New Zealand - Christchurch - Burnside High School - Form 3N5 - 1989 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. Burnside High School - The school's construction started in 1959, and (after a delay in approving tenders) was opened in February 1960 - With a roll of 2484 students, it is the largest school in New Zealand outside Auckland - A swimming pool was added in 1961, which became fully functional in 1964 after the addition of filtration equipment. The gymnasium was soon constructed afterwards - Former Prime Minister John Key attended the school - Avonside Girls' High School shared the facilities of Burnside High School. Avonside Girls' High School relocated back to their home site in 2012. - Burnside High School, due to being relatively undamaged and with power and water restored shortly after the quake, was used as a welfare centre by Civil Defence