Quay Park hīkoi whakaaro - Hītori

Quay Park is a significant part of the Tāmaki CBD and is our single largest commercial asset, so it was important that we captured whānau whakaaro as we develop a plan for the future.

He wāhi mā tātou

There has been a lot of exciting kōrero on how we can celebrate the heritage of Te Tōangaroa on our whenua. Whānau raised the importance of imprinting our Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei feel around the place, making it a safe and vibrant place to visit and do business with. Whānau want Quay Park to be a place you stop and enjoy rather than a thoroughfare to Spark Arena and want to see kai trucks, places to kai tahi and share our art, while also protecting and growing the value of our asset.

We have grouped the kōrero we heard into themes and want to share them with you. The first theme looks at how we can celebrate the hītori of Te Tōangaroa throughout the precinct.

Hītori

Quay Park has a rich history and has always been a significant part of Tāmaki. Te Tōangaroa is the original name for the whanga where the precinct sits. The name Tōangaroa is in reference to the dragging of waka to shore. Often waka were loaded with produce so our tupuna could trade kai with settlers at Waipapa, the first Tāmaki Makaurau market.

Between 1877 and 1923 the Auckland Harbour Board reclaimed Te Tōangaroa from Beach Road (the original shoreline) to the Port.

Whānau whakaaro

• Visually identify the boundary of Quay Park
• Rename streets, buildings and places with historical meaning
• Research how our ancestors used the area to draw inspiration for a modern version of their vision
• Digitalise our history on large screens around the precinct
• Create a cultural museum
• More historical, traditional artwork and carvings
• Landmark the original tide line

These ideas will be taken onboard in our plans to re-invigorate the Quay Park area.

Other themes

• Culture
• Environment
• Manaakitanga
• Whānau opportunities