One of the themes for the Auckland Heritage Festival this year was Auckland’s waterways – land & sea.  Auckland Council Archives created a digital exhibition for the festival that supported this theme and it is still available via our website.

The exhibition contains a wide range of material drawn from Auckland Council Archives collections.  The exhibition is arranged under the topics of:

• The changing port of Auckland
• Aerial photographs of the waterfront
• On the water recreation – yachting
• The Auckland Harbour Bridge
• Manukau Harbour
• Ferries
• Te Wero Bridge
• Canal proposals on the Auckland isthmus
• Murrays Bay Wharf

Over time, the Auckland waterfront has changed dramatically, successive reclamations since the 1870s have altered the original shoreline.  The changing port of Auckland is a selection of maps and plans between 1904 and 1960 that record the growth of the port of Auckland over time.

Aerial photographs of the waterfront covering the period between 1940 and 1993 further document this expansion.  The earliest aerial survey of Auckland was conducted for the Defence Department and the Auckland City Council in 1940.

Auckland – the city of sails is one of the many slogans used to describe our city.   Due to the popularity of sailing, Auckland is home to a large number of yachts, launches and yacht clubs.  We have chosen items from our collection to illustrate Aucklanders’ use of waterways for recreation.  An interesting example is an early plan of a proposed shed for the Richmond Cruising Club, which details the materials that were going to be used in its construction, and we have a photograph of the opening of that shed in 1913.

Besides the Waitemata Harbour being a playground for Aucklanders, we also travel on the harbour.  In the Ferries section of the exhibition, we depict some of the early harbour ferries, tickets and timetables, and there is a beautiful plan of the Ferry Building.

In the nineteenth century, there were proposals to create canals between the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours.  We have used a couple of plans that illustrate these proposals, unfortunately due to copyright restrictions we were unable to show the newspaper articles about the canal project that are held in the Otahuhu Borough Council collection, but these can be viewed at our office.

Visitors to the exhibition will be surprised to find that the Auckland Harbour Bridge section does not contain any plans of the actual Harbour Bridge.

Rather, they will find that in 1929 a harbour bridge was being planned as well as a traffic tunnel under the Waitemata Harbour.  As well, there are examples of some of the proposed bridge designs.  Besides the Harbour Bridge, we also feature the Te Wero Bridge design competition.

The Manukau Harbour section features plans from the former Franklin County Council (1912-1989) for various wharves located in the Franklin area.  As well, we have a small feature on Murrays Bay Wharf, which is a collection of correspondence regarding the ownership of wharf.

It is intended that this online exhibition will provide an understanding of how Auckland’s waterways have developed and have been used for recreation and transportation over time.

View the Auckland's Waterways - Land and Sea online exhibition

The First World War (1914–1918) was one of the most significant events of the 20th century, and had a deep and long-lasting impact on New Zealand.  Next year marks 100 years since the beginning of the war and the start of a four-year global commemoration that will give New Zealanders the chance to remember the cost of war and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As part of the First World War centenary commemorations, Auckland Libraries, the Auckland Council Heritage Unit and Auckland Council Archives have collaborated to develop a research guide showcasing First World War research resources available at Auckland Libraries and Auckland Council Archives.  The guide will assist with research into family members or people who took part in the war.  Revised editions of the guide are planned for release during the commemoration period to create a set of guides.

Download the Our boys, our families research guide or pick up a copy from any of the four Auckland Libraries research centres, Sir George Grey Special Collections or the Auckland Council Archives.

Learn more about the guide on the Auckland Libraries' website.

As part of the commemorations, Auckland Council Archives will be compiling an online exhibition featuring WWI-related items from our collections as well as adding further content to our existing War Memorials and Honour Boards database from other memorials throughout the Auckland region.

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteer team, we now have two further additions to the family history indexes online.

The Parnell Borough Council ratebooks index now covers the period 1873-1900.  These records originally came from the Parnell Highway Board (which was formed in 1863) and the Parnell Borough Council, which was established in 1877.  On 15 February 1913, Parnell Borough Council was dissolved when Parnell amalgamated with Auckland City.

