Scotts Landing Historical Trail
The Scotts Landing Historical Trail is a MERRA initiative to install a series of six bench seats at key vantage points on the peninsular. Each seat provides a resting place to view sights and sites of historical interest. Handcrafted wooden and corten steel benches have been installed at each location, with QR codes linking to an […]
Scott House new content
MERRA has received additional information from Auckland Council Heritage researcher Marguerite Hill about Scott House and also a fascinating videography by Claire Cowan – 2011 Artist in Residence at Scott House. The Heritage information and videography are shared below for your enjoyment. Scott Homestead is one of the oldest buildings in the Mahurangi Harbour and […]
Subdivision
An earlier survey for a subdivision at the top of the harbour near Dawson’s Creek had not been completed. Between 1852 and 1854 Charles Heaphy the Provincial Surveyor and artist supervised the survey of the Village of Mahurangi and lived here on lot 60 in Heaphy/Schoolhouse Bay. Below is a sketch of his cottage on […]
Timber milling
Firewood and building timber was being harvested as early as mid 1840’s early gatherers included Captain Sullivan who established himself at Mahurangi West. Soon after the Mahurangi Purchase the government began to issue cutting licenses for firewood. Early licensed cutters included a Robert Laurie and the Cowans at Cowans Bay. Robert supplied wood to fire […]
The Mahurangi purchase
In 1840 by Felton Mathew, visited the harbour as part of his quest for a new site for the capital of the new colony. He was realistic and saw the opportunity for the development of Mahurangi as a supporting Township for Auckland. As a result negotiation occurred in 1841 in what is known as the […]
Early Europeans
The first Europeans to explore the Mahurangi were looking for Flax and Timber. The British Navy came seeking spars. Spar ships would drop cutting gangs of up to 300 seamen who would enlist local labour. Quality control was an issue and the Navy encouraged the establishment of commercial timber operations. Captain Ranulph Dacre obtained a […]
Maori history
Māori first occupied our land and there are widespread defensive ditches, pa sites and kumara pits to be found on most of the headlands around the harbour. The South Eastern headland Tairoa/Sadler Point was the site of a very large pā. Manganui/Casnell Island and the headland now known as Burton Wells Scenic reserve were also […]
Mahurangi – the name
Mahurangi is the name used by our association and name of our harbour, but was at one time used as the name of all the land from Te Arai Point to the Wade River purchased from Māori in 1841. There have been several suggestions about the origin of the name but the most commonly given […]