History

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

History

As you would expect, the Port of Onehunga has a rich history, dating back nearly 200 years.

Below is a potted chronological history of some of the key events in the life of the Port of Onehunga,

while more about the Port's history can be found on these pages:

Notable Vessels - 1800s To 1950s	History, 1907 - 1955	NZ Herald story, 16 March 1966	From the AHB Archives via NZMM
Demise Foreseen	Onehunga Wharf's Changing Face	View From The Mountain	Steam Arrives On The Manukau
A Wharf of Contrasts	Signal Station Signs	Servants of the Port	Onehunga Tales on Papers Past
High And Dry?

Year	Event
1820	Rev. Samuel Marsden, William Puckey, James Shepherd and John Butler visit the Harbour on November 9 & 10 - the first Europeans known to have sailed on the Manukau, using canoes furnished by Te Kawau, the principal chief of Ngati Whatua.
1830	Charles Marshall, a flax trader, visits the Harbour.
1831	Captain Smith brings the timber-trading brig "Tranmere" into the Manukau, accompanied by Captain John Kent and Waikato chief Te Wherowhero. This was the first European vessel to enter the harbour.
1834	Thomas McDonnell produces a chart of the Manukau Harbour entrance, believed to have been initially drawn up by Captain Kent.
1835	Thomas Mitchell, a timber merchant from Sydney, became the first European settler on the Manukau when he built a house between Cornwallis and Puponga Point, and reputedly New Zealand's first sawmill in the vicinity of Mill Bay. The area was rich in kauri, and he commenced shipping sawn timber to Sydney soon after commencing operations.
1836	Thomas Wing, later to become Harbourmaster and Pilot of the Manukau Harbour, a post he held for thirty years from March 1857, produces the first detailed chart of the Manukau after conducting surveys of the Kaipara, Kawhia, Raglan and Manukau Harbours in January 1836 aboard the vessel "Fanny".
1840	John Logan Campbell describes the Manukau Harbour as "resembling a great inland lake". First Fencibles settlement established - a force of retired soldiers brought in to strengthen the defences of Auckland because many colonists felt in danger from hostile Maori.
1840-99	The Harbour was generally seen as an important communications link to the rest of the country. Until 1859, Onehunga Beach was used as the shipping centre for trading to many ports north and south of the harbour entrance - including Raglan, Taranaki, Kaipara and Hokianga. The vessels had to anchor at high tide. Cargo was unloaded as the tide went out, and re-loading with grain, vegetables, livestock, kauri gum and flax took place in time for the vessel to be ready to sail on the next full tide. During the Land Wars, the Government commissioned the building of numerous ten-ton cutters at Onehunga, primarily to carry military stores to Drury. Larger cutters were also built, e.g. "Comet", "Undine", "Quickstep", "Maid Of Italy" and the schooner "Amaranth".
1841	New Zealand's first Surveyor-General, Felton Mathew, completed a survey of the Harbour, reporting favourable chances for further settlement between Auckland and Onehunga. "Brilliant" arrived on the Manukau on 28 November, the first immigrant ship to reach this part of New Zealand. She carried 27 Scottish immigrants who were brought out under the auspices of the Manukau Company.
1844	Colonial Surveyor G.A. Ormsby's survey showed the possibility of a port sited at Onehunga. Many shipmates suggested it should become Auckland's main port due to its proximity to the Tasman Sea. Reports of a tsunami surging into the Manukau. The mission house at Orua Bay, on the south side of the Harbour opposite Huia, bears the brunt of it, with the grounds flooded and household goods and furniture damaged by seawater.
1846	Publication of the first Admiralty chart of the Manukau Harbour.
1847	Onehunga founded as a settlement. Prior to this, only a few coastal and overseas ships had entered the harbour. The new port was swiftly established as the Royal New Zealand Naval Base, until it was relocated to the Waitemata Harbour in late 1865.
1849	Partial survey of the entranceways to the Manukau Harbour carried out by J.W. Smith, of "HMS Acheron", in company witha naval cadet, using "Acheron"'s deck boat, "Maori".
1851	A Pilot Station was established on Paratutai Island, but the service it provided frequently came under criticism, one of its shortcomings being that the Pilot's house was nearly a mile from the signal mast and in a position from which no lookout could be maintained to seaward.
1853	Captain Byron Drury, of the brig "HMS Pandora", conducted a survey of the Harbour, adding to the details and recording changes since Felton Mathew's original survey. You can read his report here. While the "HMS Pandora" survey was under way, the ship's Surgeon, John Joliffe, ventured the idea that the harbour could be connected by canal to the Waikato River. A signal mast was erected on Paratutai Island to assist ships with passage through the Heads. Captain Hannibal Marks was appointed the Manukau Harbour's first pilot on 1 November, and was replaced by William Champion seven months later.