The online index is a partial transcript taken from the ratebooks.  The books are arranged in alphabetical order by surname of the occupier.  The books include the following information: the rate book number, name of occupier or person primarily liable for the rate, name of owner, estimated value, rates based on estimated value, description of property (there are no street numbers), amount paid, by whom rate paid and any arrears.

A further column notes miscellaneous rates information, for example poverty exemptions.

The register of plumbers and drain connectors index is a brand new addition.  Auckland City Council created the register and it records the details of licenses issued to plumbers and drain connectors between 1904 and 1921.

In 1904, Auckland City Council passed by-laws relating to the examination and licensing of plumbers and drain connectors.  Bylaw No.1 Section 124 required all drain connectors to be licensed annually by the City Engineer.  Bylaw No.1 Section 125 required all master plumbers and journeymen in working in the city to be licensed.  To be granted a license, plumbers were required to produce certificates proving they had passed an examination in practical and theoretical plumbing.  Those who were unable to pass the examination were granted provisional certificates until 31st March 1906 on condition that they attend a course in the practice of plumbing and pass an oral examination in practical plumbing and the by-laws affecting sanitation.  Bylaw No.1 Section 126 required the City Engineer to keep a register of all drain connectors and plumbers licenses issued under these bylaws.

The types of licenses in the register include full plumbers licenses, provisional plumbers licenses (issued only until 2 April 1906) and drain connectors licenses. The index is a partial transcript from the original register.

Search our online Family History indexes

Besides being the keepers of historic records from the legacy councils of the Auckland region, did you know that Auckland Council Archives also cares for the regalia and mayoral chains from the former councils?

North Shore City Council Mayoral Chains

The North Shore City Council mayoral chains can almost be considered an artwork and are quite different from the traditional mayoral chain.

They were designed and made in 1989 by New Zealand contemporary jeweller Warwick Freeman.  He designed the chain to symbolise the office of the mayor but in a way that uniquely represented the North Shore.  For instance, the silver spirals are similar to that of a koru and is a symbol that is often found in nature.  The jade and jasper motifs represent pohutukawa flowers.

Five of these disks are inscribed with the names of the mayors of North Shore City from 1989 to 2007.

Auckland City Council Mayoral Chains

The most elaborate mayoral chain is Auckland City Council’s, which is a triple width mostly gold chain connecting to a Maltese cross.

Suspended from the cross is a pendant of the Auckland City Council’s coat of arms.

John Henry Upton, Mayor of Auckland 1889-1891, presented the Maltese cross and the first link of the mayoral chain upon his retirement on 12 November 1891.  The city draughtsman, Mr Gulliver, designed the Maltese cross and Adolph Kohn manufactured it.

Each succeeding mayor was expected to add a link engraved with the term of his or her office.  In 1924, Mr Upton presented the pendant of the coat of arms that was appended to the Maltese cross.  Later, in the 1960s links were added commemorating the mayors prior to John Upton.

Papatoetoe Borough Council Mayoral Chains

The mayoral chain for Papatoetoe is made of sterling silver and has a shield shaped pendant suspended from the centre of the chain.

It is believed to have been made by Walker and Hall.

The shield is enamelled and in the centre is featured the native grass, toetoe, which is an emblem of Papatoetoe.

Above the toetoe is a waka on rollers, which commemorates the portages from the Waitemata Harbour to the Manukau Harbour.  The plough on the shield (above the waka) symbolises the agricultural heritage of the area.  The motto, Kia Mahi Tahi, at the top of the pendant means let us pull (or work) together.

Also, in the photograph is the mayoress chain, which is a similar design.

Mayoral chain mysteries

The whereabouts of the mayoral chains for Newmarket Borough Council and the Waitemata City Council are to-date unknown.

The infamous Waitemata City Council chains went missing twice.  The first time they were stolen from Mayor Tim Shadbolt’s car but were later found in a Ponsonby letterbox and returned to the Council.  In 1986, they went missing a second time.  Media reports suggested the chains were misplaced at a party, but Tim Shadbolt said that he wore them again after that event.  What happened to the Waitemata City Council mayoral chains is a mystery and they have yet to be found.

Most of the mayoral chains can be viewed on request.  There are some chains on display in public libraries.  For further information, please contact the Archives.

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              09 307 7792

Email                archives@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website           www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/councilarchives

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