Oneoneroa Long sand beach. That’s what the Maori called Sulphur Beach before the 1950s. Sulphur Beach in Auckland has a rich history. It wasn’t always just sand and sea.
Imagine the year 1878. James Tunny and James Pond arrive. They have a bold plan. They want to extract sulphur from Moutohora Whale Island in the Bay of Plenty. They set up a sulphur works right here on Sulphur Beach. The project was ambitious. It was short-lived. The foundations of their works failed. The project was abandoned. The name Sulphur Beach however remains. It’s a reminder of this early industrial endeavor.
Boat builders Bailey and Lowe also had a presence. They worked at the southern end of Sulphur Beach. They built boats right on the shore. Their legacy lives on in the local history of Sulphur Beach.
Today Sulphur Beach is different. Much of the original beach is gone. Reclamation for a motorway in the 1950s changed the landscape dramatically. You can still see the effects today. A huge bank of land marks the spot where the motorway now cuts through what was once beach. Walk along Sulphur Beach Road. You’ll pass early cottages and beach houses. You are walking where history unfolded.
Remember Oneoneroa. Remember the sulphur works. Remember the boat builders. Remember the transformation of Sulphur Beach. This small stretch of road and land holds centuries of stories. The memories of Sulphur Beach continue to ripple through Auckland.