St Peter's College

Built with stone that was once a portion of the lava flow from neighboring Mount Eden, St. Peter's started as a part of work programs during the 1930s Great Depression. 183 students were greeted when the third Christian Brothers of Ireland school in New Zealand opened its doors on February 6, 1939. The Outhwaite family had left the land for youth education to the Catholic Diocese of Auckland. At first, playing fields were located at Stockade Reserve, and it was bordered by Reeves Road, Boston Road, Khyber Pass, and Mountain Road.

Bishop Liston improved the site in 1959 when he bought the field across from the main site from Lion Breweries (the "Cage").

When the Auckland highway system was expanded in the middle of the 1960s, more property became available and was absorbed, including prison homes that had been located on the opposite side of the North West boundary, and the lower playing fields of Grammar, a neighboring community. Two times, the upper field was extended farther, engulfing the "mezzanine" level where the outdoor tennis courts had been.

Many building developments took place in the years that followed: in 1953, the Brothers' Residence and Chapel were opened; later, the Chapel was moved to make way for the Br L H Wilkes Technology Block; in 1960, the "far field" (now called "The Cage") was developed, leading to the opening of the Pavilion; in 1961, the Science Block was built, complete with extra classrooms and a lecture theater; and in 1962, the Brothers' Residence was extended to accommodate the growing Brotherhood (the latter under the direction of the adored Br PC Ryan).