Making a difference

Where was Auckland's first normal school? And why was it 'normal'? How did sport become such an integral part of Auckland schoolchildren's lives? What is the extraordinary story behind the striking layout of the Epsom campus? Who built an underground room, and patrolled the college grounds with rifles and fixed bayonets? Why, until recently, did Auckland's teachers have their own specialised training institution? All these questions are answered in this fascinating history of the Auckland College of Education and its forerunners, from its modest beginnings in the late nineteenth century through to the recent merger of the college with the University of Auckland in 2004. It documents not only the transformation of the institution, but also the college community.