Atonz Blog History

Auckland Waterfront and Central City, 1901

First, The source of the photo that started this off.. Auckland City Library - Digital Collections has an amazing collection, that are available for on line viewing - Great work by the Library on this project. I found this image, and this story jumped out at me screaming to be told....

This image 'original here', was taken looking South-East from Northcote Point with Mt Hobson in the back ground, St Patricks in the middle and the AKl Hospital (it was as ugly in 1901 as it is today) on the right of the image. St Pat's Presbytery is also visible in this image (both now Historic places Cat 1.)

I know St Patricks, a beautiful church. - I also know Mt Hobson, but having done a bit of boating on the Waitemata, I don't recognise this view.

So lets look at the line with a little Google Earth for modern day comparison...I added line from Northcote Point through St Patricks to Mt Hobson.
Yes I need a drone !!

The thing that stands out is the amount of reclaim that has occured on the waterfront.

Tank Farm on Hammer St - In fact all of Beaumont & Hammer St, Victoria Park, and anything sea side of Fanshaw St is reclaimed harbour....

A small diversion here....and a serious shot at our City Council and their lack of planning. Leaving St Patricks, buried in behind a pile of high risers and sitting in the afternoon shadow of our sewer pipe in the sky.

What insanity exists in a City Council that can allow this to happen?
Another story is simmering on the flames -
"Lost Architecture in Auckland" ( A bit too weak ??)
More likely the next article will start with a reference to one of our first surveyors/town planners and what we history has taught us since 1840.
"Come Back Felton Matthew", - Govenor Fitzroy didn't like you & accused you of 'shady' land purchases with that pompous, incompetent, Colonial Secretary W Shortland, but at least you had a plan, (even if your original 1840 plan for us included a circus in Albert Park)

These next images show the extent of the reclaim on the Auckland waterfront, The thick lines indicating High Tide lines before the reclaim. A little context is required to better understand how this all developed.

Back to 1839, and Felton Mathew (he pronounced it "May-thew" thank you very much) was appointed Surveyor General to New Zealand.
He landed at the Bay of Islands Jan 1840, on board HMS Herald with Govenor Captain Hobson. He was on the 'Herald' with Hobson again later during 1840 when they were looking for a site for the future Auckland, when Hobson had a severe stroke. Mathew completed his survey and 4 months later was with the first party to settle in Auckland Sept 1840.

One of his first jobs was to design the streets/ports/commercial areas of inner Auckland. This is the plan he presented for "The Town of Auckland", and even though he had the backing of Hobson, his plan which included 2 squares on Hobson St, and the infamous 'circus' in Albert Park, was not well accepted.

A copy of the plan and Mathews diary notes can be found here.
To be fair Mathew was more worried about the reclamation projects required, not the maze of circles and crescents, but the businessmen of the day rubbished the plan and it was redrawn in a grid format.

The reclaimation required, however was embraced, and within a few years Lower Auckland was changing shape. (as it continues to do so...) Many of Mathews original street names were revised and many names were moved. His 2nd revision of the plan also dated 1841 was a little more recognisable considering what we see today.

When Hobson arrived in Auckland 1841, he was greeted by Te Kawau of the Ngati Whatua. The land originally designated for Auckland was 3,000 acres, a rough triangle from Mangawhau (Mt Eden) to Opou(Cox's Bay)around the coast to Mataharehare (Hobsons Bay).

There are conflicting stories re the acquisition of the land, from being purchased by Felton Mathew, to being gifted as a loan to Hobson by Te Kawau, however there is a deed of sale on record.
The local Ngati Whatua had place names for areas that help us understand the land fall prior to the reclaim starting.

Te Whatu (the rock) At the foot of present day Shortland St, was a convenient place to moor canoes.
Te Tara Karaihi another Canoe landing spot, at the foot of what is now Swanson St.
Te Rou Kai (the food gathering) This was a Pipi bank between Queen St and Point Britomart

There was another area, Nga U Wera, the headland at the mouth of the Horotui Stream(Waihorotiu) that leads to a more about Auckland CBD I was not aware of.
700 years ago the view down Queen St from Karangahape Rd would have revealed ferns, clean flowing water and a fertile are the local Maori used for cultivation. There was a marshy wetland about where Aotea Square is now that was caused by a volcanic lava flow that occured 60,000 years ago and partially dammed the Waihorotiu. The Waihorotiu originally flowed from a spring in the ridge above Myers Park. It was fed by smaller streams flowing from the slopes around to a agricultural village "NgaWharau a Tako" on the Hobson St ridge. Early 1800 the stream was a source of drinking water, however when Auckland started to grow the stream soon became polluted with rubbish and sewage. In 1842 an open drain was build by the survey general (Chrles WhybrowLigar). The Ligar drain (canal) suffered with bank erosion during the 1843 1860 heavy rains. By 1869 the canal was a severe health hazard and in 1873 it was replaced with a fully enclosed brick drain. By 1987 this brick drain had been replaced by a concrete drain.
So what was a source of fresh water became a cesspit of filth, before it was sealed. Between 1840 and 1873 Queen St had the Ligar canel
European settlers described T Waihorotiu in the 1840's as a considerable tidal creek running along the west of Queen St where 5 or 6 boats could be safely moored..
Around 1843 work had started to remve the wetlands at Aotea (now called Aotea Swamp) and this continued with the dumping of road scrapings from the development of Upper Queen Street, and throwing all the dirt into the centre of the swamp. There was still a significant pond with ducks and geese reported in 1860, and it took a few more years before the Swamp was drained.

The last two images in this set.
Firstly a view from Myers Parks down the valley that will become Queen St.
The last photo is taken about 1865 of Lower Queen St showing a place where Ligars Canal has collapsed. circa 1865

...to be continued.....