Brief history of Epsom Campus

Epsom Campus was established in 1926. The original red brick building was built in 1925 at a cost of £46,197. It was designed by Education Board Architect John Farrell and built by H.C Nicholls. The building included 18 classrooms, two laboratories, a spacious library and study rooms.

The men’s entrance was in the north wing, and the women’s in the south. The grounds of the new college needed much work as the area was covered in unlevelled rough scoria and persistent gorse.

The full design was completed in stages as further funding became available. A central assembly hall was added in 1937 and the south wing containing a cafeteria and a gymnasium two years later. Phoenix palms were planted on the strip of lawn near the north wing of the original building in the late 1930s and can still be seen on Epsom Campus.

In 1936, the college was renamed the Auckland Teachers’ Training College and was then later renamed the Auckland Teachers’ College in 1948. During its early years, the college operated as a glorified secondary school for training teachers with a strong practitioner focus, where forging strong bonds with lecturers and peers was valued.

The newly de-parapeted and re-roofed building was deemed an earthquake risk and the original 1925 red brick building was demolished in 1976 and the College rebuilt with the official opening happening 1978. This is what you see on the Epsom Campus site today.

The Faculty of Education and Social Work has been headed by the Dean, Professor Mark Barrow, since 2018. Read more about the history of the faculty.

- Reference: Shaw, Louise. (2006) Making a Difference – A History of the Auckland College of Education 1881-2004.