Heritage

Bluestone seawall that dates back to the 1860s was found underneath Lower Queen Street during excavation

Over the past year a number of important relics have been unearthed by the project. These help us to understand Auckland’s historical past.

While CRL will transform Auckland’s future it remains committed to protecting and showcasing its past.

There are a number of heritage listed sites and buildings within our project corridor such as the centuryold, heritage Category 1 listed Chief Post Office building and a number of locations along Albert Street.

Artefacts and relics from our past continue to be unearthed during excavation work.

In May 2020, excavations in Lower Queen Street uncovered the old Customs Street seawall that dates to circa 1860s. The large basalt blocks were encountered while digging a tree pit in the southern end of Lower Queen Street near the intersection of Customs Street East. The seawall will be carefully protected during backfilling, and will be marked by a heritage placemat built into paving. At the Aotea Station site, an old well cut into virgin clay was discovered on the corner of Wellesley Street and Mayoral Drive by the Link Alliance. The well appeared to be unlined, and its location indicates that it pre-dates the Salvation Army Hall that was found nearby. The remains of the old Salvation Army Hall, including several brick foundation walls, two drains and a brick pile were uncovered by the Link Alliance team.

An old boiler from around a similar time was found at the Aotea Station site, half buried below the surface and surrounded by a concrete walls. It was 180 centimetres long and found with contaminated materials inside.

Ancient whau tree

During her underground journey, micro-TBM Jeffie had an encounter with the remains of a tree recovered under an ancient lava field 15 metres below ground. Radiocarbon analysis found the tree fragments were 28,000 years old, an exciting revelation because it also dates the last Mt Eden eruption. Its discovery is helping scientists learn more about Auckland’s past before people settled here.

Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei spokesperson Ngarimu Blair says that the radiocarbon results were profound, and that these signs from our ancient past strengthen resolve to preserve and restore biodiversity left to us.

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