From our first gymnasium and cafeteria to the modern facilities being developed at OHS today.
Over the years, Onehunga High School has undergone many changes to its buildings and facilities. Two of the school's first major building projects were the gymnasium and cafeteria. Both provided opportunities for fundraising to help meet the costs associated with buildings of this size.
The First Gymnasium
When the school opened in February 1959, students carried out their physical education lessons wherever space was available, including around the existing classroom blocks. Over the following years, the Principal, staff and students recognised the need for a properly equipped gymnasium.
As the government did not include a gymnasium in the standard school plan, it was decided that the school would need to help fund the project itself. A committee was formed in 1963, bringing together representatives from the Board, staff and parents. Fundraising activities followed, including class competitions, raffles and donations from local businesses.
Of course, the school now has a stunning new gymnasium, but the first one played its part in the school's history.
The Cafeteria
In the early 1970s, staff and students agreed that the school was in desperate need of a cafeteria, not just a place to buy lunch, but importantly a place where students could meet and socialise and a place to shelter in wet weather. The Ministry of Education would not provide any funds to build this type of building. If the school wanted it, then it would need to raise all the funds itself. With an estimated cost of $55,000, raising this amount of money was a huge challenge, but one the school community was determined to achieve.
1974 became the Cafeteria Year, and the fundraising began and was endless. If there was a way to raise money, then it was used. There was a weekly prize for the class which raised the most money, cake stalls, walkathons, selling mystery envelopes across Auckland, working in the community, a major raffle of a round-the-world flight for two, plus many smaller raffles, bottle drives, paper drives and a fashion parade, to name some of the fundraising efforts. Parents also held a ball to help swell the funds.
In less than a year, the building was designed, approved and construction was well underway. The local community provided tremendous support in a variety of ways and helped to reduce costs wherever possible. For example, a group of parents, staff and students laid the roof, saving $1,000. The following year, the cafeteria was completed and ready for use, a huge achievement for the students, staff and wider community who worked so hard to reach the goal and provide a facility which would benefit not only the current students but generations to follow.
The original cafeteria building still exists and is now used by Central Auckland Specialist School (CASS), formerly Sunnydene Special School.
The Changes Continue at OHS
Today, Onehunga High School continues to undergo significant changes as we modernise our facilities. We have already completed our new gymnasium, with further developments planned for the end of 2026 and throughout 2027. These include a new library, improved sporting facilities, covered walkways and a large canopy to provide students with shelter from the sun and rain.
The refurbishment of our main 22 ABC Block and the renaming of school buildings are also part of the changes taking place across OHS. There is still much more to come as we continue to improve our school environment and facilities for current and future students.
With thanks to John Pipe, OHS Archivist, for sharing this history from the Term 3, 2026 Archives Newsletter.
