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Avondale College
Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of 2734 students from years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand.[citation needed]
The principal of Avondale College and head of the 180 teachers is Lyndy Watkinson. Watkinson became principal in 2020 after the retirement of Brent Lewis; Lewis became principal in 2001 after the death of Phil Raffills, taking over from acting principal and former deputy principal Warren Peat, who went on to become principal of Saint Kentigern College. Raffills oversaw the redevelopment of the school buildings after much of the site was destroyed in a fire in 1990. Avondale College students wear a black and white uniform with the school crest on it that has variations depending on year level and gender, which changed from an older black, white and grey one in 2004.[citation needed]
The school has adopted NCEA and CIE for assessments and examinations.
The site and buildings of Avondale College started as the U.S. Naval Mobile Hospital No. 6, a hospital for the United States Navy. At that time, the United States was preparing for an extended World War II battle in the South Pacific, and Auckland was chosen as one of a few New Zealand cities for hospitals to tend the wounded army and naval personnel.
The facility was designed by Tibor Donner (then in the NZ Public Works Department) and built by Fletcher Construction. The Department of Education had some of the site planned for a new secondary school to cope with the overcrowding of Auckland secondary schools. The hospital was given first priority, but a small portion of the buildings were built in permanent materials so that the wards, the gymnasium, the hall and some other buildings could be converted into a school at the end of the war. The extent of the hospital was huge, taking up all of the present school site as well as the nearby Rosebank Park and fields.[citation needed]
The war in the Pacific did not reach the scale preparations had been made for, and the hospital was not used to care for war casualties. In February 1945 a single school committee was appointed to supervise the use of the hospital as a school, which was originally named "Avondale Technical High School". As New Zealand was still virtually operating under war conditions, supplies and orders for the school were delayed. When it opened, the school was the only high school to operate in West Auckland, until Henderson High School opened in 1953.
Since 1945, the seven principals of Avondale College (L. E. Titheridge, A. R. Stephenson, W. R. Familton, A. H. Burton, P. R. Raffills, B. Lewis, and L. Watkinson) have extended and rebuilt the buildings, redeveloped the site and grounds, created an outdoor education camp (Taurewa) in Tongariro National Park, established exchange schools in Japan and Noumea, developed business relationships with the local community, and installed advanced technologies for students and staff.
On the evening of 10 April 1990, a major fire at the school destroyed the administration block, assembly hall, gymnasium, and thirteen classrooms. At its peak, 200 firefighters and 26 fire appliances fought the blaze.
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Avondale College
Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of 2734 students from years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand.[citation needed]
The principal of Avondale College and head of the 180 teachers is Lyndy Watkinson. Watkinson became principal in 2020 after the retirement of Brent Lewis; Lewis became principal in 2001 after the death of Phil Raffills, taking over from acting principal and former deputy principal Warren Peat, who went on to become principal of Saint Kentigern College. Raffills oversaw the redevelopment of the school buildings after much of the site was destroyed in a fire in 1990. Avondale College students wear a black and white uniform with the school crest on it that has variations depending on year level and gender, which changed from an older black, white and grey one in 2004.[citation needed]
The school has adopted NCEA and CIE for assessments and examinations.
The site and buildings of Avondale College started as the U.S. Naval Mobile Hospital No. 6, a hospital for the United States Navy. At that time, the United States was preparing for an extended World War II battle in the South Pacific, and Auckland was chosen as one of a few New Zealand cities for hospitals to tend the wounded army and naval personnel.
The facility was designed by Tibor Donner (then in the NZ Public Works Department) and built by Fletcher Construction. The Department of Education had some of the site planned for a new secondary school to cope with the overcrowding of Auckland secondary schools. The hospital was given first priority, but a small portion of the buildings were built in permanent materials so that the wards, the gymnasium, the hall and some other buildings could be converted into a school at the end of the war. The extent of the hospital was huge, taking up all of the present school site as well as the nearby Rosebank Park and fields.[citation needed]
The war in the Pacific did not reach the scale preparations had been made for, and the hospital was not used to care for war casualties. In February 1945 a single school committee was appointed to supervise the use of the hospital as a school, which was originally named "Avondale Technical High School". As New Zealand was still virtually operating under war conditions, supplies and orders for the school were delayed. When it opened, the school was the only high school to operate in West Auckland, until Henderson High School opened in 1953.
Since 1945, the seven principals of Avondale College (L. E. Titheridge, A. R. Stephenson, W. R. Familton, A. H. Burton, P. R. Raffills, B. Lewis, and L. Watkinson) have extended and rebuilt the buildings, redeveloped the site and grounds, created an outdoor education camp (Taurewa) in Tongariro National Park, established exchange schools in Japan and Noumea, developed business relationships with the local community, and installed advanced technologies for students and staff.
On the evening of 10 April 1990, a major fire at the school destroyed the administration block, assembly hall, gymnasium, and thirteen classrooms. At its peak, 200 firefighters and 26 fire appliances fought the blaze.