Wellington Marist's story begins in 1896, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Wellington.

​​​​​​​Originally called the Marist Brothers, the first team was near the top of New Zealand football from 1918-1965. During that time, the Marist Brothers won the league 6 times, in 1932, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1947, and 1953. Our clubrooms were based at the Basin Reserve, and we also played our games there. The team also enjoyed national success, achieving three Chatham Cup Finals in 1932, 1945, and 1946. Two of these finals were won, bringing the Chatham Cup trophy home in 1932 after a 5-0 win over Millerton All Blacks and 1946 after a 2-1 win over Technical Old Boys.

The late 1950s through to the early 1980s was a tough time for the club. We lost our clubrooms at the Basin Reserve, and saw our numbers dwindle as we roamed around Wellington looking for a place to call home. Our top mens team dropped down the grades and out of the public eye of Wellington and New Zealand football. A further financial hit was taken in 1972, when the contract for Marist to run the bar at Basin Reserve events expired. 

1987 was a big year for the club, with Wellington Marist Life Member Kevin 'Syd' Bastion reviving the annual New Zealand Marist Football Tournament. Although not much is documented of the original competition which ran from about 1900-1930, the trophie remained in Wellington with our Marist team. The first revived competition was held in Wellington, welcoming Marist teams from all accross the country. The tournament recieved a fair bit of media attention, as well as a letter from Wellington Mayor Jim Belich thanking the teams for competing and recommending some of the city's tourist attractions.

In the same year, the Kilbirnie Cricket Club proposed a duel clubrooms setup at their original building on Kilbirnie Park. Wellington Marist accepted the terms, and we finally had a place to call home. Immediately, it became apparent that the clubrooms was too small for two clubs. This saw rise to "The Association", which was a taskforce of Kilbirnie Cricket Club and Wellington Marist AFC representatives. in 1988, construction began to extend our clubrooms - the Pavillion was created. It was a gamble building such a hub for two relatively small clubs, but through hardwork and successful fundraising, the Pavilion was completed in 1989 for a cost of around $300,000. 

What came next was a revival of our football club. The mens first team made its way back up the leagues, competing in Central League 2 from 1993-1998. Womens football began to flourish, and our club once again became desirable for people of all ages and skill levels.

Our Women's team won the Central Premier Women's League four times, in 1995, 2005, 2009, and 2010. They were a force to be reckoned with in the late 1900s and early 2000s, also achieving finals in the Wellingtons Kelly Cup in 1995 and 2009, 2010, and 2011. Two of these finals were won, in 1995 and 2010. 

We are currently trying to fill the gaps in the history of our great club, to provide a comprehensive breakdown for you. If you have any information regarding Marist AFC's history, please contact James Reilly (details found on the Contact Us page).