St Patrick's College is a Catholic Integrated boys College situated on an attractive site near the Wellington harbour at Kilbirnie. The College carries the name of St Patrick, the great saint of Ireland. Much of Patrick's life is shrouded in mystery and legend. He was probably born around 385 AD, and as a young man was taken captive to Ireland as a slave. St Patrick's College was founded by Archbishop Francis Redwood SM in 1885. It was one of the first fruits of the Society of Mary (Marists) whose members played such a prominent part in the establishment of the Catholic faith in New Zealand. The College was first staffed by Irish Marists whose zeal, drive and enthusiasm caught the imagination of the Catholic population of New Zealand. In 1931 the boarding section of St Pat's was transferred to Silverstream, to allow room for the expanding numbers of students on the Cambridge Terrace site. This decision gave rise to St Pats Town and St Pat's Silverstream, the two St Patrick's Colleges linked by their common name, history, and the many competitive and co-operative events in which they participate together. In 1979 St Patrick's College shifted from its Cambridge Terrace site to new purpose-built facilities adjacent to Kilbirnie Green and Evans Bay.