Electoral ward Franklin Local time Wednesday 6:07 AM Northwest Alfriston, New Zealand | Airport(s) Ardmore Airport Southwest Papakura North | |
Weather 17°C, Wind N at 3 km/h, 87% Humidity | ||
Ardmore is a large rural locality of Auckland, New Zealand. Located to the South-East of Auckland CBD, just 27 km away. The suburb is in the Franklin ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland City, and is under local governance of the Auckland Council.
Contents
- Map of Ardmore Papakura New Zealand
- Racing circuit
- Ardmore Engineering School
- Ardmore Teachers Training College
- References
Map of Ardmore, Papakura, New Zealand
The area contains Ardmore Airport, which is one of Auckland's busiest airports due to Ardmore Flying School. This rural tranquility is located just to the east of the Auckland Metropolitan Area with Papakura being the closest town (within the Auckland urban area). Ardmore has a state co-educational primary school which provides education for the local children but the older teenaged children are sent to several colleges throughout the Auckland area.
Racing circuit
Ardmore Aerodrome was used for the NZ Grands Prix in the 1950s and 1960s before Pukekohe Park Raceway was completed. Bruce McLaren was a winner there, and the circuit hosted many famous drivers including Jack Brabham, Prince Bira, Stirling Moss and Reg Parnell.
Ardmore Engineering School
Auckland University Engineering School was established at Ardmore Aerodrome in the 1960s, using the old world war 2 military barracks and hangars. The website ardmorestories.com has many photographs and stories from the era.
Ardmore Teachers' Training College
Ardmore Teachers' Training College was situated adjacent to the airfield from 1948 to 1974. The College opened in 1948 to help address the shortage of teachers in New Zealand caused by the 'baby boom' after WW2. It was New Zealand's only fully residential teachers' college and during its 27-year history, trained around 8500 teachers.
The closure of the College in 1974 was the end of an era and nothing remains at the site to indicate the College's existence except for a memorial stone. A book on the history of the college 'Disce, Doce, Dilige - Learn, Teach, Serve, A History of Ardmore Teachers College', compiled by Peg Cummins, herself an Ardmore Graduate, was published by Bassdrum Books Ltd of Tauranga in 2008.