1854	In May, the pioneer steamer "Nelson" inaugurated the first steam service linking the Manukau with southern ports. On arrival at the Heads, a gun was fired for the Pilot, but since no one appeared, the Master took the vessel in himself and anchored off Onehunga.
1855	In October, "Nelson"'s successor, "Zingari", grounded at her first entry. On a later visit in December, again finding no Pilot on hand, Captain Milton complained bitterly: "What use is a Pilot Station if the Pilot is rarely at his post?" Manukau's first Harbour Master, William Lewis, replaced William Champion in October.
1856	In May, another voyage of "Zingara" this time had the Pilot on board, whereupon the vessel grounded in the Harbour, and Milton promptly blamed the Pilot! The incident resulted in "Zingara"'s withdrawal.
1857	Captain Thomas Wing took on the combined roles of Manukau Pilot and Harbour Master in April, holding the post for 31 years. The Wing family resided at Whatipu until 1867, thence relocated to Onehunga for the duration of his tenure.
1858	Hugh Evans employed as the Signalman at the Whatipu Signal Pilot Station, being replaced in the role three years later by Edward Wing, eldest son of Captain Thomas Wing.
1859	Steam corvette HMS "Niger", captained by Peter Cracroft, becomes the largest vessel to enter the Manukau Harbour to date. She moored about a cable's length from the White Bluff and a mile below the village of Onehunga in what became known as Niger Bay, situated between Hillsborough and Grannys Bays. George Maurice O'Rorke laid the foundation stone of the original Onehunga Wharf on 16 August at Geddes Basin, now Gloucester Park. Mr D. Simpson drew up the plans for a wharf 552 feet in length which would enable vessels drawing up to five metres to berth alongside at low water. Under the leadership of Captain William Powditch, it was built on the west point of Geddes Basin, the deepest part of the harbour, with a stone abutment leading out from the foot of Queen Street to the wharf. The citizens of Onehunga gave 400 days' free labour and raised funds from limited resources towards its construction. Celebrated geologist Dr Ferdinand von Hochstetter visited the Manukau, staying in Captain Wing's house and using the Pilot's whaleboat - manned by a Maori crew - to examine the harbour. He found that the Manukau was "quite dull in comparison with Auckland", and that the harbour was only frequented by the mail steamer and small coastal schooners. It was also a port of call for steamers in the service to Sydney.
1860	Built largely by local residents, Onehunga Wharf was first put to commercial use on 9 January when the cutters "Nile" and "Maori Queen" discharged their cargoes of coal from the Waihoihoi mine at Drury. The Auckland Provincial Council considers a report on the possibility of constructing a canal between the Manukau Harbour and the Tamaki Estuary, in the vicinity of the centuries-old Maori canoe portage. Go here for further background information.
1861	The Maori Wars break out, and Onehunga and the Manukau become centres of military operations. While these commenced, the 'Harbour guardians' were the 700 ton "HMS Harrier" and the 750 ton "HMS Eclipse". According to the Pilot in charge, Thomas Wing, 23 war steamers, 31 merchant steamers, 9 sailing vessels and 48 coastal vessels entered the Harbour this year. His Excellency Sir Thomas Gore Browne, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, pronounces that "there shall be within the Province of Auckland a Port to be called the Port of Onehunga" on 11 September. Because of the increased trade at Onehunga, a Customs House was built. Henry N. Brewer was appointed the first sub-collector of customs on 27 September. "Maid Of The Mill", captained by John Grundy, an Onehunga mariner renowned for his navigational skills, was the first ship to sail from the port loaded with provisions and equipment when gold was discovered in Otago.
1862	Late in the year, a gale destroyed the Marryatt signal apparatus for communicating with ships. It wasn't replaced, with tragic consequences just months later ...
1863	The "HMS Orpheus" tragedy occurred on 7 February, with the loss of 189 lives - to this day New Zealand's worst maritime disaster. After the "HMS Orpheus" tragedy (refer Crossed The Bar), recommendations from Commodore Sir William Wiseman concerning naval visits saw the following improvements: The abandonment of Paratutai and a new Signal Station set up on South Head; The augmenting of Captain Wing's staff with a Signalman and an assistant Pilot; The laying of 34 buoys in the channel On the afternoon of 18 July, the Waikato Land Wars began. Next morning, 50 Naval Volunteers, led by Lieutenant Guilding, set off in cutters for a pa near Waiuku, from where it was suspected Maoris were canoeing across the Manukau to launch an attack on Auckland. After a short battle, the Volunteers destroyed the village and canoes, after which Naval Volunteers patrolled the Manukau until the conclusion of the Maori Land Wars, denying the natives the chance to use the Manukau Harbour as a means of attacking the then capital of New Zealand. In November 1863, a search for canoes missed in the July expedition saw Naval and Rifle Volunteers joining forces under the command of Captain Purnell aboard "Lady Barkly". Among those seized was Toki-a-Tapiri, which visitors to Auckland Museum can see today. This voyage saw the ship heading from Waiuku to South Head in what proved a vain pursuit of the Maoris, who chopped down the signal mast and stole two boats.
