Devonport Heritage

Devonport, at the very southern point of North Shore City, was one of the earliest settled areas of Auckland. The three small volcanic mountains here (Takapuna, Takarunga and Takaroro) were ideal for Maori pa (fortified settlements) as they had quality soil to grow kumeras (sweet potatoes) and its large tidal beaches to collect seafood.

The mountains are believed to have been occupied by Maori from about 1350AD. European settlement began in earnest in the mid 1800s, with farming and shipbuilding the main industries.

In 1840 a flagstaff was raised on our highest hill (Mt Victoria or Takarunga, 81 metres) and the town became known as Flagstaff.

A deep water anchorage suitable for naval vessels was identified nearby, and the area became the base for our navy. Hence the name Devonport, after the English naval town. The Calliope Dock, when it opened in 1888, was the largest drydock in the Southern Hemisphere. The Royal New Zealand Navy still has its national base here. The Navy also had a presence on North Head or Takapuna (65 metres), which is now administered by the Department of Conservation, and there are still military tunnels and bunkers there to be explored. A newly opened park above Narrow Neck Beach is Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve which has in the past housed both Navy and Army.

In the 1880s much farm land was subdivided and large wooden villas were built in a style which has now become part of Devonport's charm. The villas have been lovingly restored and repainted, and beautiful gardens developed around them to enhance their glory. Most of the houses are built of solid timber from the kauri tree, Agathis australis, a native tree known for its straight growth habit and lack of knots.

Visitors come to Devonport to enjoy our gentler pace of life and to see the colonial architecture which is such a feature of the area.

One of the most popular walking spots is North Head (Takapuna), the smaller of our two remaining volcanoes at 65 metres. It has been used extensively for defence and still has the typical bank and ditch pattern of a Maori fortified site, as well as 19th and 20th century bunkers and ammunition storage tunnels which can be explored, and guns aimed out over the harbour entrance.