“How does a small farming community school become a place where famous people begin?” That’s the story of Mangere Central School. Founded in 1859, Mangere Central School began as a one-room schoolhouse. Mangere was then a small farming community. Local settlers built it for their children.
The first Māori students joined Mangere Central School in 1889. Imagine those early days. Students wrote on slates with slate pencils. Teachers used blackboards and easels. And yes the inevitable cane was present.
Consider how different it is today. Modern classrooms boast excellent lighting and central heating. Computers and many other resources support children’s learning now. Early students often walked long distances to school. A lucky few rode donkeys or ponies. Traffic was not a problem on Kirkbride Road back then.
Mangere Central School is proud of its former students. They include Members of Parliament. There are also Headmistresses and Headmasters of early Auckland Schools. Famous sportsmen and women attended this school. A Crown Solicitor and N.Z. Director of Education are also alumni.
The Kirkbride, Westney, Rennie, Massey and Robertson families are remembered. Their names live on in street and place names today. These families were some of the early students.
In 1934, Standard 1 and 2 classes posed for an outdoor group portrait. Mangere Central School has been part of the community for generations. It has seen many changes.
Mangere itself has grown. It is one of the largest suburbs in Auckland now. It sits on flat land near the Manukau Harbour. Auckland Airport is nearby. Mangere includes Mangere Bridge and Mangere East. Favona is sometimes considered part of Mangere too. The suburb is named after Māngere Mountain. It is one of Auckland’s largest volcanic cones.
Mangere Central School continues to look to the future. The school aims to create a sustainable 21st-century environment. It wants learners to be empowered to take flight in our global community. From a small farming community to a global outlook, that is the journey of Mangere Central School.