1864	The Waikato Steamer Service began operating small paddle wheel steamers as far north as Onehunga.
1865	A substantial wooden wharf, to replace the previous wharf and home-made jetties, is built with government funds. The Pilot Station was relocated to its present South Head site, 600 feet above sea level, after a flagpole-cutting incident! "HMS Eclipse" grounds briefly on the Manukau Bar with 288 troops aboard in January, prompting the Royal Navy to relocate the Naval Base to the Waitemata Harbour.
1866	Thomas Wing, Manukau Harbourmaster for 31 years, witnessed the grounding of the barque "Cambodia", because the Master paid no attention to signals telling him he was standing into danger. Apparently, being a stranger to New Zealand's coast, his maps did not recognise Onehunga as a major port. Not expecting signals and a bar, confusion resulted in the grounding. Captain Wing's son, Edward, refloated her and sailed her in for refitting before departure. A steamer service linking Onehunga and the Kaipara Harbour was launched.
1870-89	There was a large kauri and kahikatea log trade on the harbour, but as the forests decreased, so did the trade.
1873	Signal Station connected to the telegraph system. The rail line between Auckland and Onehunga is completed, enabling cargo and passengers arriving by steamer to cross quickly to Auckland. Passengers travelled by train to Onehunga, then by ship to New Plymouth and on to Wellington. This was the only way to reach the southern towns.
1874	Some twenty years after first being mooted, a twenty foot high tower was built on South Head to house a light some 385 feet above sea level which was visible for up to 26.5 nautical miles when lit, a feat which first took place at 5.35pm on 1 September. It was the first lighthouse in New Zealand to burn paraffin oil. The lighthouse remained on its original site until 1944.
1875	The first Mangere Bridge was opened. Union Steam Ship Company's "Hawea" departed on 7 July for Taranaki, Nelson, Picton, Wellington, Lyttelton and Otago, the first service of its kind emanating from Onehunga.
1878	Onehunga becomes "the railway wharf". A new railway wharf was constructed, some 850 feet in length, and remained in service until the main trunk line between Auckland and Wellington was completed in 1908, after which much of the shipping trade went direct from Auckland. This meant many years of issues arising from dual control, with plenty of hostility towards the railways from the local harbour authorities. The Marine Department, who looked after harbour-related issues, directed any complaints about berthage to the wharf's owners, the Railways Department.
1880	The Onehunga-Waiuku Steam Navigation Company was formed to link the two communities at opposite ends of the Manukau Harbour, a service it ran for 24 years.
1881	Northern Steamship Company commences services out of Onehunga with "Glenelg" operating a mainly cargo-based service.
1883	"Takapuna" inaugurated an express mail and passenger service for Union Steam Ship Company, linking Onehunga, New Plymouth, Wellington and Lyttelton. It was on this run for 26 years.
1884	Onehunga encounters industrial action, as several Northern Company crews walk off their ships in support of wage and overtime claims on 23 October. Within 24 hours, 16 steamers, including 10 Northern ships, were lying idle at Auckland and Onehunga.
1886	Harbour entrance survey conducted.
1890	The first Maritime Strike hits New Zealand. Seamen and wharf labourers at Onehunga refused to work the Union Company ship "Orowaiti".
1891	A service from Ferntown, a port in the Nelson region, briefly commenced, with coal shipped north to the iron smelting works. As well, 300 tons of iron ore from Parapara was shipped to the Onehunga smelter.
1899	The Auckland contingent of volunteers left from Onehunga to go to the Boer War.
1903	Manukau Steamship Company buys out the Onehunga-Waiuku Steam Navigation Company, but has a short, unprofitable life.
1906	Northern Steamship Company takes over from Manukau Steamship Company on the run, already operating a three-times-a-week run to New Plymouth with "Ngapuhi", later replaced by "Rarawa".
1907	Quoting from the Otago Daily Times of 16 July: "The urgent necessity for increased wharfage accommodation at Onehunga was again exemplified on 14 July. When "Takapuna" arrived from New Plymouth there were already seven vessels berthed, and she had to double-bank outside "Corinna". This caused a lot of delay, and the inconvenience was increased by the fact that the luggage and mails had to be taken out of "Takapuna" by means of "Corinna"'s derricks. Trade at Onehunga has grown to such an extent that the facilities provided at the wharf for shipping are altogether inadequate".
1908	The North Island main trunk railway opens, and trade on the Manukau is soon eroded, with only Anchor Shipping Company continuing to ply between Onehunga and Nelson.
