John Barr

“ Development: 1851-1870
The advent of the second decade of Auckland’s history finds the town passing from the cradle stage to one of more independence. Until the year 1851 Auckland had been variously described as “the town,” “the seat of government,” or “the capital.” In other words, it had been fostered by the Government. Now, by a Proclamation of the Governor, Sir George Grey, it was elevated to the position of a borough, with a corporation—the first to be created in New Zealand—to which was given the powers of self-government on all matters of local interest. ”

“ The agricultural industry has made wonderful progress in these years, and the city, being the natural medium of exchange between the producer and the oversea markets, advanced rapidly as an important commercial centre. Auckland’s prosperity has been built upon its advantageous commercial position, and the present ratio of progress is a happy augury of the future.
The Twentieth Century opened auspiciously with the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, who arrived in Auckland—their first port of call in New Zealand—on the 10th of June, and remained here until the 12th. ”

“ The premises of the Mechanics' Institute, which were then some thirty-eight years old, were not in good condition, and they were also inadequate for the purposes of an up-to-date library. Two years after the establishment of the Library, Sir George Grey offered to present his collection of books, pictures and curios to the City, and this generous action influenced the City Council in its decision to erect a building which would suitably house this and other collections. ”

“ Despite the many repeated invasions and incessant warfare within their territories, the Tamaki people at this time were apparently in their “golden age.”
The family home was the citadel of One Tree Hill. The mother, Te Tahuri, was renowned for her hospitality and industry. The resources of the district and the extent of the fortifications and cultivation were famous far and near. On the Manukau and Waitemata, large fleets of canoes for fishing and war purposes were maintained. Hence the proverb “Te pai me te whai-rawa o Tamaki”—the luxury and wealth of Tamaki. ”

“ The H. Shaw collection partakes of the character of the Sir George Grey collection, containing as it does a number of manuscripts, early printed books and a splendid collection of works in general literature in best copies. It is especially strong in specimens of Oriental illuminated work, in which the Grey collection is deficient; also in Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century printed books, of which Augustine's De Civitate Dei, 1467, printed by Johann Mentelin, of Strassburg, is notable, among other reasons as being the earliest printed book contained in the Library. ”

“ The growth of the Public Library and Art Gallery has been both rapid and interesting. At its inception the stock consisted of some 6000 volumes, the majority of which were acquired from the Provincial Council Library. At the opening of the new building the collection numbered 15,000 volumes, the increase being largely due to the accession of Sir George Grey’s library. From 1887 until 1898, Sir George kept adding to the library, enriching it to such an extent that the Auckland Library [Pg 148] obtained what is, perhaps, an unique position among municipal libraries throughout the world. ”

“ Prior to this conference, it had been found necessary to make arrangements for the defence of Auckland “against any possible contingency.” In a despatch to the Duke of Newcastle, the Governor, Sir Thomas Gore-Browne, outlined the steps which he had taken with this object in view. “The town,” he states, “is divided into five districts, each of which is to furnish a company of militia. Those who have arms of their own will form an inlying picket, and the remainder will be required to ballot for such arms as the Government is able to supply. ”

“ Several shops of superior description, two and three storeys high, have recently been erected, and Queen Street, besides being the longest, is certainly just now one of the most improving streets in Auckland. Wakefield Street ascends from its southern extremity until it joins Cemetery Road, and is the newest and most increasing street in the town. Many of the houses are built of brick, and it already bears a considerable resemblance to a new street in the outskirts of a modern English town. ”

“ Although in years the city is comparatively young, many of the events which have marked its progress have already been forgotten. With the exception, perhaps, of the principal incidents associated with the foundation of the city, and a most interesting account of the state of Auckland in the early ’fifties, written by Mr. W. Swainson, no period of Auckland’s history has been adequately dealt with. The lack of information has made the task of writing a history a difficult one, and may account for the fact that none has hitherto been essayed. ”

“ That the shipping frequenting the ports of the Province of Auckland exceeds the aggregate amount of the shipping of the other five provinces into which New Zealand is divided; and, without taking into consideration the shipping resorting to the Bay of Islands, Mongonui, Hokianga, and the other harbours of the northern province, upwards of 740 vessels, foreign and coastwise, entered the single port of Auckland in the course of the past year. ”

“ Ngati-Whatua were now installed in possession of Tamaki. They soon found that might was the only right to their new territory. To the south were the powerful Waikato and Marutuahu tribes, who by sea and land were a continual anxiety to the new lords of Tamaki. They were closely related to the late victims of Ngati-Whatua. Many of the refugees, indeed, had gone to those districts to live, and no doubt instigated many a surprise attack. Ngati-Paoa appear to have always maintained several fortified villages on the Tamaki River unmolested by Ngati-Whatua down to European times. ”

“ Other men, such as the late Sir John Logan Campbell, may have more substantial claims in actual work for the community and in precedence of time to the title of “Father of Auckland”; for Logan Campbell had settled in the Waitemata before Captain Hobson had fixed upon Auckland as the site of the city, but in actually making the choice, Hobson is, I claim, entitled without opposition to be called the father of Auckland. ”

“ During the depression many residents sold out and emigrated to Australia, or elsewhere, some permanently, others temporarily. Houses and shops everywhere became vacant, and rents became absurdly low. In some cases people shut up their houses, boarded over doors and windows, and went away. The young city was experiencing the most serious reverse in its history, but the speed with which it recovered itself demonstrated its vitality.
With the advent of the ’seventies, Auckland may be said to have arrived at the modern period ”

“ He was associated with practically every movement to develop Auckland’s commercial interests, and every organisation which had for its object the social advancement of the city obtained his willing assistance. In 1901, prior to the Royal visit, he was appointed Mayor of Auckland, and no more suitable person could have been found than this pioneer, who had helped to build the city from its inception. ”

