But Jenny Webb, Jenny Liddell and Karen Oben say they have been at Queen's High School so long, they pre-date most of the furniture.
Mrs Webb started at Queen's in 1975 and has spent most of that time as head of English.
"My husband and I were hired by the principal at the time, as an example of good marriage to the girls, which I thought was lovely.
"He and I worked here together for a long time, until he went to work at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
"Our daughters came to school here as well, so this place was like our extended family.
"Were we good role models for the students? We did our best,'' she said.
Mrs Liddell said she began her time at Queen's as a 12-year-old at the school and, after teacher training, she went back to teach there in 1974.
"This was my school. I loved being here. In my final year, I was lucky enough to be head girl and got the best all-round student award.
"I came back because I had a passion for teaching and I had such wonderful teachers while I was here.''
Mrs Oben started teaching at Queen's in 1976, and has been the head of the food and fabric technology department the entire time.
She said she left her teaching position because she wanted to pursue her passion for culinary art by studying for a bachelor of culinary arts degree at Otago Polytechnic this year.
"Culinary art has always been a passion.
"This is going to lead me into other areas, but until I complete my studies, I'm not sure which way I'm going to go.''
Mrs Webb and Mrs Liddell said they would retire at the end of this month, to spend more time with family, read, do some voluntary work, and all those jobs around the house that usually get put off - like gardening.
"One of the reasons the three of us have stayed in this job for so long is this is a very dynamic profession and nothing ever stays the same,'' Mrs Webb said.
"So we're constantly moving and changing and finding new solutions and new pathways, and that's what has made this job so exciting over the years.
"We've never got bored. It's the most unboring job ever.''
Principal Di Carter said losing all three at the same time would be like losing members of a close-knit family.
"It's a big loss because they have a lot of history at this school. It is like losing family ...
"They're part of the framework of the school. They're an institution in their own right.''
