Our History

The Auckland Kindergarten Association was established on 8 October 1908 with the vision of providing free kindergarten education to the children of Auckland.

The Association was founded through the generosity and leadership of Mrs Leo Myers and members of the Myers family, whose dedication helped shape the future of early childhood education in the region.

In 1910, the first kindergarten opened its doors in Freemans Bay, supported by donations of funds and equipment from Sir John Logan Campbell and Lady Campbell. Although the kindergarten has since moved locations, it continues to operate proudly today as Freemans Bay Kindergarten.

A few years later, on 16 October 1916, AKA opened its flagship kindergarten — Myers Kindergarten — in Myers Park, at the heart of Auckland’s CBD. The kindergarten was a gift from Sir Arthur Myers, who also donated the park itself to the people of Auckland. Today, this historic site continues to nurture tamariki as KiNZ Myers Park, one of AKA’s full-day early learning centres.

From these humble beginnings, AKA has grown into a thriving organisation overseeing 108 kindergartens and 4 KiNZ early learning centres, educating around 10,000 tamariki each year and employing more than 1,000 teachers and support staff.