Doesn’t it feel peaceful standing here at the Historic Pakuranga Landing Jetty? This place whispers tales of old. It’s a silent witness to the passage of time.
The Historic Pakuranga Landing Jetty once bustled with activity. Imagine American soldiers unloading goods here during World War II. They were bound for Sylvia Park Camp or Camp Bunn. This jetty was their vital link.
Pakuranga itself has a rich history. Its name comes from Te Pakuranga-rāhihi. That means The Battle of the Sun’s Rays. It tells of a fight between supernatural Tūrehu people. They used the sun’s rays to turn warriors into stone. The gods Mataaho and Rūaumoko heard of this battle. They created Auckland’s volcanic field in their rage.
Early European settlers used the name Pakuranga from the 1840s. It described the area between the Tāmaki River and Tūranga Creek. Later, after Howick was established, Pakuranga meant the rural area west of Howick. This went as far as the Tāmaki River.
The Pakuranga Highway District was defined in 1863. It even included areas to the north like Bucklands Beach. The modern Pakuranga area was formally defined in 1956. This happened with the creation of the Pakuranga County Town.
The Pakuranga area is part of the rohe of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. They descend from the Tainui waka crew. These people arrived around the year 1300. The mouth of the Tāmaki River was known as Te Wai ō Tāiki. It was named after the Ngāi Tai ancestor Tāiki. He settled along the river’s eastern shores.
Ngāi Tai created cultivations along the Tāmaki River’s shores. Ōhuiarangi or Pigeon Mountain was an important pā site. It was named after ancestress Huiārangi. She was the daughter of Tāmaki of Te Tini ō Maruiwi.
In the mid-18th century Ngāti Pāoa settled on the river’s western shores at Panmure. By 1820 thousands lived along the Tāmaki River’s shores.
During the Musket Wars in the 1820s Ngāpuhi attacked Mokoia pā. The wider area was evacuated.
William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale in 1836. It covered much of modern-day South Auckland and East Auckland. Māori continued to live in the area.
The government auctioned the Pakuranga area in 1843. Joseph Hargreaves built the first European house in Pakuranga. Howick was established in 1847 as a defensive outpost. Fencibles or retired British Army soldiers settled here. Ferry services across the river to Panmure began in 1850.
Wheat became the most significant crop by the mid-1860s. The opening of the Panmure Bridge in 1865 made Pakuranga more accessible.
In 1869 Alfred Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha visited New Zealand. He spent a month living at Pakuranga.
The Pakuranga Hunt was established in 1874. By 1900 it was a large social club. The name Pakuranga became synonymous with the hunt.
By the late 19th century Pakuranga resembled the English countryside. Dairy farms dominated the area until the 1940s.
In 1948 Pakuranga was considered for the new international airport. The Pakuranga County Town was established in 1956. The Pakuranga Town Centre opened in 1965. It was the second American-style mall in Auckland.
Today the Historic Pakuranga Landing Jetty stands as a reminder of the past. It connects us to the stories of soldiers settlers and Māori. Take a moment to appreciate the layers of history beneath your feet.