Pukekohe History Walk

Pukekohe is a settlement at the extreme southern boundary of Auckland. It is traditionally associated with food production and, once being part of the Franklin District, has been called the ‘breadbasket of Auckland’. This walking tour showcases various historic places that marked the development of the town as points of civic, commercial, and religious significance to its residents and the wider area.

The name Pukekohe is a shortened form of the Māori placename ‘puke kohekohe’, meaning ‘hill of the kohekohe tree’. Kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) are a mahogany-like tree that are abundant in the area, especially on and around Pukekohe Hill to the south of the town centre. The hill was the largest and last volcano to erupt in the South Auckland Volcanic Field about 550 million years ago.

The wider area surrounding Pukekohe has long been inhabited by Māori. Europeans first began settling to the east and west of the present site in the 1850s, especially in the communities of Paerata, Puni, and Buckland. Settlement was disrupted by the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s, with some notable clashes in the vicinity of Pukekohe between Pākehā settlers and the adherents of the Māori King Movement (Kīngitanga) in their struggle to assert their right to ancestral land and address the trespasses committed by landholders and the colonial government. As the war moved south, settlement resumed and accelerated in the late 1870s with the arrival of the railway.

Despite some difficult early years, Pukekohe became one of the largest vegetable producing regions in New Zealand by the early twentieth century. With its good climate and rich soil, it comes as no surprise that the region produces one-third of all vegetables grown in the country. At first, market gardeners were European, but later years saw significant involvement of Chinese, Indian, and Māori growers whose descendants make up the fabric of local society.

Terrain: Concrete sidewalks on level ground

Starting Point: Franklin: The Centre (12 Massey Avenue)

Parking: A large carpark is located behind Franklin: The Centre on Edinburgh Street. Streetside parking is also available along Edinburgh Street and other nearby roads.

Credits: Thanks to the Auckland Heritage Unit for its Pukekohe Heritage Survey and building assessments. Thanks also to Manukau’s Journey for its carefully chronicled information and references. We would also like to express our appreciation to the Ministry of Culture & Heritage for their NZ History website and the wonderful PapersPast repository run by National Library. Tour created for Akl Paths and PocketSights in 2023 by Brian Jankuloski on behalf of Auckland Council.

Disclaimer: This walk is along public roads and includes historical facts about the buildings and the area. Some of the buildings are public in character, but many 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 2023 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.