1910	Walter Champion, grandson of William, the signalman at the Manukau Heads in 1854 and 1855, takes up the post, and serves in the same role until 1945 - 35 years' service!
1911	The Auckland Harbour Board acquired the Onehunga Wharf and surrounding area from the Railways Department, but lengthy delays, including the Manukau Harbour Control Act, instituted by the Auckland Harbour Board and passed by Government in 1911, meant the transfer from the Marine Department wasn't fully completed until 20 July 1913. The foreshore remained the Auckland Harbour Board's responsibility until amalgamation in 1989, when the Auckland Regional Council took over.
1913	The first vessel to visit Onehunga, once it was run by the Auckland Harbour Board, was the steamship "Corinna", which arrived from Picton under the captaincy of D. Cameron at 0800 on 21 July. Before the month had ended, two calls apiece were made by "Rimu", "Claymore", "Hawera" and "Rarawa", while "Hinemoa" and "Mana" also tied up at the wharf. The second Maritime Strike saw 13 members of the old union and form a separate arbitration union at Onehunga, which started work on 13 November.
1914	A government-subsidised weekly shipping service connected Onehunga with Hokianga, with freight loaded at Onehunga, and butter landed.
1915	The second Mangere Bridge was opened. It remains standing to this day.
1916	Available records of movements at Onehunga date from July 1913, and in 1916, 361 movements were recorded in the calendar year - a tally never bettered. The Northern Steamship Company began a service between Port Waikato and Onehunga.
1918	Among the passengers travelling from Kawhia to Onehunga on "Rimu" on 27 February was a pregnant mother-of-two who was heading to an Auckland nursing home to deliver her third child. The Manukau Bar had a cob on on this day, however, and such were the upheavals on the water that the woman became violently sick, to such an extent that she went into labour, giving birth to a little girl as "Rimu" made her way into port - the only known birth on the Manukau!
1919	Manukau Harbour-master R.H. Gibbons, who has held the post since 1913, commissions a survey of the harbour, in tandem with the Auckland Harbour Board "Pateena" arrived from Wellington on August 13, but dropped her anchor while berthing. Apparently the anchor failed to hold owing to the strong flood tide. The steamer hit the corner of the wharf, and lifted bodily three heavy piles bound together with iron hoops out of the water, and wrecked the stringers and wharf decking in the vicinity. "Pateena" was considerably damaged - an iron plate on the starboard side was ripped about fifteen feet in length as if cut with a knife, and iron stanchions were buckled or broken. Her departure for Wellington was delayed until September 10 while repairs were carried out.
1920	A Government Commission recommended that a barge canal be constructed to join the Tamaki Estuary with the north-eastern arm of the Manukau Harbour, in the vicinity of Otahuhu. The Commission also supported the proposed canal between the Waiuku arm of the Manukau Harbour and the Waikato River.
1922	Captain James Holt landed the catch of the 189-ton, 1900-built trawler "Countess" at Onehunga, becoming the first Auckland-based trawler to cross the Manukau Bar. "Thomas Currell", under the command of Captain Fred Johnston, wasn't far behind him.
1924	The Auckland Harbour Board began work on the Manukau Harbour Improvement Scheme. Among the improvements over the next three years was a new 400ft concrete wharf, built to replace the old wooden structure. A new access roadway and loading ramp were formed, and cargo storage sheds were completed, these later additions arising from the extension of the wharf to 1000ft, a new 600ft concrete wharf being added to the northern side of the aforementioned concrete structure. "Rarawa" experiences a particularly harrowing crossing of the Manukau Bar on 30 April. Just as she was about to cross, she was struck by a huge roller from starboard which smashed the woodwork of the bridge and swept away the engine room telegraph. As she righted herself, another tremendous sea struck and her cargo of timber went flying, causing her to heel alarmingly. A piece of timber became entangled in the ship's siren cord, so that was wailing away as well. However, "Rarawa" managed to get back on an even keel and resume her passage from New Plymouth to Onehunga, but not without casualties - Captain Bark suffered severe bruising, while First Officer Mr Robertson suffered a concussion. All passengers had been ordered below decks, so endured no concerns.
1927	The long-standing supplies run by steamer from Onehunga to the South Head Signal Station concludes.
1929	The scow "Success" was the last ship to be launched on the Manukau. This remained the case until "Jane Gifford" was relaunched at Waiuku following her restoration, on 28 November 1992. "Rarawa" departs Onehunga for the final time on 1 June, bringing to an end a career which commenced in 1903 and saw her make an estimated 2200 voyages between Onehunga and New Plymouth over the years. Accurate numbers will never be known, as available records only date from July 1913. From then until her final sailing, she visited Onehunga 1441 times. The Manukau Heads lighthouse switches to automatic signal control.
