Diocesan Archives

Bishop William Cowie

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NameWilliam Garden CowiePositionBishop of AucklandBiographical InformationBishop William Garden Cowie was the successor of Bishop George Augustus Selwyn and held the office from 1870 until his death in 1902. With his wife Eliza Jane Cowie, the Bishop was involved in the work of many charitable institutions, such as the Women's Refuge Home, the Auckland Sailors' Home, The Blind Institute and the Orphan Home.

In his early career, Bishop Cowie had been a Chaplain to the Indian Army and was commended for his service at the Siege of Lucknow. The Bishop was well regarded by the wider community for both his service to the Senate of the University of New Zealand, for his tireless commitment to visiting his parishes from Taranaki to Kaitaia and his moderation in all things.

Cowie House was first used as a House name when, in 1915, Miss Pulling established a boarding house for junior Boarders at the largely disused Bishopscourt in Parnell. Bishop Selwyn’s name had already been used, so the next best thing was to take the name of the old house’s longest occupant and first Bishop of Auckland.

During the summer of 1919 / 20 a Hostel for Junior Boarders was built close to where the western end of the Centennial Building is today, and at in Term I 1920, Cowie House moved into its new building.

By 1993, when the four Competing Houses were doubled, the younger boarders had long since become part of Innes House, and the old Cowie House building was being used for various teaching activities, free of its old Associations, Bishop Cowie’s name was free to become one of the four new houses.

Place

Cowie House

Organisation

COWIE

Connections

BuildingCowie HouseOrganisationCOWIE

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TaxonomyPeople | Notable

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Bishop William Cowie