On 8th June 1949 the Parish of East Coast Bays was established, centred in Browns Bay. Father John Pierce was appointed Parish Priest.

After the opening of the Harbour Bridge in 1959 the pattern of development on the North Shore made it clear that the Parish was going to expand rapidly and there was a growing need for a school. 5 and a half acres of land was purchased at the top of Mairangi Bay.

The convent and School were built on the site. Archbishop Liston invited the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth to establish their first house in the Auckland Diocese and to staff the school.

It was opened and blessed by him on 1 February 1961 with a roll of 124 children in two classroom blocks, consisting of 5 classrooms and an Administration area.

The foundation Head Teacher was Sister Mary Rose and Sisters Christine, Laboure and Kieran made up the staff. Registration was granted on 6 February following a visit from the Senior Inspector, Mr Joseph Box. Roll numbers increased and all five classrooms were in use by 1963.

In the early years St. John's was a full primary, taking boys and girls to Form 2. It became a contributing school in 1977 with boys going to Rosmini College and girls to Carmel College at Intermediate level.

Over the years there have been some major developments to the buildings and the grounds.

A parish hall was built with two classrooms underneath. These were opened in 1966

Through the efforts of the PTA, a learner's pool was added to the school plant and opened in 1973 at a cost of $8,700. At the beginning of 1973 also, a small school library was built, converted from an open bay between classrooms.

In the mid 1970's the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand reached an agreement with the Government to join the State School system. St. John's School had a role of 225 pupils from New Entrants to Year 6 by 15 September 1982 when the school became officially integrated.

To bring the buildings up to the required State standard the proprietor (ie the Bishop) undertook major works, financed by a 90% State loan. The balance came from the Diocesan Fund. School fees paid for debt servicing.

A classroom was built between two rooms and another on the site of the earlier library. A classroom was enlarged to an Administration Block, Principal's Office, Staffroom, Library and Resource Room. The two classrooms under the hall were upgraded and the court resurfaced and sealed.

The last of the Integration work was completed in 1996 with the building of a new toilet block and staffroom.

Then in 1997 the Board of Trustees undertook a Four Stage Plan of Development.

Stage 1 was the building of a new three classroom block, and opened in 1998.

Stage 2 followed in 1999 with the opening of a new Library, Computer Suite and Resource rooms.

Stage 3 focused on upgrading the school's Administration area and was completed at the end of 2000.

Those three projects were finished by the school itself through loan monies, PTA fundraising, working bees and the generosity of many contractors and service people.

That they could be contemplated at all speaks for the community desire to provide the best possible learning environment for the children and its commitment to making this desire a reality.

Stage 4 was then completed in 2004. Two new classrooms were built along with a carpark off East Coast Road. This final stage was financed by the Diocese.

With the Four Stage Development Plan was a commitment to develop the school's computer infrastructure and to this effect school-wide cabling was completed in 2000. All areas of the school are connected to a central server with children having access in the Computer Suite and classrooms.

The school roll reached its maximum of 287 in 1996 and has had to be closed each year since. The developments of the Four Stage Plan have enabled the maximum roll to increase in 2004 to 312 and after approval by the Education Minister a further increase will take the roll to 339.

Visitors often remark on the happy Christian atmosphere at St. John's. This is a reflection of the faith and commitment of the school staff, Board of Trustees and PTA members and the school community.

The school began with the Sisters of St. Joseph and has had all lay staff since the mid 1980's. The first lay Principal, Mary McAllister, was appointed in 1978 and she was followed in 1991 by Bernard Fitzgibbon, the first male to hold this position.

It is a history of continued growth, of self reliance and determination to ensure St. John's is a community that excels.

"Together, we excel, we celebrate, we live our faith in Christ"

(School Vision Statement)

The graduation Mass for the Year 6 pupils, December 2006

20 December 2006, the last day of school at St John’s for (from left) Kate Reidy, Kelly Stevens, Stephanie Macdonald, Claudia Hoskins, Emma Thomas, Tianna Frittelli, Madeline Chatterly, who have all autographed each other’s uniforms.

Michele Nash (nee Findlay), founding pupil and present Principal's Secretary.

Read the story she submitted about school lunches back in the day!

A glimpse of school life for staff in 2009.
After a full morning at school during a teacher only day, the staff took time to enjoy lunch at Milford Beach followed by highly 'competitive' volleyball, before heading back to work.

Here you see one team. Having strategised tactics, they're cementing their plan!

Can you identify the team members?