History

Background Information relating to the establishment of Colwill School taken from an Auckland Education Board letter dated 10 October, 1979:

The purchase of the Colwill School site was first considered in 1973 when it could be seen that the overall growth of the area necessitated provision of a further school.

As the site located at the eastern end of Royal Road was not well positioned to cater for the housing east of the motorway, Colwill site was selected as being more central and in 1975 a submission recommending the purchase of this site was put to the Education Department.

Negotiations were eventually entered into in September 1976 with the Housing Corporation and Neil Housing, the major portion of the site being acquired from the Housing Corporation with whom an agreement was reached in February 1997. The following month Neil housing signed an agreement and by April 1976 the settlement was approved by the Department.

In view of the roll growth at Royal Road School, Stage 1 site development was advertised for tender in August 1977. Construction of the school was listed on the 1977/78 Building programme. Stage 2 site works were carried out in 1979 and the school was available for occupation from the commencement of Term 2, 1979.

The Foundation School Committee had the task of choosing a name for the School. Parents voted for the name Colwill after John Henry Colwill who owned a large block of land in the area. In 1920 he subdivided the Colwill Road area into two and five acre blocks where the owners developed orchards and cropping, often on a part-time basis.

The founding Principal, Ian Gray, chose the School Motto. Foundation pupils who observed the birds in the swamp that is now the School playground chose the crest of a white-faced heron. In winter when swampy conditions return the birds are still seen feeding on the field.

To view further pictures of the early history of Colwill check out the "Stroll down memory lane" page in the 25th Jubilee, 2004 area of this site.