At that time, the United States was preparing for an extended World War II battle in the South Pacific, and Auckland was chosen as one of a few New Zealand cities for hospitals to tend the wounded army and naval personnel.

The extent of the hospital was huge, taking up all of the present school site as well as the nearby Rosebank Park and fields.

[7] Since 1945, the seven principals of Avondale College (L. E. Titheridge, A. R. Stephenson, W. R. Familton, A. H. Burton, P. R. Raffills, B. Lewis, and L. Watkinson)[5] have extended and rebuilt the buildings, redeveloped the site and grounds, created an outdoor education camp (Taurewa) in Tongariro National Park,[8] established exchange schools in Japan and Noumea, developed business relationships with the local community, and installed advanced technologies for students and staff.

[5] On the evening of 10 April 1990, a major fire at the school destroyed the administration block, assembly hall, gymnasium, and thirteen classrooms.

These include the 1979 comedy-drama Middle Age Spread,[citation needed] 1981 horror film Dead Kids,[citation needed] 1995 feature film Bonjour Timothy (a joint New Zealand–Canadian production), Disney Channel movie Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off, and the Te Mana Advertisement.

[13] On 18 August 2021, Avondale College was identified as a location of interest by health authorities following a community outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.

It is named after the head of the Chemical and Materials Engineering department at the University of Auckland, Professor George Ferguson, who for many years served the college on the board of trustees.

[15] Former Prime Minister John Key opened the new mathematics and physics buildings, the C- and D-blocks, on 10 August 2011, which was then the biggest school rebuild project in New Zealand history.

The school is highly multicultural, with at least eleven identifiable ethnic groups – at the ERO review, 21% of students identified as New Zealand European (Pākehā), 15% as Samoan, 12% as Māori, 11% as Indian, 7% as Chinese, 5% as South East Asian, 4% each as African and Tongan, 3% each as Cook Islands Māori and Niuean, 2% each as Fijian and Middle Eastern, and 11% as another ethnicity.

Also participating in Sydney's International Music Festival competition that year was the college's string group Spiccato.

Recent shows have included Grease, High School Musical, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, Oliver!, Godspell, Miss Saigon, Fame, Footloose, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Catch Me If You Can, In the Heights, and Legally Blonde.