A church school was first established in the area covered by the parish of St Lawrence in 1830, originally occupying rented accommodation. The government granted land for a school in 1842 and a building, designed by Edmund Blacket was completed in 1845. It stood on land to the north of the present Church on Pitt Street. At this time the "Christ Church Schools" were administered separately as a Primary School and as an Infants School. A second building was added in 1860 at the expense of philanthropist Thomas Sutcliffe Mort. This became the Primary School's building. A new building (now the parish hall) was constructed for the schools in 1905 following the resumption of the school's land to make way for Rawson Place following the construction of Central Railway Station. The new School building was designed by John Burcham Clamp a former pupil of the Christ Church School.