[5] It was founded in 1896 by Charles Mather and Basil Wilson on Calico Line as a small school for children of the farmers in Marton.

The school grounds are 10 hectares, including several sports fields, a chapel (which celebrated its Centennial in 2009), and a gymnasium.

Huntley's roll generally has around 150 students in 5 squads, which are named after the previous headmasters- Mather, Wilson, Rix-Trott, Strombom and Sherriff.

The school participates academically in ICAS examinations, Otago Problem Solving[8] and Mathex (a regional mathematics competition).

[9] Culturally, the Huntley Jazz Band often compete locally [10] and there are also annual public speaking and debating competitions.