INTRODUCTION
New Lynn is an important transitory suburb of Auckland with its bus terminal and train station providing a connective hub between central and western suburbs. Even before this, New Lynn had long been a transportation hub. Historically, local Māori used the area as a portage between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours. History After European colonisation, in 1863 the area was officially named after Kings Lynn of Norfolk by surveyor Frederick Utting, due to similarities of the land’s proximity to water. In 1852 Dr Daniel Pollen created a brickyard by the Whau Creek, bringing in brickmakers from England who then created their own yards. Due to the high quality clay deposits in the New Lynn area, by the 1870s as many as 13 different brick and clay yards were established along the
Base of Triangle, Totara and Todd Whau Creek. Avenues, New Lynn Photographer: John Thomas Diamond, 1962. The population of the suburb grew rapidly due to the nature of the Bank of New Zealand, corner of Totara and Todd Avenues, New Lynn Auckland Libraries West Auckland Research area as an industrial centre, and also the expansion of the Western rail Photographer: John Thomas Diamond, 1967. Auckland Libraries West Auckland Research Centre. Centre. J. T. Diamond Collection, JTD-11N-01841 J. T. Diamond Collection, JTD-11A-03261 (Cropped) line. Also around this time, in 1929 there was a merger of four ceramic companies from New Lynn and neighbouring suburb Avondale, which became the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company, and later grew into Ceramco. This company produced the ever- T E E popular Crown Lynn crockery, which has R T S A increasingly become a collector’s item with T A some rare items fetching large prices on R
D auction websites. A O P E R O V H R A T V R E T 1963 saw New Zealand’s first American O A A R T N O G L T N E E A E I C R style shopping mall built in New Lynn. It D R A
G O S A T has expanded over the years but has always R D E M X E E T remained independent from large companies. M O NEW LYNN R I OLYMPIC This year saw LynnMall celebrate its 50th jubilee. A TRAIN STATION L PARK
A T X O X V T E Today, New Lynn continues its expansion and ARA AVE X E STR ET X RK A growth, and with Auckland Council’s support CL CLAR a new merchant quarter and transport hub is K STREET currently underway. A large medical centre has been established and a shared space area Computer building, Totara Avenue, New Lynn Photographer: John Thomas Diamond, 1969. Auckland Libraries West Auckland Research Centre. has been created through McRae Way and J. T. Diamond Collection, JTD-11A-04005 (Cropped) Totara Avenue. Totara Avenue – a shared space
2011 saw Totara Avenue develop into a slow zone as a pedestrian- friendly shared space. The area allows for a more central focus to New Lynn and creates a connection between the new Transport Hub and the Merchant Quarter.
TODD TRIANGLE This large grass area is home to New Zealand ceramic artist Peter COMMUNITY CENTRE Lange’s playful brick sculptures. The New Lynn Community Centre is widely used by a variety of groups, both His practice cleverly plays on local and from the surrounding communities, for leisure, fitness and other stereotypical expectations of brick activities. With the redevelopment of the space, the building is now part of and clay, pushing it into new forms a sustainable urban centre. It also includes a Peter Lange brick sculpture out that challenge these ideas. His Todd front as a seat, and a bright, colourful suffrage memorial mural created by Triangle sculptures pay homage to the artist Sally Griffin to honour those women, led by Kate Sheppard, who in brick and clay roots of New Lynn and 1893 established the right for women to vote in New Zealand. have become an icon of sorts in the area, drawing passers-by to stop and contemplate, or children to play and explore. Left: Henderson sculptor Louise Purvis has created large fibreglass reinforced moulded concrete panels that appear almost like liquid. They reflect the changing topography of the land and also the ripples of volcanic activity. The large panels also act as a sound barrier due to their non-uniform shapes.
Textile artist Miranda Brown used the local multicultural community for her inspiration, creating graphic mandala or circular patterns to represent different The Art of New Lynn’s Transport Hub waves of migration. Brown interviewed people and organised workshops to gain insights and inspiration around cultural icons, symbols and rituals, which she then used in her final designs. Titled Fabrics of our culture, the resulting graphics can be found on the glass balustrade around the transport hub.
At the Hetana entrance to the under- The old bus depot and train station underwent significant ground – a not so obvious entry – changes, opening in 2010. The train lines that usually crossed the sculptor Neil Miller has also created traffic were put underground to alleviate congestion between pieces that reference historic railway cars, trains and buses. Along with the new transport hub being signage and signals. built, Auckland based artists were commissioned to add some John Parker has created an inventive vibrancy to the hub. nod to the iconic Crown Lynn swan with a mosaic tiled version on the underground wall of the train station.
After significant changes, New Lynn’s old bus depot and train station The transport hub was an reopened in 2010. Train lines that ambitious project that has previously crossed with road traffic succeeded in literally staking were put underground to alleviate New Lynn’s place on the map, congestion between cars, trains and not only with great architectural buses. As part of the development projects but also in keeping with of the new transport hub, Auckland- West Auckland’s ceramic and art based artists were commissioned to history. The building itself was the add vibrancy and culture to the winner of the 2012 New Zealand new facility. Architecture Award for Planning and Urban Design Excellence. Memorial Square This large array of brick columns sits across from the LynnMall entrance and features pillars that have water running down them with vines wrapped around, acting as a large sculptural Merchant Quarter trellis for the jasmine plants to grow on. There are plaques that provide an honour roll for World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
It is said that the water that runs down each brick pole is representative of the tears that have been Portage shed for each of the soldiers that lost their lives. Artist Warren Viscoe and architect Bill McKay created the tall canoe sculpture, titled Portage, which is situated at the intersection of Great North Road and Memorial Drive. The piece is historic in its reference, acknowledging the portage route that Māori once took between the two large bodies of water – Waitemata and Manukau Harbours.
Also acting as a sundial are time markers positioned around the sculpture, with one marker indicating the equinox and another the solstice. Olympic Park
Situated on Wolverton Road in New Lynn, Olympic Park is a large open space that includes a basketball court, playground, walking routes, environmental information and artworks spread throughout. In 2007, Olympic Park was awarded the Outstanding Park Award from the New Zealand Recreation Association.
There is a large art bridge, which links the two sides of the Whau River and provides a view over the whole park. The park has many easy walking routes, which includes other sculptures such as Louise Purvis’ Homage to Crown Lynn and also the traditionally inspired Māori carvings and seating area. On the Portage Road side of the park, leading towards the gymnasium, is a large black and red sculpture by artist Peter Nicholls. Its shape and form represents the confluence of the Waituarangi and Whau streams in Olympic Park, and the heritage of this site as a portage for transportation of waka. Metal eel sculptures designed by Whare Thompson lead the visitor to information about environmental and ecological issues that are particular to Olympic Park. Antonia Walmsley and Bill McKay’s sculpture Hinaki (meaning eel trap) also references the local area and history. The Whau River runs through the park and, as the sculpture suggests, would have been a good place to set traps. Further reading Also in the Area ‘A place to live and invest, a place to grow your opportunities’ Merchant Quarter, accessed 24 Oct 2013
Overbridge The 300-metre long Clark Street overbridge was also part of the major transport hub transformation, to ensure that heavy traffic can bypass the main street of New Lynn. Running along the side of the bridge are bright red metal fins that act as a marker for the bridge as a way to brighten up a largely dull concrete space, and as a screen for adjacent residences. The bridge uses three different shades of red to reference the ceramic and brickwork history of New Lynn with a rhythmic sequence of colour, and was awarded the Resene Total Colour Master Nightingale Award.