Newington College celebrated its 150th birthday last year.
It ordered sesquicentenary scarfs and cufflinks, held a black tie ball and commissioned a limited edition Newington-themed Monopoly board game. But the jewel in the anniversary crown was more than $20 million worth of award-winning facilities at its high school campus in Stanmore.
The multistorey Rae and Pyke centres have a footprint of more than 1200 square metres and house a library, 250-seat lecture theatre, boarders' dining room and cafeteria, and state-of-the-art science labs.
Headmaster David Mulford said the school had been ''saving up for a long time'' for the impressive development, which made Newington the highest-spending school in the state, forking out $78 million on capital works between 2009 and 2012.
More than $33 million was allocated to capital projects in 2012, doubling that spent in previous years.
Dr Mulford said the school, which charges $28,467 a year for senior tuition, had a ''major fund-raising campaign'' for the project and did not rely on any government contributions.
''The last major works on the Stanmore campus was in the '90s, so the school had been saving since then,'' he said.
Donors had the opportunity to name a seat in the lecture theatre for a tax deductible gift over $4000.
The state's second biggest spender was Knox Grammar School - with almost $63 million over the four years.
The boys school in Wahroonga opened a 2500-seat hall and an aquatic centre in 2011, costing $32 million.
One of the most impressive developments in recent years belongs to Sydney Grammar School at Darlinghurst. The school's $23 million recital hall can accommodate 1500.
