Man.

The Motto

The leaves of the mairehau contain oil cells which together with the seeds, yield a perfume with which Maori men and women scented their hair and anointed their skins. Maire, as a verb, means to scent, and from this usage comes the motto:

'MAIRETIA I TE MATAURANGA'

which translates to

'BE FRAGRANT WITH WISDOM'

This section adapted from "Mairehau High School 25th Jubilee Magazine
1961-1985" (1986)