2023 Update

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2023 Update

The Port of Onehunga in 2023 is a sorry sight. Lord knows what tourists who've just arrived at Auckland Airport and are crossing Mangere Bridge en route to their city centre hotels make of the sight of an empty wharf as their first sighting of the city with two harbours.

More often than not bereft of activity nowadays, the king's ransom being charged by the wharf's owners, Panuku Development Auckland, to use the facilities is such that even our hardy inshore fishing fleet operators baulk at the idea of berthing at Onehunga during the tuna-fishing season.

The picture above was taken on Boxing Day 2021, and shows just one fishing vessel in port at a time of year when Onehunga is usually awash with tuna-chasers. A year later, there was one less vessel in port ...

Thanks to those port charges, the old saying "Any port in a storm" doesn't apply where my home port is concerned anymore ... sad, sad times.

When one looks out across the vast expanses of the Manukau, it's not hard to visualise and hanker for the days when Onehunga was a veritable hive of activity, with ships and fishing vessels alike arriving and departing on a regular basis.

Alas, memories of those halcyon days when "the most successful secondary port in New Zealand" was at its zenith, between the early 1960s and early 1990s, are all that remain.

And as those who worked in and around the port or on the ships themselves, or lived on the shores of the Manukau and saw vessels of various shapes and sizes coming and going, slowly but surely succumb to the inevitability of time, those memories and recollections diminish with every single crossing of the bar.

Thankfully this section of The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website exists to help jog and maintain those memories. And while it's been two years since the "Shipping at the Port of Onehunga" section was last updated, due in large part to the sheer volume of football work in that time but also to the paucity of Onehunga material unearthed, it doesn't mean material hasn't not been sought and accumulated.

This page and those listed opposite provide the latest offerings which add to the story of this much-loved homely haven of shipping activity, a port which served the nation well for approximately 180 years before the powers-that-be prematurely,

irresponsibly and unforgiveably consigned the Port of Onehunga to history, when it could very easily be playing an active role in the current revival of coastal shipping on New Zealand's blue highway.

My apologies for the lack of credits associated with some of the accompanying photos. Please contact me if the photo requires a credit, and I'll happily add it. Some of these pics have been sourced from the Facebook groups of "Ship Spotters New Zealand" and "Ships of NZ & You Sailed In" - thanks to those group members who are, as I am via this site, keeping alive the memories of those ships which have served our shores over the years.

Numerous other pages have been updated with titbits of information which add to the story of the vessel concerned. Explore and learn ... :-)

Ana Isabel	Calm
Canterbury Express	Guardian Carrier
Hauiti	Hokianga
Hunte	Kaapgracht
Kaitoa	Karetu
La Bonita	Lorena
Maasmond	Milburn Carrier
Onehunga	Onehunga
Port De France	Port Waikato
Puriri	River City
San Te Maru No. 17	Spirit Of Progress
Spirit Of Resolution	Spirit Of Vision
Sundry Tugs	Westport
2021-22 Visitors	Fishing Basin Fun
From John Underhill	Onehunga Scenes
Sanford Legends	Wharf Wildlife
Waterfront Notes	Onehunga

"Tiare Moana" and "Fetu Moana" alongside in Avatiu, Rarotonga.

Photo taken by John Heeney

A gorgeous shot of "Union Nelson" and "Fijian" alongside as the sun heads towards the horizon in the 1983-85 period.

An extremely rare and special photo taken on the morning of 26 November 1976, prior to the departure of both "Totara" and "Titoki" - a rare sighting of them in port together at Onehunga. The other ship in port is "Holmdale", making her final call - the last time three coastal traders were in port together at "The Big O".

This was taken on 25 June 1998, following the arrival of the Pacifica ships "Spirit Of Progress" and "Spirit Of Resolution". It was the latter's first visit to Onehunga, and she arrived sporting her previous name, "Pasadena".

Crowds on Onehunga Wharf watch "Rotoiti" berthing. Many of those on board and preparing to board were heading off to the Boer War circa 1899-1900

A ship in port in the late 1890s, taken from Mangere Mountain by Thomas Ashe

From the Onehunga Public Library Collection

"Port Whangarei" in Lyttelton Harbour ...

... and closer to home. She called into Onehunga three times prior to WW2

Work nears completion on building the new Mangere Bridge. Meanwhile, "Tasi" and "Adi Viti" are alongside at Onehunga in this 1982 photo. Fletcher Trust Archive, P0085/16

"Regulus", a frequent caller at Onehunga up until 1930, berthing at Nelson

Some old gold here! "Apanui" swinging in to tie up at 'A' berth, pictured from the bridge of fellow regular 1950s caller "Tainui"

Looking down into the #2 hold of "Tainui" from the ship's bridge while loading is under way, with "Apanui" alongside for'ard.

An oil painting of an unidentified Union Steam Ship Company vessel crossing the Manukau Bar circa 1900, by Edward McLeod

"Titoki" departing Onehunga for the first time, at 1125 on 18 September 1958

Looking south across Hopua Basin (now Gloucester Park) to Onehunga Wharf and Mangere Mountain in the 1890s,

featuring what's believed to be SS "Rotoiti" amongst a collection of ships in port.

From the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection, 957-107-1

Onehunga