Retail District and the Mount Albert Tennis Club

Southwest along New North Road from Mount Albert Road is the oldest retail district in Mount Albert. Originally known as the ‘Terminus’ because it marked the end of the Mount Albert tram line, many of the shops on the eastern side of the road date from the 1920s. Shops on this stretch have included confectioners, stationers, fishmongers, and the De Luxe Cinema. In more recent years, Mount Albert has become a destination for foodies.

At the end of the buildings is where the ballast railway line met the North Auckland Railway line, coming down the hill through where the single-storey shops now stand, and carrying on down the lane which accesses the rear of the shops on the western side of New North Road. When the quarry on the maunga was closed, the tracks were lifted and the Railways Department began to think about selling the land on which they had sat. The Mount Albert Lawn Tennis Club had rented some adjacent land since 1920 and had been promised a section of the Railway’s land, but they balked when the Department asked them to pay £250 for it. This was in the middle of the Depression, so the Club claimed hardship and surrendered their claim for the frontage on New North Road (now a carpark). Ultimately, they paid just £50 and the tennis courts are still there today.

Continue along New North Road and turn right at the entry ramp for Mt Albert Station. Follow this underbridge onto the platform.