Our History
Wakaaranga School was opened on 17 th July, 1976 by the then Minister of Education Rt Hon L.W. Gandar. During the school’s 43-year history, there have only been 6 principals.
The story of Wakaaranga begins with the school’s name ...
Initially called Waka aranga, and then amended to Wakaaranga in later years under the guidance of local iwi, the school name translates to ‘the resting place of the canoe’.
Historically, the Wakaaranga Creek, situated 200m from the rear school boundary, was an open waterway which ran to the base of Pigeon Mountain, Ōhuiarangi. The creek was predominantly used by local iwi to access the kumara patches at Tahuna Torea. The waka were paddled up the creek, awa, to the base of Ōhuiarangi, where the Pa was, ‘to rest’ so they would not float away on the tide.
The waka continues to be part of our school logo and signifies the vehicle that we use to travel in on our learning journey. In order to progress in our learning journeys we must use the 4 paddles in order to propel ourselves forward. Each paddle represents our school values.
Respect
Reflection
Responsibility
Resilience
The significance of the three Norfolk Pines
Approximately 180 years ago several hundred Norfolk Pines were brought to Auckland by Governor Grey from Norfolk Island. The trees were planted throughout Auckland including in the reserve opposite Wakaaranga School, (originally called Hyde Park Farm). The original Hyde Park homestead (although renovated and altered) still stands opposite the school on Butley Drive along with 2 of the original pines.