A brief chronological history of Rotorua Schools
As the new school year approaches, I wonder how many of us knows /or cares how schooling began in Rotorua? For me school was to be endured, not enjoyed, although some subjects were easy others were a real trial. This has, it seems, been the norm for quite a few in my generation. I got to thinking today about when formal education began in Rotorua and was a little surprised by what I discovered from Don Stafford's "The Founding Years in Rotorua: a history of events to 1900".
Rotorua's first school was at Ohinemutu in c1867, followed closely by Te Wairoa in 1870 from that time on the schools and education in Rotorua has fluctuated with the ever changing population. The local Maori were keen for their children to learn, so much so, that the Native Schools were Rotorua's first ever schools.
Here is a time-line of some of our oldest schools as recorded in Don Stafford's books :
| Ohinemutu | 1867-c1887, then on the current site on Arawa St, from 1887-Present |
| Te Wairoa | 1870 –c1886 |
| Rotoiti : Te Akau | 1871 |
| Te Awahou | 1877-c1894 |
| Te Taheke | 1890-c1892, dismantled and moved to Matawera (Te Ngae) c1896-1926 |
| Mamaku School | 1899-Present |
| Whakarewarewa Native School | 1902-Present "Te Kura o te Whakarewarewa |
| Rotoiti : Waiiti | 1904-Present |
| Mangorewa, Central Rd | 1906-1950 |
| Ngongotaha School | 1906-Present |
| Oturoa | 1906- c1946-1950 |
| Reporoa Primary School | 1923-Present |
| Lake Rotoma School | 1928-Present |
| Rotorua High School | 1929, becomes Rotorua Girls High and Rotorua Boys High c1958 |
| Horohoro School | 1930-Present |
| St Michael’s Convent School | 1939-Present |
| Glenholme Primary School | 1945-Present |
| Lynmore Primary School | 1955-Present |
| Malfroy Primary School | 1955-Present |
| Ngakuru School | 1955-Present |
| Lake Rerewhakaaitu School | 1955-Present |
| Waikite Valley School | 1955-Present |
| Kaharoa School | 1956-Present |
| Rotokawa School | 1956-Present |
| Rotorua Intermediate | 1957-Present |
| Otonga Primary School | 1958-Present |
| Western Heights Primary | 1958-Present |
| Sunset Intermediate | 1959-2007 |
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| This article was just one of many requesting a High School in Rotorua since c1910 |
There have been several more schools established in Rotorua since this time including our first total immersion Maori language school. Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata in 1986.
Rotorua District Library has books published about and by some the schools above as they celebrate their anniversary's, come up to the 2nd Floor, NZ History and Travel section and see what you can find about your old (or current) school.
