The original school was doubled to this size in 1929. This photo was taken around 1934.
NEW SCHOOL FOR MELVILLE
(Taken from a 1923 copy of the "Waikato Times")
Perhaps no part of Hamilton has grown more than that on the southern outskirts, in the vicinity of Ohaupo Road, near the hospital. With commendable foresight, the Auckland Education Board some time ago secured a site of four acres in the locality, with a view to some day erecting a public school thereon. In the opinion of the residents, that day has now arrived, and on Thursday night, at the residence of Mr Collier, on the Peacockes Road, a meeting of some forty householders was held to consider the immediate establishment of a school in the district.
It was stated that there were 147 children under 15 years of age, and that about 90 of them were of school age, and with the district growing, that number would soon be over 100. Of the children accounted for, none resided on the Hamilton side of the hospital, and many daily travelled four miles or more to either the Hamilton West or Rukuhia schools;
The name of the new school district proved to be a burning question, and considerable discussion followed. After several carefully recorded votes the name Melville won the absolute majority from the four submitted, and it was unanimously resolved that, in view of the vote taken, the education authorities be requested to call the new education district Melville
THE GROWTH OF THE SCHOOL
The school came into being on 4 August 1924 and opened with a roll of 20 and a staff of one, she being Miss Wilson. The one roomed building was classed as a side school of Hamilton West and as early as 1927 application was made to the Auckland Education Board requesting a separate school district for Melville but this did not eventuate until 1951. In 1927 a petition signed by nearly 200 residents was sent to the board stating it was considered that the present school did not fulfil the needs of the district as no provision whatever was made for children over standard II. When the matter was raised in 1925 it was promised that when the present pupils passed into standard 3 adequate provision would be made so that it would not be necessary to transfer these pupils to Hamilton West.