1941	The Manukau Harbour had a surprise visitor in early 1941 when the 12,427 ton "Imperial Star" made her way through the Heads and got as far as Point Puponga before the Captain realised there was no short-cut through to the Waitemata Harbour! The ship was built by Belfast shipbuilding giants Harland & Wolff in 1935, and was the first of a new class of refrigerated cargo motor ships designed to carry frozen meat on Blue Star Line's regular route from Australia and New Zealand to the UK. Having been damaged by bombs while in Liverpool in March, "Imperial Star" was commissioned for service in the Merchant Navy, and in August took part in Operation Halberd, one of several high-risk convoys to relieve the siege of Malta in World War Two. During those convoys, she sustained damage from the Luftwaffe, and after losing the tow from an assisting destroyer was scuttled off Tunis in the Mediterranean Sea on 27 September.
1944	A 7.6m high concrete tower was built at South Head to replace the previous lighthouse. It began operating on 20 August.
1946	The Port of Onehunga endured one of its busiest ever days on 22 July, as five ships departed port. Wild winter weather meant that "Aranui", "Hauturu", "Hokianga", "Kaitoa" and "Rosalie" were all in port over the weekend, and unable to cross the Manukau Bar. But once the weather abated on the Monday, all five ships cast off during the course of the day to set a record for most departures in a single day from Onehunga. "Kaitoa" becomes the first ship to be blown onto the Mangere Bridge while berthing on 24 August. She was pulled clear by the launch "Awhitu".
1947	Shortly after 1am at high tide on 22 June, the prevailing strong westerlies combined with the conditions to produce the biggest tide ever seen at Onehunga - an estimated twenty feet! The tide was so high that the seas broke over the end of Onehunga Wharf and washed the roads leading to it, while traffic had to take extreme caution crossing Mangere Bridge, as it, too, was awash with sea water. Three ships - "Hauturu", "Hokianga" and "Kaitoa" - were in port at the time, and managed to avoid being damaged.
1951	Towards the end of the great waterfront strike, the Onehunga branch of the Waterside Workers Union voted 17 to 8 on June 12 to fill in registration cards and form a new union, the Onehunga Port Workers Union, which was registered three days later, with work starting on June 18. Onehunga was the last North Island port without a separate union - until this development, they had been part of the Auckland port's branch, worked by servicemen assisted by Auckland new unionists. The strike was a significant factor in Onehunga witnessing just 52 shipping movements in 1951, a record low which only fell some sixty years later, following the departure of the last container ship to visit Onehunga. To learn more about the strike and its background, here's a link to an audio documentary about it.
1950s	The Northern Steamship Company, Holm Shipping Company and Anchor-Dorman Shipping Company all had new ships visiting Onehunga, all of which were designed for coastal trade. Equipped with electric winches, jumbo derricks and other modern cargo-handling machinery, many had refrigerated hatches, carried bulk cargoes and took advantage of the generator of the trade boom, the unit load revolution, or container. This prompted a marked increase in the tonnage of goods handled at Onehunga. Later, coastal trading was increasingly oriented towards the South Island.
1956	The first naval vessels to visit the port in over forty years draw up alongside in October - coastal defence launches "Mako" and "Paea" were visiting ports around the country.
1957	History is made at Onehunga with four motor ships - "Mamaku", "Maunganui", "Port Waikato" and "Tainui" - alongside for the first time ever on 31 August. At this time, the wharf only had two berths, and was only half the size it would become within the decade. "Mamaku" was the only ship in port on Friday afternoon, while "Maunganui" and "Port Waikato" were racing from Lyttelton to grab the other berth. The former won the race, crossing the Bar on Friday evening. The latter had to wait until the Saturday morning tide before she could berth at 0830, with "Tainui" thirty minutes behind her from Raglan.
1961	The NZ Cement Company vessel "Westport" undertakes her first voyage, carrying bagged cement from Westport to Raglan, Onehunga, Gisborne and Napier. 70 waterside workers adopted the ten-hour working day at Onehunga.
1962	A survey of the Harbour and approaches is carried out by two naval survey launches, showing the once treacherous bar no longer constituted a major hazard. On 10 September, a record five ships were in port at the same time - "Holmburn", "Maranui", "Tainui", "Totara" and "Westport". Late in the year, the grab hopper dredge "Wanganui" conducts the first dredging work at the Port for 36 years.
