History Contents

Sarah Mathews

Te Rou Kai

The Original Shore Line

Historic Layers of Fort Lane and Surrounding Areas

Script of Time

Scenes Throughout History Sarah Mathews: ‘ First Lady’

I discovered a real-life account of an experience in early , Sarah Mathews personal journals. Mathew’s was the wife of Felton Mathews, New Zealand’s first general surveyor, travelling to New Zealand in 1840 Mathew’s journals account her first interactions with early Auckland. Sifting through the information recorded in, Sarah Mathews: explorer, journalist and Auckland’s ‘First lady’, by Tessa Duder I drew out scene setting quotes about early Auckland from Mathews Journals.

“Though blowing very strong there was no rain, we landed at a rocky point…”

“..to reach shore through the mud”

Reaching the Auckland shoreline: “The ferns forming a sort of ladder to ascend the top of the bank”

“Looking over the most dreary and desolate looking country the eye ever beheld” -Whilst on the peak of the current Mount Hobson, Sarah Louise Mathew. Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Reference: A 11646. Remuera. Using historical research through the form of journal entries has framed the base of the installation concept, designing through a historical lens to portray film based scenes. By taking the encounters by Sarah Mathews I was inspired to draw out atmospheric conditions mentioned within the passages to frame and depict weathering and environmental patterns for the interior installation. The recounts of land looking dreary paint a realistic picture of what the first settlers encountered, this includes rain, wind and temperature conditions. The installation is going to include an interiorised weather station that will occur over the whole space. The recounts of Sarah Mathews are simple journal entries that have had a large influence on the direction of my design process, important words from a time where there is limited information to discover about pre-colonisation Auckland environment. Richardson, J. D. (1863). Panoramic Views from Mount Hobson: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-824. Te Rou Kai

Te Rou Kai or ‘the food gathering’, a former pipi bank that lay between the site of the Waitemata Hotel and Point Britomart at the mouth of the Waihorotiu Stream (aka – Ligar Canal/Queen Street).

Fort Lane crossed Te Rou Kai, which used to be a valued shellfish bank that supplied a traditional food source. The rich history of the site led me to investigate the textural ideas of Pipi’s. Exploring the history un-disturbed natural sense of the site ignited my design concept for the site, a sensorium of experiences within Imperial Lane. Re-creat- ing the atmospheric conditions seen at the original site of Fort Lane through weathering and re-surfacing. My aim is to develop and create a space that express the narrative of Fort Lane through natural conditions.

Waihorotiu Stream created the fed the enviroment of the tidal mud- flat, where fresh water met salt water. The stream carved out the now Queen Street Gully, feeding into the Waitemata Harbour. The upper area of that valley now home to Myers Park, the stream then flowed through a swampy area which is now Aotea Square and then flowing down the area now known as Queen Street. The tidal mudflat area be- gan where Victoria Street instersection now sits.

Te Rou Kai, Waihorotiu Stream and the Waitemata Harbour would have all been valued food sources for the Maori people that inhabited the land before the european settlers came to New Zealand. Once the set- tlers arrived the food sources started to deminish, eventually the land The Waihorotiu Stream - now channeled into brick sewers underneath Queen Street where Te Rou Kai and Waihorotiu Stream lay was reclaimed in the name of ‘urbanisation’. Auckland Weekly News. (1905). New Zealand Native Life: Maoris Gathering Pipis (Cockles) For Dinner: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19050330-6- 1. Auckland Weekly News. (1940). Christmas Delicacies for Maori Soldiers in England: Pipis Being Prepared at Rotorus: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS- 19401113-38-3. The Original Shoreline The original shoreine of Auckland is a main contributer to the ideaolgy behind ‘The Natural State’ installation, this shoreline providing the features of the tidal mudlfat and Te Rou Kai. Since th 19th to early 20th centuries the shoreline has drastically changed with developments of rail connections, and the construction of the Harbour Bridge and Fort Street led along the original shoreline. There were steps up the motorway in 1950s and 60s. The marinas and commerical wharves that hill to the Britomart Barracks. The Maori name for this area is Te One stretch out aucklands land into the Waitemata Harbour now go from Panea, ‘beach of the heads in line’. It is said the heads of slain enemies Westhaven through to Judge’s Bay. Many Auckland residents would were stuck on posts from one end to the other of the foreshore. be surprised at the amount of changes and disregard to out natural resources that has occurred to form Auckland City. Point Britomart, a headland which was known firstly as Flagstaff Hill, and then shortly afterwards, Pt. Britomart. Auckland’s first European fort The first reclamation of the Waitemata Harbour began with the forma- was established on the point on the site of an old pa, Te Rerenga-oraiti tion of Fore Street (currently Fort Street) from the shoreline of Commer- (‘the leap of the survivors’) in 1840. The ancient name describes two cial Bay, completed in 1850. Auckland being New Zealand’s capital city similar incidents when attacking Ngati Whatua forces drove their foe for a duration, being able to provide wharves was essential in the eyes off the end of the headland with only few surviving the leap into the of the european settlers. The Auckland Provincial Council undertook to Waitemata harbour below. The headland was demolished in the 1880’s construct Wynyard Pier between Official and Mechanic’s Bays before and used as fill in nearby Official Bay. the end of 1851, and commenced work on the first Queen Street Wharf in 1852. By 1859 reclamation work was in progress between Fort and Customs Streets. By 1870 the reclamation of reached as far as Customs Street East and in the 1880s Quay Street was formed. Māori Auckland Map

