Connecting the past and present of Maungakiekie-Tāmaki

A new photographic exhibit helps tell the story of the significant change in the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki area over the last 100 years. From early portages and port towns to bustling urban neighbourhoods, this part of the Auckland isthmus has been central to the region’s growth and connection to the water of the Tāmaki River and Manukau Harbour.

The exhibit showcases a series of panoramic photographs, contrasting what Panmure, Mt. Wellington, Penrose and Onehunga looked like in 1920 compared to 2020.

By showing the landscapes side-by-side, the area’s history is connected to the present, fostering an appreciation and deeper understanding of how Auckland’s urban environment has changed as the isthmus has developed.

This photographic heritage initiative, funded by the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board and delivered by Panuku Development Auckland, will help the local community and visitors better understand the area’s history and promote a deeper sense of place.

It’s part of a larger Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local History project that seeks to develop a broader historical record of the area’s photographic, oral and written history, and finding creative ways of sharing the area’s heritage with the community.

“These are such impressive visual storytelling additions to the Panmure streetscape.” says Chris Makoare, Chair of Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board. “It’s important to acknowledge the history of the area and I can’t think of a better way to do it. Seeing them in place, providing a platform for ongoing conversation and enabling growth in our understanding of our local heritage, proves how valuable supporting community projects like this is.”

Deep in the vaults of Auckland Libraries’ Heritage Collections resides a collection of photographs on glass plate negatives from 1920 that provide striking images of the southern and eastern edges of the Auckland isthmus. Taken by James Douglas Richardson from the summits of Maungarei / Mount Wellington and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, these photographs were recently meticulously re-digitised and stitched together by heritage specialists at Auckland Libraries, revealing in beautiful detail the stunning and historic vistas from the maunga in the area.

Richardson was a prolific photographer and chronicler of Auckland, especially around the turn of the twentieth century and the first few decades thereafter. His extensive work, with over 9000 images catalogued by Auckland Libraries, helped document the region’s development.