Central Takapuna History Walk

This tour ventures through the commercial history and development of the suburb known today as Takapuna. Before the arrival of the Europeans to the Auckland area, the Māori of the North Shore were pushed out of the area as they fled from Ngāpuhi. Thus, when the Mahurangi Purchase was signed in 1840, ceding all the land between Devonport and Te Arai Point to the colonial government, there were few Māori left to protest Pākehā settlement. The land directly to the south of Lake Pupuke was subdivided in the early 1850s and four lots were granted to the Ngāpuhi chief Eruera Maihi Patuone and his wife, Riria Takarangi of Ngāti Paoa, who together led a modest settlement of Māori who had come to the North Shore. They named their new home Waiwharariki.

Between 1852 and the 1880s, the settlement simply known as the Lake was dominated by farms interspersed with a few larger summer homes and rural hotels. Most of the population of the North Shore lived in Devonport or Northcote. However, the area was popular in the summer months due to its long beach, scenic freshwater lake, and close proximity to Auckland City. Gradually, businesses and amenities began appearing south of the lake to support the tourism industry. Lake School opened in 1861. Regular postal service began in 1880. The first major store and bakery opened in 1896. Commercial ferry wharves operated at Takapuna Beach, Barrys Point, and O’Neill’s Point.

In 1910, the Takapuna Tramways & Ferry Company began running steam trams between Bayswater and Milford, north of the Lake, and the intersection of Lake Road and Hurstmere Road became a significant crossroad. Businesses quickly sprang up along both roads, leading to the formation of the Borough of Takapuna in 1913. The commercial growth of Takapuna has continued ever since. Takapuna became a city in 1961, only two years after the Auckland Harbour Bridge was opened. It later became the leading city when North Shore City was amalgamated in 1989. These developments brought many more businesses, including several international outlets, to central Takapuna.

In 2010, North Shore City amalgamated into the Auckland supercity and the area entered a new era as a major suburb of Auckland. Takapuna has seen substantial development and redevelopment over the past fifty years, and many old buildings have been demolished, but many still survive with new faces and new names. This tour will take you to some of these historical locations on a journey into the heart of Takapuna.

Terrain: Concrete sidewalks and asphalt road crossings, mostly level with some mild inclines.

Starting Point: Takapuna Library (9 The Strand)

Parking: Paid parking available along The Strand and free parking sometimes available on Gibbons Road

Disclaimer: This walk is along public roads and includes historical facts about the buildings and the area. Most of the sites are private businesses. Please respect the environment and do not trespass on private property. Neither Auckland Council nor private property owners accept responsibility for any loss, damage, or injury to you or your property arising from use of this tour.

Copyright 2021 Auckland Council. Auckland Council holds all copyrights associated with this tour. You may not copy or reproduce the content of this tour without permission from Auckland Council. Auckland Council has taken every care to ensure that the information contained in this tour is accurate, but accepts no responsibility arising from, or in connection with, your use of this tour and the information contained in it.