Hidden beneath our feet runs a silent river. This is the Newington Stream. It once flowed openly through Auckland. Now, it’s a hidden part of the city’s story.
Let’s talk about the Newington Stream. This waterway is more than just a stream. It’s a piece of Auckland’s history, buried but not forgotten. The Newington Stream, like the Waihorotiu Stream, has been covered over. Urbanisation has hidden it from view.
The Waihorotiu Stream, also known as the Queen Street River, once flowed down Queen Street. It emptied into the Waitemata Harbour. The Newington Stream shares a similar fate. It reminds us how much the city has changed.
Centuries ago, the Waihorotiu Stream carved the Queen Street valley. Millions of years shaped this land. The upper part of that valley is now Myers Park. The stream ran through a swampy area, now Aotea Square. Lava flows blocked the Waihorotiu Stream, creating this swamp about 145000 years ago.
From there, the Newington Stream flowed. It went north between Queen and Elliot Streets. Near Victoria Street, it emerged behind the Courthouse. It then flowed into the lower part of Queen Street. The stream met the harbor at Fort Street, once called Fore Street.
The lower parts of the stream were tidal. Doubtless, Maori fished here. The swampy area of Aotea Square was likely used to trap birds and eels. A side stream may have provided drinking water. Both Maori and European colonists could have used it. The Newington Stream flowed into Horotiu Bay, later called Commercial Bay. Maori mythology says Horotiu, a taniwha, lived in the stream. A taniwha is a local nature spirit.
Early European settlers stayed on Shortland Street and Albert Park Hill. As the population grew, they built in the Queen Street valley. A fire in Shortland Street pushed people to the valley. The open stream in the road caused problems. There was no sewerage system yet. The stream’s sides crumbled. People and carriages fell into the river. By the mid-1860s, the river was heavily polluted.
Surveyor General Charles Ligar tried to fix the stream. He built walls to control the water. People called it the Ligar Canal. It did not work well. People called it an abomination and a pestiferous ditch. Eventually, the stream was bricked over. It became a sewer. Water still flows under Myers Park into the old drain. It empties into the sea under the Ferry Building.
A sewer east of the canal began in 1854. It finished in 1873. People did not like sewage going into Auckland’s ports. In March 1914, a sewage plant opened at Orakei. It directed the city’s sewage further east along the Waitemata Harbour.
In 1990, artist Selwyn Muru created Waharoa. It is a sculptural gateway at Aotea Square’s entrance. A haiku by Hone Tuwhare is carved into it. The poem speaks of the Waihorotiu Stream. In 2011, an artist suggested uncovering the stream. It could become a centrepiece for a better inner city.
As we stand here, remember the Newington Stream. It’s a reminder of Auckland’s past. It shows how the city has changed and adapted over time. Though hidden, its story continues to flow beneath our feet.