Ardmore, New Zealand


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, and is under local governance of Auckland Council.
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. 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.
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 its existence except for a memorial stone.
Auckland University's School Of Engineering was established at the aerodrome in 1948, using old World War II military barracks and hangars. It remained there until 1969, when it moved to a much larger new building in Symonds Street in central Auckland, near the University's other faculties. While at Ardmore, the school offered only Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering degrees. After moving in 1969, it further offered Chemical & Material Engineering and Engineering Science degree course.
The 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.