Auckland, 1852, from Queen Street Wharf
Showing Queen Street and corner of Shortland Street, the Wesleyan College (now the People’s Palace) and the Windmill, Karangahape Road, still a city landmark. (The two uniformed men in the foreground are native policemen)
P. J. Hogan, delt.
[Chapter II]
Development: 1851-1870
The advent of the second decade of Auckland’s history finds the town passing from the cradle stage to one of more independence. Until the year 1851 Auckland had been variously described as “the town,” “the seat of government,” or “the capital.” In other words, it had been fostered by the Government. Now, by a Proclamation of the Governor, Sir George Grey, it was elevated to the position of a borough, with a corporation—the first to be created in New Zealand—to which was given the powers of self-government on all matters of local interest. The elections were held on November 18th, and resulted in the return of the following gentlemen:—Messrs. Edwin Davy, Archibald Clark, Patrick Dignan, F. W. Merriman, A. B. Abraham, James O’Neill, S. Norman, T. M. Haultain, J. A. Hickson, A. Macdonald, Joseph Newman, William Powditch, William I. Taylor, and W. Mason. On November 25th the councillors were sworn in, the event taking place at the Court House, Auckland, before the Chief Justice (Sir William Martin), and in the presence of Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard and the naval, military and civil officers of the Government, as well as the officers of the 58th Regiment, the clergy, a numerous assemblage of ladies and a great concourse of burgesses, the day being observed as a special public holiday in honour of the occasion. To the accompaniment of a flourish of bugles the names of the gentlemen chosen to be first Mayor and aldermen of Auckland were announced as follows:—Mayor, Mr. Clark; aldermen, Messrs. Dignan, O’Neill, Powditch and Mason. Thereafter the Charter of Incorporation was read, and the Lieutenant-Governor delivered an address, in which he stated to the councillors that “it cannot fail to be a matter of gratifying personal distinction to yourselves to be selected from upwards of fourteen hundred burgesses to fill the office and discharge the duties of the first Council of the first Corporation established in this country, under the immediate sanction of the Royal authority.” The ceremony ended with the guard of honour presenting arms, while the band played the National Anthem, and a salute of twelve guns from the battery at Fort Britomart was fired. The first meeting of the Council took place a week later in the Legislative Council Chamber, which had been placed at the disposal of the Corporation by the Government.
The Borough Council did not last long, owing to the disallowance in England of the “Land Fund Appropriation Act,” upon which the Corporation depended chiefly for its revenue, and on the passing of the Constitution Act of 1852, its existence terminated. Despite its short life, it is worthy of record as an historic fact.
Auckland’s municipal history during the remainder of this period is not of much interest. In 1854 “An Act to Provide for the Municipal Government of the City of Auckland” was passed by the Provincial Council. This Act was repealed in 1856, and the powers contained therein transferred to the Superintendent of the Province. The next attempt to develop local government was made in 1862, when the “Town Boards Act” was passed by the Provincial Council; it was repealed the next year, and was superseded by the “City Board Act, 1863.” Finally, “The Municipal Corporations Act, 1867,” was passed, and under this Act the city was constituted by Proclamation on April 24th, 1871. It has continued to be governed by that Act and its amendments up to the present time.
MAYORS OF THE CITY OF AUCKLAND. First Row:—Arch. Clark (1851-52); P. A. Philips (1872-74); H. H. Isaacs (1874); F. L. Prime (1874-75); B. Tonks (1875-76).
Second Row:—W. J. Hurst (1876-77); H. Brett (1877-78); T. Peacock (1878-80); J. M. Clark (1880-83); W. R. Waddel (1883-86).
Third Row:—A. E. T. Devore (1886-89); J. H. Upton (1889-91); J. H. Gunson, C.M.G., C.B.E. (1915—); W. Crowther (1891-93); J. J. Holland (1893-96).
Fourth Row:—A. Boardman (1896-97); P. Dignan (1897-98); D. Goldie (1898-1901); Sir J. Logan Campbell (1901); Alf. Kidd (1901-03).
Fifth Row:—Hon. (afterwards Sir) E. Mitchelson (1903-05); Hon. A. M. Myers (1905-09); C. D. Grey (1909-10); L. J. Bagnall (1910-11); Hon. C. J. Parr (1911-15).
The boundaries of the Borough of Auckland, as originally proclaimed, were wider than they are now, and stretched across the Isthmus from the Waitemata to the Manukau, and from the Whau Creek to the Tamaki, an area of about 58,000 acres. The population of the borough was between seven and eight thousand persons. W. Swainson[19] gives an interesting account of the state of the city at this time. “The principal streets are Princes Street, Shortland Crescent, Queen Street and Wakefield Street. The first is a broad, straight, spacious, well-made street on a gentle slope; St. Paul’s Church, the Treasury and the Bank, and the Masonic Hotel, are its principal buildings. Shortland Crescent, which connects Princes Street with Queen Street, is built on a rather steep ascent. It is less broad than Princes Street, but much longer. On one side [the right hand side going up from Queen Street] it is almost wholly built upon; shops and stores are here to be found of every description and of various forms and style ... with few exceptions, all are of wood. The roadway of the street is an even macadamised surface, but no attempt has yet been made to form footpaths on a general level. Some of the shops would not disgrace a small provincial town in England; though, taken altogether as a street, Shortland Street is irregular and unfinished. Queen Street is the least built upon; but in other respects, it is the best and most considerable street in Auckland. It is about half a mile long, nearly level, and almost straight, and terminates at its northern extremity at a pier or quay which runs into the harbour, and alongside of which small craft can land their cargoes. At its southern extremity it is overlooked by the Wesleyan Seminary [now the People’s Palace] ... a spacious brick-built and substantial structure. The gaol[20] is badly situated, and is by no means a conspicuous building; but by a diligent search it may be found on the west side of Queen Street [at the corner of Victoria Street], partly screened from view by the Court House and Police Office, which abut immediately upon the street. Several shops of superior description, two and three storeys high, have recently been erected, and Queen Street, besides being the longest, is certainly just now one of the most improving streets in Auckland. Wakefield Street ascends from its southern extremity until it joins Cemetery Road, and is the newest and most increasing street in the town. Many of the houses are built of brick, and it already bears a considerable resemblance to a new street in the outskirts of a modern English town.” The same writer continues (p. 31):—“The most considerable public buildings are the Britomart and Albert Barracks, having together accommodation for nearly 1000 men. The former are built on the extremity of the headland dividing Official from Commercial Bay, and form a conspicuous but by no means an ornamental feature. The buildings are solid and substantial, mostly of scoria—a dark, grey, sombre-coloured stone—square, heavy-looking and unsightly. The Albert Barracks,[21] the larger of the two, are built upon the same ridge, but about a quarter of a mile inland. The Stores, Hospital, Magazine and Commissariat Offices are built of scoria. The rest of the buildings are of wood, plain in style, and of a sombre colour. The various buildings, together with the parade ground, occupy several acres,[22] the whole of which is surrounded by a strong scoria wall, about ten or twelve feet high, loop-holed and with flanking angles ... the site, in a military point of view, is not happily chosen.”