“ In 1872 Sir George Maurice O’Rorke, whose whole life was associated with the Auckland University College, and who was Chairman of the Council from its inception until his death on 24th August, 1916, made an unsuccessful effort to institute a university in the city. Five years later another agitation was set in being, and resulted in the appointment of a Royal Commission on University and Secondary Education, which reported in July, 1879. ”

“ The nucleus of the gallery, consisting mainly of old masters and other pictures, was given by Sir George Grey, and other public spirited citizens have followed his example. The most notable bequest, however, was that of the late James Tannock Mackelvie, who bequeathed, in 1885, his valuable art collection, along with a large sum of money, in trust, to establish and maintain a Museum of Fine Art for the people of Auckland. ”

“ One of the happy results of the war in the Waikato was the discovery of coal on the banks of the Waikato River, in July, 1863, which was immediately used on the river-boats engaged in the war. After hostilities had ceased, the coal fields were exploited, and the beginning of the successful coal-mining industry at Huntly established. In March of the following year coal was discovered at Kawakawa, and from these sources were obtained supplies for the domestic use of Auckland residents [Pg 103] and for the commercial needs of the town and province. ”

“ On the 31st March, 1843, the ship Westminster brought to Auckland a very good class of immigrants, mostly English, and on this occasion the Immigration Agent was better able to provide for their reception than formerly.
The conditions of the young city in its earliest years were not enviable. The work of pioneering was exceedingly strenuous. Employment was difficult to obtain, for none of the settlers had much capital to work upon, and the Government had little enough in the Treasury, and none to spend on public works. ”

“ Also descended from the Patu-paiarehe, they had gradually incorporated their pedigrees with those of the Tainui, Arawa and other people. The earliest warfare on record of Tamaki with these people originated (so says the legend) when the Tamaki tribes slew the pet seal belonging to the Hauraki people. Strange to say, this animal (named “Ureia”) was on a visit to Manukau Harbour, at the invitation of the Tamaki people, and there it met its untimely end. Surely the most unusual of Maori casus belli. Maru-tuahu, as the tribes of the Hauraki district were called, then invaded Tamaki. ”

“ The boundaries of the Borough of Auckland, as originally proclaimed, were wider than they are now, and stretched across the Isthmus from the Waitemata to the Manukau, and from the Whau Creek to the Tamaki, an area of about 58,000 acres. The population of the borough was between seven and eight thousand persons. ”

“ In a pioneer effort it is only natural to expect some omissions, and the writer hopes that his readers will acquaint him upon any matters which he may have inadvertently overlooked. He also hopes that the appearance of the book will stimulate some of the older residents of the city to record their recollections, so that those of the younger school who are interested in the city’s past may have fuller information about Auckland of the early days. ”

“ Captain Hobson, on his arrival in New Zealand, made his headquarters at the Bay of Islands, at that time the most populous place in the colony, as far as white people were concerned, for here both missionaries and traders had settled in greatest numbers, and here, also, Mr. Busby, British Resident, was located. The Bay of Islands did not meet with the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor, and, in his first conversation with the Rev. Henry Williams, [5] he asked for his opinion as to the most suitable place to erect the capital of the young colony. ”

“ The phenomenal increase in the population of New Zealand in the mid-’seventies was due largely to the control of immigration passing from the provincial councils to the general government, and the vigorous policy inaugurated by it. In 1874 and 1875 no fewer than 50,000 immigrants arrived in the Dominion. Judging by the census returns, the city did not gain largely by this influx of immigrants, although the provincial figures show that the country profited by it. ”

“ Queen Street is the least built upon; but in other respects, it is the best and most considerable street in Auckland. It is about half a mile long, nearly level, and almost straight, and terminates at its northern extremity at a pier or quay which runs into the harbour, and alongside of which small craft can land their cargoes. [Pg 82] At its southern extremity it is overlooked by the Wesleyan Seminary [now the People’s Palace] ... a spacious brick-built and substantial structure. The gaol [20] is badly situated, and is by no means a conspicuous building ”

“ On April 15th, 1865, lighting by gas was intro [Pg 125] duced into Auckland. It was an event of great importance to the citizens of the time. The New Zealand Herald describes how the innovation was received:—“A large proportion of the city population had assembled in the streets to welcome the advent of the ‘New Light,’ and the début of the much-longed-for novelty may be considered to have been quite as brilliant as that of any star that has appeared among us for a long time. ”

“ In the first months of the war a training camp for local recruits was located at Epsom, but as the Dominion’s military organisation developed, this camp was abandoned, and the Auckland recruits went direct to Trentham or one of the other concentration camps. The only permanent camp in the Auckland district was at Narrow Neck, Devonport, where the Maoris and recruits from the South Seas underwent their course of training.
Apart from the unusual number of men in khaki, and the economic conditions brought into being by the war, New Zealand was scarcely disturbed. ”

“ The population of Auckland in 1841 was estimated by the Colonial Secretary of the day, Mr. Andrew Sinclair, to be 1500 persons. In 1842 it had grown to 2895, due to the influx of settlers following upon the foundation of the capital, and also to the arrival of 500 immigrants by the ship Duchess of Argyle (667 tons, R. G. Tait, captain) and the barque Jane Gifford (558 tons, Captain Paul) . These vessels arrived in the harbour on the same date, October 9th, 1842. They were the first ships to bring British immigrants direct to Auckland. ”

“ It would be interesting to trace step by step the extension of the railway system, as, obviously, it is part of the history of Auckland, but, in so brief a sketch as this, detail is impossible. It is worth mentioning, however, that the first Main Trunk train from Wellington to Auckland arrived on November 6th, 1908, and that the daily express between here and the capital was inaugurated on February 14th, 1909. ”