The School Crest

The school crest first appeared in the front of “The Scindian” April number of 1903.  The Magazine takes its name from the school’s early location on Scinde Island, the term applied to the hill portion of Napier, formerly called Gough’s Hill, and known to the Maori as Mata-rua-hou.   The bay into which the little peninsula of several hills projects was named by Captain Cook after Lord Hawke, one of the most famous English admirals.     
As the township was called Napier in honour of the hero of the Battle of Meeanee in the Indian province of Scinde, it was a natural consequence to apply the name Scinde to the hill portion. There is also a tradition that the word Napier is derived from “Nae Peer”, meaning without a peer or equal.

Perhaps the most celebrated of those bearing the name of Napier include Baron Robert Napier of Magdala; John Napier, beloved of schoolboys by his invention of logarithms, (otherwise Napier's bones or rods); Sir W F P Napier, writer of the classic history of the "War in the Peninsula" in six volumes; Admiral Sir Charles Napier; and Sir Charles James Napier, who gave his name to our town.

The school crest is an adaptation of the coat-of-arms of the Napier family. The supporters (a soldier and a falcon) and the other exterior ornaments (a castle with crossed spears, and a hand with wreath and motto "sans tache") have been dispensed with, while the baron's coronet and the central escutcheon have been retained. Four stars have been substituted for four roses on the first (dexter) quarter.

The four stars, suggestive of the Southern Cross, are emblematic of the South, while the original tinctures, azure (horizontal lines) and argent (blank space) are represented now in the School Colours, blue and white. The virtues typified by these tinctures, loyalty and innocence or purity, are surely suitable and suggestive.  The double border of two quarters of the escutcheon is filled in with fluer-de-lis, a mark of royal favour or relationship.  The English rose in one quarter indicate a contact in peace and war between the Scottish family and the English. 

Furthermore, the crest depicts crescents (moons of today) probably indicative of past victories in Crusader times over the Saracens.  And finally, the Cross of St Andrew, or the Saltire, is depicted showing patriotism or pride of country, i.e. Scotland. Any present or past pupil of the school who studies the School crest and endeavours to penetrate its meaning will surely regard it with pride and, it is hoped also strive to emulate its teaching.

The pillars and arch way were added to the unofficial crest in 2009 to recognize the rebuilding of the school following flood, earthquake and fire. The pillars are replicas of those in the centre of Napier on Marine Parade.

The SCHOOL MOTTO, "Justum perficito, nihil timeto," has a commandingly simple and clear meaning ("Do the right and fear nothing"), which is well in accord with the School crest.

This motto was first used as the motto of the school magazine at its initial publication in 1895, and came to be adopted for the school itself.  It was suggested to the founding editor, Charles Fox, by the third Headmaster of the school, Mr. W.M. Wood, and was the motto of the prep school he had attended in England.