1963	A new record was set on 7 April, with six ships in port - "Holmdale", "Holmlea", "Hotunui", "Matipo", "Maunganui" and "Towai". Onehunga described as "perhaps the most successful secondary port in New Zealand, and has shown a remarkable rise in trade when every other coastal port has shown a decline. The additional (425,000 pounds worth of) berthage and facilities and reclamation at Onehunga will be completed within a few months and bulk cement ships will berth there from Westport. Because of the size of modern coastal ships trading between Onehunga and South Island ports, the trade at Onehunga has shown a 50% increase in the past two years. It has not been uncommon to see five or six ships waiting for berths at Onehunga during the past twelve months, and this in spite of the success of the Government interisland steamer "Aramoana"". (NZ Herald, 30 Dec 1963)
1964	Onehunga is reinstated as an overseas port with Holm Shipping Company operating new services to Noumea, Brisbane and the Pacific Islands. The newly expanded wharf was fully utilised for the first time on 16 March, with "Holmdale", "Onehunga", "Tawanui" and "Moanui" the vessels occupying the four berths. On 8 May, a record seven ships were in port - "Guardian Carrier", "Holmburn", "Holmlea", "Hotunui", "Maunganui", "Onehunga" and "Towai". Tonnage handled at Onehunga more than doubles following the erection of cement silos by NZ Cement Holdings and subsequent visits by "Guardian Carrier" and "Westport", which was converted to a bulk carrier to accommodate this development. Both ships were in port on 1 May as the silos were officially opened.
1965	Gatekeeper duties were extended to 24 hours a day. Prior to this, the gate was manned during daylight hours only. On June 5, "Holmburn" became the first ship since before World War Two to depart Onehunga carrying overseas-bound passengers. Two passengers were on board the first service to Noumea and Norfolk Island. The record high tide of twenty feet, recorded in 1947 (refer above), was equalled on Tuesday, 31 August.
1966	Northern Steam Ship Company announces that all cargo will be shipped out of Onehunga and no longer loaded at Auckland, although ships will still visit there to discharge cargo. The building which today houses Ports of Auckland's Onehunga Wharf office and Holcim was built, with space for three shipping companies as well as the landlords. A small shed served as the previous office. Adverse weather conditions see a record eight ships alongside on 2 May, with double-berthing a given. Berth A (the western end of the wharf) was occupied by "Holmlea", with "Holmwood" outside her. "Poranui" was flanked by "Mamaku" in berth B, while "Towai" had "Holmburn" outside her in berth C. "Guardian Carrier" occupied her usual berth D, but had "Awanui" for company on the busiest ever day in Onehunga's history. Barely three months later, eight ships were in port again. As the sun set on 31 July, "Holmpark" and "Maranui" (berth A), "Towai" and "Holmlea" (B), "Poranui" and "Hotanui" (C) and "Holmbrae" and "Mamaku" (D) were the ships alongside. Amazingly, just four months later, this record for most ships in port at any one time was equalled once more, with "Awanui", "Holmlea", "Holmpark", "Hotunui", "Mamaku", "Maranui", "Tawanui" and "Towai" the octet alongside on 27 November. The year concludes with a record 283 calls having been made to Onehunga by the various ships which visited the port during the year, a record which was surpassed in 1967, as 293 ships visited the port, a tally never bettered.
1967	"Holmpark" commences the country's first coastal container service, departing Onehunga for Lyttelton in April. A planned roll-on roll-off service from Onehunga to Lyttelton and other southern ports by Northern Steamship Company is curtailed by a lack of assurance for its commercial success. An agreement with the Auckland Harbour Board to build a suitable terminal at Onehunga never came to fruition, despite Northern having taken delivery of a purpose-built ship for the service. Forever one of the biggest disappointments of Onehunga's history. The Onehunga Port Workers Union joined the NZ Waterside Workers Federation, meaning that, for the first time since 1951, all NZ port unions could speak with one voice in national negotiations, while still preserving autonomy for each port.
1969	Sailings from Onehunga to the Pacific increase with NZ Export Line operating two ships on a three-weekly service to Noumea, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. This venture failed in 1971.
1971	Onehunga, like other ports around the country, is chock-a-block with coastal vessels in November due to industrial action which led to the de-registration of the NZ Seamen's Union. "Awanui", "Guardian Carrier", "Parera", "Pateke", "Puriri", "Squall", "Titoki" and the laid-up "Unit Shipper" - eight ships all told, equalling the record set five years earlier - were alongside, four of them 'double-parked', and all of them idle while the issues in dispute were thrashed out. See pic here. Another venture fails after a few months' trade, that of the tug-and-barge service between Onehunga and Timaru.
1972	Reef Shipping Agencies commences a service between New Zealand and Fiji. Their association with the Port continues until 1994. The Shipping Corporation of NZ (later known as NZ Line) commences a service between Onehunga and various Pacific Islands, but transfer it to Auckland from 1982 with uncertain bar conditions proving a major factor in the shift. Northern Steamship Company closes its office following the suspension of general cargo services to Onehunga, extinguishing, to that point, the longest association with the Port of any shipping company. "Milburn Carrier" becomes Onehunga's biggest visitor when making its maiden call for NZ Cement Holdings on 3 June.
1975	More new business for Onehunga is signalled by the creation of a New Caledonian shipping line, Compagnie des Chargeurs Caledoniens.
