Whangārei Harbour has been significant since our earliest days, serving as a landing point for migratory waka and a centre for trade during pre-colonial times. As the missionaries and settlers moved south from the Bay of Islands, several families took up residence from the 1830s but fled in 1845 when conflict broke out in the north; many did not return. The town later developed as a port for natural resources extracted from the hinterland – particularly after coal was found nearby – the port located in what is now the Town Basin.
The economic importance of coastal shipping routes faded when rail linked the city to the nation in the 1920s. Construction of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery boosted the region in the 1960s and Northport in the 2000s, though Northland’s economy lost vigour relative to other regions. The city has retained, though, an interesting collection of buildings. Perhaps an upside of its relatively low density has been a pattern of letting old buildings take on new uses. Where other cities have scrapped and replaced amenities, Whangārei’s old post office, council offices and libraries survive.
As the listings show, while much has been built by out-of-towners, the city has a lineage of adventurous and accomplished locals. These now include established firms such as HB Architecture, as well as practices adopting alternative models – community-based facilitators ĀKAU and kaupapa Māori specialists Matakohe Architecture + Urbanism.
Whangārei boasts a
