History | Greenacres School &

Our History

Where Greenacres School stands today there was once a valley covered in gorse. Once the establishment of our school was proposed, the area needed extensive earthworks to prepare the site before building could begin. Greenacres School was built to accommodate pupils east of the motorway and ease congestion at Linden School.

Greenacres School as an entity was opened on 2 February 1972, but not on the present site. It opened on the site of the now Tawa Intermediate School, in buildings known then as the Side School. It was a few weeks (Easter) until the move to the present site took place when the grounds were completed.

The school was a full primary (Year 1 – 8) until 1976 when Tawa Intermediate opened and the senior students relocated there. The opening roll was 101 students, 32 of these being in Y1. By June 1972 the roll had grown to 116 and by September to 136 students.

The school comprised three buildings:

the junior block
the senior block
the administration block

The bottom field was not ready for students to use until late 1973.

Foundation staff

Mr David Swan

Principal

Mrs Claire Millar

Infant Mistress

Mrs Hartnell

Stds 1 & 2

Mrs Harman

Stds 2 & 3

Miss Rogers

Std 4 & Forms 1 & 2

Happenings of interest

1976 - Adventure Playground proposed and approved for backfield at a cost of $540.00
1978 - School Association planted 2000 pine trees (costing $40) on the banks to keep the gorse down.
1978 - School association sold the first Greenacres t-shirts
Late 1970s & early 1980s - Fairs and Argentinian styled BBQs (where whole sheep carcasses were cooked on spits over open fires on the back field) were held. The Barvarian Evening was also a great fund raiser.
1982 - The School celebrated its 10 years marked with a family fun day.
1984 - The first staffroom enlargement took place and a large concrete volley wall was built.