1976	NZ Cement Holdings introduces "Westport" to its cement distribution programme, with forty years' worth of visits to Onehunga commencing on 27 March, as she arrives on her delivery voyage from Hamburg, Germany.
1977	Onehunga Port Workers Union secretary, Ivan Cunningham, quoted in 1 September edition of Auckland Star, on the need for improved facilities to handle the increasing trade at the port. "Trade at Onehunga has increased tremendously in the past few years. Besides cement ships, there was now one regular ship from Nelson, two each from Tonga and the Cook Islands, and one each from Fiji, Norfolk Island and New Caledonia. In the past twelve months, workers from Opua and Auckland had come to Onehunga when work was scarce (at those ports). Previously it was the Onehunga workers who had to transfer".
1979	Warner Pacific Line commences trade between Tonga, Samoa and various New Zealand ports, including Onehunga.
1980	Auckland Harbour Board chairman, Bob Carr, quoted in 24 April edition of Western Leader: "There is room for a lot of development for fishing boats. It is getting to be a very busy fishing port. ... I've been on the board 21 years, and I've never ever felt we would close the wharves down".
1981	A new coastal trade commences, but Coastal Shipping's venture lasts barely a year, costs proving too excessive to maintain the service.
1982	Anchor-Dorman Shipping Company's 107-year link between Nelson and Onehunga ends when their last-surviving vessel, "Titoki", makes her final voyage, departing the Port on 20 March. She is replaced by "Union Nelson" eleven days later, and the service is extended to Lyttelton.
1983	The current Mangere Bridge was opened for traffic. It took eight years to build, including a two-year hiatus due to industrial action. At the same time, the old bridge, near the wharf, was closed to traffic, but remained open for pedestrian and cycle access, much to the chagrin of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Since 1963 until its closure to traffic, the bridge has been struck by ships ten times.
1984	"Fairlift", "Fijian" and "Union Nelson" combined to set a new record of 300 containers handled in a single shift at Onehunga on 31 July, shattering the previous best of 200. The biggest problem was the lack of storage space, so frantic clearance work was the order of the next couple of days, with another tractor-trailer unit having to be borrowed from Auckland to assist with movements. Compounding the wharfside congestion were the trucks required to remove the 150 tonnes of molasses "Fijian" was also carrying.
1985	Tasman Express Line commences a very popular service between Australian and New Zealand ports, including Onehunga, and introduces the Port to forty foot containers, as well as revitalising trans-tasman trade with their two nifty lift-on lift-off vessels. "Auckland Express" makes her first call to Onehunga on 6 September, with the decision being made to switch to Auckland six years later to accommodate larger vessels with deeper drafts than Onehunga could accommodate. 17 December marks the final sailing of "Union Nelson", Union Shipping opting to curtail the service as it was making a financial loss.
1988	The Port Companies Act 1988 brought to an end the era of harbour boards, with the Auckland Harbour Board being replaced by Ports of Auckland Ltd, under whose jurisdiction Onehunga now operates. "Milburn Carrier II" makes her first visit to Onehunga on 23 July. At 6200 tonnes, she is now the biggest visitor to the Port in its history.
1989	In February 1989, a Port Development Study was initiated by Ports of Auckland Ltd, the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Authority, but not formally adopted by any of the bodies concerned. One of the options mooted was a new port development at Puhinui, providing cultural and environmental interests were taken into consideration, and more practically, the harbour entrance could be dredged and maintained at a depth of 18 metres to allow deep draught shipping to enter the Manukau. In June 1989, a 28 tonne heavy duty Kalmar hoist was brought from Tauranga to Onehunga to allow waterside workers to unload the "Canterbury Express", despite the presence of Ports of Auckland gear which was standing idle. A local Labour Court ruling didn't clarify whether stevedores or waterside workers could drive mechanised equipment owned by the port company, so the solution to use a hoist from another port was employed. The rail yards and siding which linked the Port of Onehunga to the rail network were used for the last time.
1990	"Milburn Carrier II"'s departure was delayed by a day as a jammed bow thruster, combined with the prevailing wind and tide on July 9, meant she spent a couple of hours alongside the old Mangere Bridge, picking up a war wound for her troubles - a punctured freshwater tank. "Manukau" came close to being sandwiched twixt ship and bridge in the process - damaged paintwork was her souvenir. MCII sailed 24 hours later.
1991	The Manukau Harbour was visited by the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior II" on 16 February. NZ Coaster Services commenced a weekly service linking Lyttelton, Nelson and Onehunga in July. It lasts almost two years, with the final sailing of "Northern Transporter" taking place on 2 April 1993.
1992	The curtain comes down on regular calls by international vessels into Onehunga with the departure of "Maasmond" on 25 July. Due to dredging-related issues which restricted access to vessels with deeper draughts, the port was closed to international shipping by the end of September, save for a handful of one-off calls during the next fifteen years.
