New Zealand - Whitianga - Mercury Bay Area School - Room VII - 1981 Do you have more information about the school or the people in this photo? Please use the comment section below to share. To search for other photos from this school, please type the schools name in to our search engine. Mercury Bay Area School - Mercury Bay Area School is a coeducational composite (years 1-15) school - The first primary school opened in the area in 1872. - A District High School opened in 1951 and moved to the present site two years later. - In February 1981 it became an area school.