Some Interesting Occurrences in Early Auckland: City and Provinces

Chapter 4 — The Rise of Auckland

Chapter 4
The Rise of Auckland

The importance of Auckland at various periods may best be estimated by the increase of population. Here are the figures:—

Date City Proper Metropolitan Area
1841 1,500 (estimated)
1844 2,754
1858 6,283 7,200
1865 11,853 18,000
1874 12,775 30,000
1886 33,161 50,000
1896 31,424 64,000
1906 37,736 91,000
1916 64,951 115,000
1926 87,829 192,000
1936 102,295 215,000
1945 123,456 270,000
1953 131,400 350,000

The Urban Area comprises roughly those districts from which people come to the City to their daily occupations or businesses. From 1858 to 1945 it included the North Shore boroughs. Later the boundaries were extended to the Tamaki and the Whau, and comprised 58,000 acres, and have now been stretched to Henderson and Long Bay on the north, the Hauraki Gulf on the east, Papakura and Howick on the south, and the Manukau Harbour on the west. In discussing the size of population at various dates it is very necessary to keep clearly in mind whether one is talking of Auckland City or Auckland Urban Area.

The Maori population at first was nil. The Waiohua tribe had been driven out by the Ngatiwhatua, who were later soundly defeated by the Ngapuhi and had retired into caves and hideouts, afraid to light a fire lest the smoke should betray their location to the Ngapuhi, who would kill and eat them. Yet by the Maori law of land titles the ownership remained with the Ngatiwhatua, because they had not been completely driven out and the Ngapuhi had not settled on the land and cultivated it. In this state we must recognize that the price paid by Hobson to the Maoris was really liberal, and a great win for the Ngatiwhatua, who received a lot of goods, some money, and, most important, salvation from their bloodthirsty enemies the Ngapuhi.

The considerations which influenced Governor Hobson in placing the capital on the shores of the Waitemata were its central location: the deep water, well sheltered harbour, and nearness to other smaller ports affording easy water communication, and the agricultural potential of the soil.

In 1851 Auckland was created a borough — the first in New Zealand. Mr. Archibald Clark was the first Mayor, and with him the five aldermen were Messrs. P. Dignan, J. O'Neill, W, Powditch and W. Mason.

The charter of the borough was by Acts of Parliament altered from time to time until in 1864 the seat of Government was (owing to the influence of the New Zealand Company) removed to Wellington — the Company' principal settlement. This dealt Auckland a deadly blow, but both town and province had become so firmly established on their own resources that they quickly recovered.

In 1871 Auckland was constituted a city with a Council consisting of nine members who elected their own Mayor. The boundaries of the city were Stanley Street, Symonds Street, Karangahape Road and Franklin Road. The area was 623 acres. To this have been added in 1882 Ponsonby, Karangahape and Graf ton; in 1913 Parnell and Arch Hill; in 1914 Grey Lynn; in 1915 Remuera and Eden Terrace; in 1917 Epsom; in 1921 Point Chevalier; in 1927 Avondale; and in 1928 Orakei and Tamaki, the total area now being 18,253 acres.

Important events in Auckland' history were:— In 1852 gold discovered at Coromandel by Messrs. Ring; in 1871 Albert Park handed over to the City; in 1887 the Public Library opened; in 1888 the Art Gallery opened; in 1910 the Grafton Bridge opened (its length is 973 feet — the widest ferro–concrete arch span in tne world at that time); in 1911 the Town Hall opened; in 1916 the Old Colonists' Museum opened; 1922 the Zoological Gardens opened; in 1928 the foundation stone of the War Memorial Museum was laid and the building opened in 1929. The first telegrams were sent in 1863, and the first railway train appeared in 1873. Horse trams started in 1884, and the electric trams in 1902. They were bought by the city in 1919 for £1,227,200. In the end Auckland came to be called “The Queen City”.