For this year's Heritage Festival, Auckland Council Archives created an online timeline featuring images and information about the mayors and chairs of the former borough, city, county, regional and district councils of the Auckland region. The exhibition will remain permanently available via our website - here are a few highlights:

Hugh Lambie

Hugh Lambie was Manukau County Council chairman from 1957 to 1965.

Following the amalgamation of Manukau County and Manurewa Borough in September 1965, he became Manukau City's first mayor unopposed, combining this with chairmanship of the Auckland Regional Authority.

In 1968 Mr Lambie decided not to stand again as mayor, but to concentrate on regional authority matters. In an upset result, however, he failed to win the Manukau seat. Hugh Lambie was returned to the Auckland Regional Authority in 1971.

He died on 27 August 1980.

Sir Dove-Myer Robinson

Dove-Myer Robinson was an Auckland City Councillor 1952-1959 and Mayor of Auckland City Council 1959-1965 and 1968-1980.

He was Chairman of the Auckland Regional Authority 1963-1965, Chairman of the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board, Auckland Metropolitan Council and Auckland International Airport Committee. He was also controller of the Auckland Region Civil Defence, president of the Auckland Rugby League, Auckland and Suburban Drainage League and the New Zealand Organic Compost Society.

He was knighted in 1970 and died in 1989.

Ernest Osborne

Ernest Osborne was the longest serving mayor of Birkenhead Borough, he served continuously for 17 years.

Mr Osborne was born in Christchurch in 1890. He was responsible for raising most of the money for the Birkenhead War Memorial Park and generously donated a large sum of money towards it personally.

He was actively involved in a number of sporting bodies in the district.

Mr Osborne died aged 79 in 1969.

James William Waller

James William Waller was born in Yorkshire, England and emigrated to New Zealand in 1856, where he engaged in the timber and shipping industries.

He was the second Mayor of Onehunga, and later the second chairman of the Waitemata County Council.

He built the first Onehunga Public Hall as a private venture.

He died on 2 May 1928.

View the Timeline of Auckland Mayors

While there has been much discussion about the City Rail Link, a delve into the archives shows that proposals for new rail connections are historically a repetitive loop.

Recently when sorting through some framed pictures we came across the following painting.

Rather than an artwork this appeared to be a concept painting and further research verified that it was prepared by Von Roll-Habegger and part of the proposal for a Manukau City monorail.

On 21 November 1986, the Mayor of Manukau City, Barry Curtis, announced plans to establish a mini-monorail system at Manukau City Centre by the time of the 1990 Commonwealth Games, with a later extension to the railway line at Wiri.

The council had reports prepared on patronage estimates and in the report provided by PAK-POY & KNEEBONE PTY LTD in September 1987 (Manukau City Council 89/54), we discovered this proposed route (below).

Manukau City Council announced plans for a $150 million 'Manukau 2000' complex on the corner of Ronwood Drive and Davies Avenue, Manukau City Centre on 9 May 1988. The plans included commercial buildings, cinemas, shops, a plaza, hotel and a monorail station.

Unfortunately the project stalled when the developers went into receivership in February 1989, and was later abandoned.

For further information, please see Manukau's Journey - A Manukau Timeline.

To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, Auckland Council Archives has developed an online timeline featuring material from the Auckland Council Archives collections. The timeline will be added to for each year of the commemorations and has now been updated to include information from 1916.

The timeline features excerpts from the official minute books of those local authorities in existence in the Auckland region during the First World War to provide an insight into how Auckland reacted and contributed to the war effort.

A common theme across the 1916 minute books were requests from the Recruiting Board for assistance from local authorities with recruitment activities.  This letter from the Recruiting Board to the Pukekohe Borough Council dated 3 February 1916, requests the formation of a District Recruiting Committee to canvass the district for recruits.

Anzac Day was first marked in 1916 and many of the local authorities resolved to give their staff a half day's holiday and requested that residents and business people of their districts do the same.

View the Auckland Council Archives World War I Timeline

Please note that our telephone number has changed.  You can now get hold of the Auckland Council Archives team on 09 890 2427.

Donations of former council records, publications, plans, photographs and memorabilia from the public and former staff are welcome. For more information, please email the Council Archives team at, archives@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Phone              09 890 2427

Email                archives@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website            www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/councilarchives

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