A karanga call has drawn students and teachers, past and present, back to their college for its 60th jubilee.

Celebrations started on Friday at Marlborough Girls’ College, with te reo teacher and Marlborough Living Cultural Treasure Whaea Nan Kahu Chadwick leading the karanga, along with students Alex Brown, Cleo Collins and Veisinia Moli.

The karanga marked the start of an outdoor pōwhiri to welcome visitors, with staff members Mark Lower and Stephen Galt welcoming people on behalf of the college.

Old girl from 1963, Karen Starkey, led past classmates onto the college grounds and responded to the karanga. Matua John Kendal, the Marlborough Boys’ College principal, spoke on behalf of the visitors.

After the singing of waiata, people greeted one another with hongi, and then morning tea was shared.

Students returned to their classrooms, where the “old girls” checked out modern teaching and learning during school tours. There was an open invitation to watch house sports in the afternoon.

Celebrations continued on Saturday, with more tours of the school, friendships rekindled and memories triggered by historic photos and memorabilia.

A jubilee dinner was to be held at the school hall on Saturday night.

Principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch said about 50 people registered for the celebration, a “boutique event” that brought past and present pupils together.

Marlborough Girls’ College opened on McLauchlan St in 1963, after splitting from the co-educational Marlborough College.

Early steps had been taken towards Te Tātoru o Wairau, the co-location of the Boys’ and Girls’ colleges at the McLauchlan St site. A mauri stone from Te Hoiere/Pelorus River was laid at the new campus in June, and work also started on developing a new hockey turf.