History

The first sale of land at Totara North was to Henry Davis Snowden.  The deed dates back to 1839.

Bush-felling, pit-sawing and squaring the timber cut was the main industry in those days.  Kauri gum was climbed for, bullock teams and horses were used in the felling and hauling either to the mill or the water and needed veterinary and farriers' attention and stores catered to the needs of man and beast.

In 872, Major Lane and William Brown established a shipyard at Totara North.  They built over 100 vessels in their 28 years at Totara North and during that time provided employment for 60 to 100 men.  To provide for their needs, there were also three boarding houses, two stores, one bakery, a rope works, a brick-making business, and a post-office.  This meant, especially as most of the men had large families, there was no difficulty in keeping the school roll between 70 and 100.

Mr. G. Tierney Fergfusson had established a private school here in 1862, charging we are told, 1 penny per week for day or evening classes.  In 1878 the Auckland Education Board took the school over, and built the present building.

The present school building was altered in 1968, when the two classrooms were altered to provide one large classroom, with library and cloakroom space, and the staffroom, storage room, etc.  Later, a new toilet block was erected oposite the entrance, and the cloakroom served as a somewhat inadequate second classroom.

In 2009 - 2010 the school had a lot of work done.  The senior room was totally refurbished and renovated to make the teaching space bigger and more user friendly.  The students got new desks to fit in with their new room and an added bonus was the digital projectors and screens  in both classes to compliment the class set of laptops. 

The outside toilet block was totally refurbished and lined, and the other toilets re-painted.

In 2009 the teachers were also lucky enough to have their staffroom refurbished. 

In the early days the chldren walked or rode from Takakuri, Kahoe, Waihapa, Waipuna and Motuhunga (the last two districts being on the other side of the Iwitawa River and meant that the children had to ford it, and were either late to school or late home, according to the tide.