Onehunga History Walk

Explore the historic sights of Onehunga.

The street grid of the suburb of Onehunga was designed to house Fencibles: soldiers sent to defend Auckland from Māori attacks, which never came. In doing so, the indigenous geography of the place was overlaid with colonial history, until the town became a transport hub filled with attractive buildings from Onehunga’s peak of economic importance. This place can boast the British Empire’s first woman mayor, has vestiges of early Chinese migration, and includes a flowering of contemporary public art.

There are several possible meanings of the name ‘Onehunga’. According to one theory, the name is a contraction of ‘one’ (meaning ‘beach’) and ‘hunga’ (meaning ‘sandy or alluvial soil’). ‘Hunga’ can also refer to a group of people, and it has also been claimed that this part of the word comes from ‘ūnga’, meaning ‘landing’. Alternatively, it could mean ‘place of burial’, with ‘ō’ meaning ‘place’ and ‘nehunga’ meaning ‘burial’. In pre-European times, the lava caves running down from Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) were used as burial sites.

Terrain: Concrete footpaths across mostly flat land, with a gradual slope up Selwyn Road to Jellicoe Park

Starting Point: Onehunga Library, 85 Church Street

Parking: There is a 120-minute carpark along Gerrard Beeson Place off Church Street. There is also limited street parking along Onehunga Mall.

Disclaimer: This walk is along public roads and includes historical facts about the buildings and the area. Most of the sites are private businesses or homes. Please respect the environment and do not trespass on private property. Neither Auckland Council nor private property owners accept responsibility for any loss, damage, or injury to you or your property arising from use of this tour.

Copyright 2023 Auckland Council. Auckland Council holds all copyrights associated with this tour. You may not copy or reproduce the content of this tour without permission from Auckland Council. Auckland Council has taken every care to ensure that the information contained in this tour is accurate, but accepts no responsibility arising from, or in connection with, your use of this tour and the information contained in it.