On arrival at WBHS, each boy is assigned to a whānau group. All Carruth House boarders are assigned to Carruth whānau (along with some day boys). Within each Whānau there are up to ten vertical form groups or classes, each with its own whānau teacher. A very hotly contested Inter-Whānau competition takes place throughout the year. Swimming, Athletics, Basketball, Indoor Hockey, 7-aside Rugby, Cross-country, Music, Speeches, Inter-whānau Quiz, Singing, Tennis, Haka and Academic endeavour all contribute to the overall points for each whānau.
Bledisloe
Viscount Bledisloe (1867-1958) was the Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 – 1935. He purchased the historic site where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and later gifted it to the nation.
Carruth
Mr William Carruth was the first European resident in Whangarei. He arrived in March 1839. In 1927, Carruth Boarding Hostel was opened. Mr H G Carruth, who was then the Chairman of the WBHS Board of Governors, declared the school swimming pool opened in 1950.
Grey
Sir George Grey (1812-1898) was a soldier, an explorer and a scholar. He was governor of New Zealand from 1845 to 1853 and then again from 1861 to 1868. He later served as the Premier of New Zealand from 1877 to 1879.
Hobson
Captain William Hobson (1792 – 1842) was the Lieutenant-Governor- in-Chief of New Zealand. He met with Maori to negotiate the Treaty of Waitangi. On 6 February 1840, after the signing, he greeted Maori chiefs with the words “He iwi tatou”. We are all one people.
Marsden
Reverend Samuel Marsden (1765-1838) was a member of the Church Missionary Society. He set up the Anglican Mission Station in the Bay of Islands. Marsden preached the first sermon in New Zealand on Christmas Day 1814.