German settlement in Nelson began in 1843 with the arrival of the ship St Pauli. The following year the ship Skiold arrived with another group of German immigrants.
Sponsored by nobleman (Count) Graf Kuno zu Rantzau, this group arrived to an uncertain future but had the fortune of having brothers Carl and Fedor Kelling as company agents.
The Skiold immigrants settled on land at Waimea East, calling it Ranzau after the Count. In 1845, Missionary Heine was teaching children fortnightly in the Kelling’s home in Ranzau.
In 1848 the Lutherans were granted a site of 1.5 acres on to build a church and school. The structure was built of clay with a low straw roof, and contained a large room for the church with living quarters behind.
In 1854 nine children attended, but with the passing of the Nelson Education Ordinance in 1856 and the introduction of the Nelson School System this number doubled. The German language was dropped in favour of English so children of other settlers could attend. By 1856 the roll rose to 31 with Augustus Weyergang being the schoolmaster.
Although no records are available on the first school being built on the present school site it appears that a building was erected about 1860 when Mr Jackson was the teacher. The application to the Education Board in 1862 for a schoolhouse at Ranzau tends to confirm this date.
In 1908 the original school was removed by Mr Kearns with a traction engine to approximately 500 yards from the Ranzau Rd Main Rd corner to be used as a billiard saloon. A new school was built on the same site by the Tomlinson brothers of Waimea West. Both Hope and Ranzau schools were overseen by one committee with headquarters at Hope but disagreements between Hope and Ranzau residents often occurred.
The amalgamation of the two schools into one, to be located on a site fronting the then Main Rd and Aniseed Valley Rd, was raised, resulting in heated meetings. Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, was secured to arbitrate the matter with the result being not to amalgamate. In May 1933 Ranzau householders were successful in forming a separate committee to oversee the school.
In June 1956 the Nelson Education Board agreed to the erection of a third classroom on the condition that it was of a temporary nature. The new classroom had once been the Owen River School.
A permanent classroom and staffroom was approved in August 1961 and in 1968 a fourth classroom was approved but lack of finances meant it was not available until June 1970, so due to overcrowding the Hope Gospel Hall was used for three terms in 1969 to 1970.
the next decade the school roll of 60 pupils in 1950 peaked to 129 in 1972. The school consisted of four classrooms with a school residence, playing areas, swimming pool, basketball courts, sandpit, and a quarter acre of grassed land.
Major remodelling occurred in 1979 and the old school was shifted to Hope Domain. In 1996 the roll had reached almost 200 and construction of yet another classroom was commissioned.
The 150th anniversary of the school was held in 1998, making Ranzau one of the oldest schools in New Zealand.
Greg Buck donated a school bell to commemorate the event.
Around 2010 a multipurpose centre was built; library modernised, and the introduction of new information and communication technologies implemented.
With plans to move Ranzau School to the Meadows subdivision another chapter begins. In the words of the Board Chair, Daniel Haring, “We want the culture, history and heritage to go with us. Keeping the name will help in the continuity of these important characteristics, allowing them to grow and flourish on a new site”.
