OLD PARNELL SCHOOL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 8

OLD PARNELL SCHOOL

SALE AT AUCTION KEEN INTEREST TAKEN •* 'Nobby Clark' sat upon the timbers and played ,his accordion while the school was being erected in 1880," said the auctioneer, in giving a touch of sentiment to the sale yesterday of the old Parnell school. There was keen interest in the auction, among the large .crowd being the representative of a country community which had thoughts of buying one of the larger buildings to serve as a social hall. Bidding forced offers for the main building, containing eight classrooms and a bell-tower, from £IOO to £350, at which it was sold. The timber is kauri,' and as authorities say that kauri timber is good for 75 years at least, the boards in the old school should be serviceable for another quarter of a century. The infants' school, comprising four classrooms, also attracted lively interest, bidding advancing by quick stages from £SO to the selling price of £205. Two outbuildings realised £2 10s and £2 respectively. The purchaser of all the buildings was Mr. P. Sawyer, of ELhyber Pass Road. An old Parnell resident asserted consi, fidently yesterday that the school was erected in the early part of 1880, and was thus a little over 53 years old. Previously the site was a rough grass area with a slippery clay bank. It was a favourite football ground among the boys of the district before the school was built there. Previously there were only private schools in the Parnell area. A condition of the sale was that the buildings should bo removed within two months. The Auckland Education Board has not yet decided the future of the site, but it is probable that efforts will be made later to sell it, as the new school occupies a site on an area at the corner of St. Stephen's 'Avenue and Gladstone Road.