Pre 1900 History

The following notes are from old School Committee minutes and records held at the school.

1865
A class of seven students was opened at St. Ninian's church. The first known school in Avondale was in St. NInian's from 1865 to 1868.

1868
A public school was opened in the Whau Hall, across the road from St.Ninian's.

1870
The Whau District School was operating in the Whau Hall.

1872
The 1872 Education Act made it compulsory for all children betrween the ages of 7 and 12 to attend school if they lived within two miles of a school. The Avondale school area included Waterview, Blockhouse Bay and parts of Mount Albert. The first recorded correspondence from the Whau District School Committee arose from this Act. A letter dated January 12, 1873, advised that a meeting of householders carried a resolution accepting the 1872 Education Act as it stood.

1879
There was some controversy about the use of the Whau Hall as a school. The School Committee asked the Education Board for a new school building but it was October 1881 before a decision was made

1881
The Auckland Education Board bought the present school site, on the corner of Cracroft (now called Crayford) Street and Great North Road. The land, approximately one and a half acres (15,833.00m2), cost 110 pounds

1882
A two-classroom school was built on this site, and the school was officially opened. The tender price for the school was 537 pounds.

1883
The school name was changed from Whau District School to Avondale District School.

1886
By 1886 the school roll had risen to 175. The School Committee asked the Auckland Education Board for more rooms but were advised to send the senior children to Morningside School instead. By the end of the year the Education Board had been persuaded by the School Committee to build a further two classrooms.
The School Committee decided that a month's Christmas holiday was enough.
Ten pounds was raised to start a school library.

1887
The School Committee decided to increase the Christmas holiday to five weeks.
The School Committee also resolved that one hour each fortnight be devoted to temperance lessons

1888
The school foyer displays an oil painting of the school, painted in 1888 by William Bollard, son of John Bollard who served on the School Committee for more than 50 years. (See more about John Bollard and a picture of a special plaque in our school archive, in the next section of our history).

1890
There were staffing problems back then as the average daily attendance determined how many teachers the school would have. It was agreed that on wet days, when children usually stayed home, if fewer than 50 pupils out of the 170 on the roll attended, the school would close. These days would not then be included in the average attendance figures for staffing purposes.

1895
Avondale South householders petitioned the Education Board for a school at Avondale South. It was to be another nine years before Blockhouse Bay School opened.

1898
The School Committee was asked to investigate the possibility of building a fence through the playground to keep the boys and girls separate.
A cleaner was told he would not be paid until he had cleaned the floors and windows and whitewashed the fireplaces.
The Auckland Education Board set a limit of 300 children for the school roll.

1899
Many children travelled to school on horseback. 'Percy' was withdrawn from the Register of Admissions and Withdrawals when he died after falling from his horse.