This map shows the area just to the east of present-day Auckland. On the right Motukora is Brown’s Island, in the middle Whanganui is St Heliers, at the bottom Maungarei is Mt Wellington, and at the top of the map Maungauika is the North Head of Devonport Historic Layers of Fort Lane and Surrounding Areas

I undertook an in-depth historical site investigation, discovering the layers of information on the site and the area that surrounds. I created a historical timeline of events for Fort Lane, moving into finding compelling historic imagery of the site and its wider context. Discovering these images through Digital NZ archives I was able to set myself in the scene of the image, imagining the atmospheres, sounds and people that might have passed around me. The overarching themes I discovered throughout my historical research have influenced my whole design process, using this information to fabricate the scenes experiences through my interior installation project.

Scenes Throughout History: Auckland CBD & New Zealand

Maori Market

Māori canoes bring produce to Onehunga, Auckland in this William Strutt painting from the mid-1850s. New Zealand Company Propaganda Strutt’s journal records that a fleet of canoes arrived with produce, including pumpkin and pigs, for sale in Auckland. The New Zealand Company tried to attract settlers from Britain by publishing romanticised images of New Zealand. A major source of this propaganda was Edward Jerningham Wake- field’s book, Adventure in New Zealand, published in London in 1845. It contained many coloured lithographs. This one, from a drawing by William Mein Smith, the first New Zealand Company surveyor general, shows the company settlement of Petre (Whanganui) in Septem- ber 1841. Maori canoes, Auckland wharf

Creator: W. S. Hatton

Māori traders can be seen on the right of Queen Street wharf and in the canoe to the left. Māori arrived in Auckland by canoe with goods for trade. Later, they used and owned coastal vessels to transport their goods to the Auckland market Fort Street

1898

Fort St. Looking up to buildings at top of Shortland St.. Fish cure shed frames in front

Creator: Harold Young Detail of Auckland Plan

This detail of the original plan highlights Point Britomart. This was named after Captain William Hobson’s ship, HMS Britomart. Hob- son and his party landed on the point from the ship on 18 Septem- ber 1840. The British flag was raised and a gun salute fired. Fort Street 1915

Showing the orgianal shore line of Auckland, before the land reclamation

Oil on canvas 409 x 562 mm

Created by K. Burcher Showing part of a bird’s eye map of the Waitemata Harbour showing Point Britomart and St Paul’s Fort Britomart Church (centre). Situated on Point Britomart, and using the defences of an earlier pā, Fort Britomart was built as an army 1840 barracks. (The British flag was first unfurled on the headland on 16 September 1840.) The initial building was completed in 1841, and other buildings were added in response to external and local threats in Richardson, James D subsequent decades. The fort closed in the early 1870s and operations were transferred to the nearby Albert barracks. Point Britomart was then excavated to provide fill for waterfront reclamations. This paint- ing by Sam Stuart shows the fort in 1869. Britomart. Auckland

1885

Looking south east from the reclamations between Customs Street East and Quay Street East, showing Point Britomart being demolished up to Emily Place, St Looking along Fort Street, 1859 Paul’s Church (centre) Princes Street with the Northern Club (to the right) Shortland Street and Customs Street Creator: Richardson, James D East (centre to right) with the premises of A Hines and Co kauri gum merchants and Reid and Gray, Looking west along Fort Street showing Carr’s Boatyard (left); Grahame’s Bonded Store and agricultural implement manufacturers. jetty (centre); boat anchored (left foreground) Removal of spoil from Point Britomart Reclamation work at Point Britomart

1875 1875

Showing workmen removing spoil by horse and cart from the base of Point Britomart during recla- Showing the commencement of reclamation work at Point Britomart. mation work. Looking west from Point Britomart showing old wood wharf

1880’s

Looking south west from Point Britomart showing Commercial Bay Looking west from Point Britomart showing old wood wharf, S S Wellington at Gore Street

1859 jetty and Queen Street wharf in background

Looking south west from Point Britomart showing Commercial Bay during the early stages of reclama- tion. The Caledonian Hotel and Victoria Hotel are seen on Fort Street which runs along the foreshore, St Patricks Cathedral (right of centre, background), the end of Gore Street Jetty (left, middle distance), with the sea wall running along the foreground Fort Street in the 1920’s Looking east along Fort Street 1880 Creator: Richardson, James Douglas Photographer: View looking east down Fort Street from approx. Gore street intersection. James D Richardson

Looking east along Fort Street, with the Government Building, Custom House Hotel, Grahames Bonded Store, (right), and St Pauls Church in background Roxy Theatre

Photographer: New Zealand Hearld

Low Tide on the Waitemata, Auckland.

1907

Creator: Auckland Weekly News Fort Lane 1973

Roxy Theatre milk bar Looking north along Fort Lane from the rear of Coulls, Somerville Wilkie Limited, towards the John Bates Building in Customs Street East, showing the offices 1930’s of Edward Lumley and Sons, R B Swann and Company, the Tulip Coffee Room, Holm Travel Service, and the Disabled Re-establishment Shop. Looking in to milk bar from street or theatre lobby with male customer and young woman behind counter, showing mirrors milkshake machine, straw dispenser etc. Glimpse of promotional advertisement on right. Sophie Roberts // 15898273