Glenfield History Walk

This tour explores the early history of Glenfield and its development into the current Auckland suburb. Before the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959, Glenfield was a market garden and farming area servicing the needs of Auckland City.

Before the arrival of Europeans to New Zealand, the entire area between Oruamo (Hellyers) Creek to the top of the ridge was known as Opuawananga and was under the control of Ngāti Whātua. Over generations, Māori cut and burned most of the kauri and other trees in the area, leaving an open kānuka shrubland. A Pākehā man, William Webster, purchased the land from the chiefs Nanihi and Tuire in 1837. He named the area Te Pukapuka and harvested the remaining kauri. He left the task of cutting the kānuka to Thomas Hellyer, who arrived in 1840. After Hellyer’s suspicious death at his brewery the next year, ownership of the land lapsed. For the next forty years, it became a magnet for kauri gum diggers, few of whom stayed long.

What is now Glenfield Road began as a rural ridgetop track used by Māori travelling between the lower Waitematā Harbour and Hellyers Creek. It later became the Great North Road between Birkenhead and Albany, a grandiose title for a dirt path that passed through bush and farmland, barely wide enough for two bullock drays to pass. Many early property owners wanted to build their homes on the ridge to make the most of the road and its unimpeded views of Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf.

As the population of Birkenhead grew, it spread north along Glenfield Road until it reached the top of the ridge at Sunset Road and Cut Hill. Gradually, amenities appeared in the area, including several general stores and churches, a school, and a community hall. By the early 1900s, optimistic property developers began subdividing areas for residential neighbourhoods, although it took many more years for these to succeed. As late as the 1960s, Glenfield was still a mostly rural land of strawberry fields, farms, and pastures.

With the extension of the motorway to Wairau Road in the late 1960s, Glenfield evolved into a thriving population centre, with most of the farmland subdivided by the end of the decade. In 1974, the community was annexed to Takapuna City. It joined North Shore City in 1989 and the Auckland Supercity in 2010. There are still magnificent views along the busy main road, but the area is now heavily urbanised. Much of Glenfield’s heritage has been lost or forgotten. This tour recaptures some of that history and reveals the treasures hiding within the suburb.

Starting Point: Glenfield Library (90 Bentley Avenue)

Terrain: Concrete sidewalks and asphalt road crossings along a hilly ridgeline.

Parking: Free parking is available at Glenfield Mall.

Disclaimer: This walk is along public roads and includes historical facts about the buildings and the area. Most of the sites are private businesses or homes. 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 2022 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.