1993	Thursday, 21 January is quite likely the busiest day ever in the history of fishing operations at Onehunga, with no less than 85 trawlers of all shapes and sizes in port. Pacifica Shipping constructs a loading ramp at Onehunga to accommodate "Spirit Of Progress", which first arrived at the Port on 14 November. Thus began a twenty year association with Onehunga.
1995	Apart from occasional one-off calls, just two operators - Milburn NZ and Pacifica Shipping - regularly utilise Onehunga as the 21st Century looms, and thoughts begin to turn towards the Port's long-term future, given its prospects for increased use are limited by the restrictions imposed by Mother Nature, e.g. silting has increased since the new Mangere Bridge opened twelve years ago.
1999	A storm tide estimated to be up to 2.8 metres above the scheduled high tide rolled into Onehunga on Saturday 17 April.
2002	A classic case of 'irresistible force meets immovable object' as equipment failure sees "Westport" collide stern-first with the old Mangere Bridge on 21 November.
2003	"Spirit Of Enterprise" runs aground in stormy conditions on the Manukau Bar on 16 August, losing her rudder. Mother Nature had a late Christmas present for "Westport" on Boxing Day, blowing her alongside Mangere Bridge as she attempted to depart in high winds.
2004	"Spirit Of Resolution" becomes the latest ship to tangle with the old Mangere Bridge, being blown alongside it while attempting to depart in high winds on 12 August.
2005	"Spirit Of Resolution" collides stern-first with the old Mangere Bridge in high winds on 8 October.
2008	"Anatoki" commences an infrequent bulk cargo service for Coastal Bulk Shipping, first calling on 31 August.
2010	The duplicate Mangere Bridge, built on the eastern side of that opened in 1983, was opened on 25 July. "Spirit Of Resolution" runs aground in challenging conditions on the Manukau Bar on 18 September, losing her rudder. On 1 November, the Auckland and Manukau Canal Act 1908 was repealed in Parliament. Construction of a canal between the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours was considered in the early 1900s, and the Act was passed to allow authorities to take privately owned land for this purpose. None was taken, however, and while a 0.82km canal reserve, some 40 metres wide, remains in place, the two kilometres (at the narrowest point) between the two harbours will remain land-locked forevermore.
2011	"Westport" clocks up the unprecedented milestone of 1000 visits to Onehunga by the same ship post World War 2 when arriving at 12.45am on 21 June. This milestone has been unearthed in the process of compiling this site.
2012	"Spirit Of Resolution" sets sail from Onehunga for the final time on 11 November, the last containerised vessel to use the Port, with Pacifica having opted to replace her with a larger vessel.
2013	Holcim announces that following its decision to import cement, rather than produce it at its Westport plant, it will relocate its northern operations to Auckland from mid-2016, signalling an end to shipping at the Port of Onehunga from that time.
2016	With just over six months to go before shipping at Onehunga is consigned to history, "Westport" ties up alongside for the 1100th time on May 9, six weeks into her 41st year of service on the New Zealand coast. "Anatoki" made what was expected to be her final call into Onehunga on 6 June, sailing two days later after discharging her cargo of gravel from Greymouth. The closure of Onehunga means she'll no longer be able to provide this service for her South Island clients - it's considered not economically viable for the ship to sail round to Auckland, a small example of the adverse effect closing Onehunga has on the economy. "Westport" arrives for the 1104th and last time on 23 July, with 'La Grande Dame' being retired from service by Holcim after spending a staggering 14,729 days in service on the New Zealand coast. She was alongside at Onehunga for eight weeks, during which time she was sold as a going concern to European interests. She set sail from her second home for the final time on 21 September. "Milburn Carrier II" made two visits after "Westport"'s departure to replenish the silos before the curtain came down on roughly 180 years of shipping at the Port of Onehunga. Her departure for Timaru on 15 November took place with little fanfare, despite the immense significance of the event - the biggest-ever visitor to the Port was also its last. 30 November 2016, the official date of closure of the Port of Onehunga to shipping.
2017	"Tika", the tug at Onehunga for the bulk of this century, has been sold, and makes her way down the Manukau for the final time on 28 January. Just over three weeks later, a final cargo call is made by "Anatoki" on February 20, landing a load of gravel. She sails two days later, and with her departure, the shipping of freight to and from Onehunga is at an end.
2020	Sanford's flagship trawler, "San Rakaia", clocks up her 600th visit to Onehunga. She makes around 35 calls per year, many of them in the spring and summer months, during which the albacore season takes place off the North Island's west coast, an annual event in December and January which brings about visits from many of the numerous vessels which make up NZ's inshore fishing fleet. When the tuna head further south, however, Onehunga Wharf cuts a sad sight, a shadow of its former vibrant, active self.