Almost at the beach end of Blockhouse Bay Road, just on the edge of the beach Reserve, is the pathway to Sandy Bay. There is no car access which adds to the charm of this beautiful little bay. The path cuts back and down on an angle from the main road, bounded on the road side by a stone wall, ending in a stone seat. This was once keenly sought after by courting couples. Then the pathway plunges steeply down towards the shore.
19th century newspapers are an excellent source for stories on our area and also the early settlers.
Weekly News, 17 February 1883
At present South Whau looks, as many of our townships have done, an expanse of fern.
The Blockhouse, a relic of the Waikato war of 1863, stands in ruins on the crest of the hill (with its loop-holed embrasures and half-filled trenches), dominating the country for miles around, and at the time of our visit the other day, only the haunt of nomadic gum diggers, who prowl over the adjacent Crown lands for gum. Nothing of a warlike character now remains to remind one of the dark days of civil war, but the empty bottles of “Three Dagger” rum and “Battle Axe” rum strewn in the trenches.
At the December meeting, Vice-President Bill Glen invited members to take part in a short story competition. The subject was to be either a historical incident regarding the Blockhouse Bay area, or an incident pertinent to the beach and Yacht Club. Several anecdotes had already been related at the meeting, many very humorous, and the narrators of these were urged to “put it down on paper” and enter the contest. It was felt that all the members would almost certainly have something to contribute, and all the entries would be preserved in the archives. Ray Howlett was appointed judge and the contest closed at the end of January.
Mr Norman Bissett at Blockhouse Bay is the owner of this pair, Brownie and Pansy. The latter is regularly led back to the paddock by the dog after milking.
In the photograph the pair are walking west along the unformed Gilfillan Street, with the Bissett Tearooms and Store on the corner in the background.
Photo published in the Auckland Star, 7 December 1928. Photo courtesy of Heather Bissett O’Shaughnessy.
An interesting walk from Blockhouse Bay village through peaceful Gittos Domain.
Start behind the Blockhouse Bay Library. The Blockhouse Bay area was historically serviced by a mobile library. After repeated requests including a ‘sit in’ protest at a council meeting, locals were successful and their library was opened in 1995.
Follow the path to historic Armanasco House - a kauri farmhouse built in 1890 that’s one of the earliest houses in Blockhouse Bay.
On early survey maps of the Whau area, now Blockhouse Bay, and charts of the Manukau Harbour, Te Whau Point is clearly marked. Jutting into the sea it acts as a protective arm for the beach. The pine tree-crowned cliff face could clearly be seen when coming up the harbour and made an attractive landmark for boaties.
Te Whau Point in the 1880s, showing mangroves in the bay
Blockhouse Bay Cricket Club badge
From early years cricket was a favourite game for the locals. The first cricket pitch was on the beach at low tide, which must have made for some interesting ball chases amongst the mud and mangroves.
The first registered cricket club in the Bay was formed in 1937 and a committee was elected on 15 April, comprised as follows: Mr and Mrs George Skellon, Stan Johnston, Les Paice, Eric McCurdy, Ray Kealey, Jim Fisk, Ken Kealey and Des Uffindel as Secretary.
Alfred (Fred) and Margarette (Daisy) Thom lived in Folke Street, New Lynn, with their family and Daisy’s widowed mother. The children attended New Lynn Primary School and the whole family participated in the New Lynn community life, with Fred serving on the New Lynn Town Board.
However, they spent every free minute over at Blockhouse Bay, fishing, swimming, picnicking and camping in the summer holidays and on long weekends when the weather permitted. As the years passed, Fred became aware of how popular the area was becoming, both with summer campers and with more and more permanent residents as well as day visitors. He decided the time was just about right to build a store down near the beach as the only drawback for campers and residents down at the bay was the steep climb up from both Blockhouse Bay and Sandy Bay to Wynyard Street, and then another climb up to the shops in the Village. (Wynyard Street was much steeper then, as can be seen looking down from Gilfillan t, the original street on the high ground bordered by a white railing.)
Blockhouse Bay had very few services or amenities in theearly to mid 1920’s. For example, there was a large area of land known as Block 76 that had no roads or postal service. Local people thought that services might develop more rapidly if the area became part of Auckland City, and so Philip Turner, an Avondale Borough Councillor, was approached to try to bring this about.
However, in spite of his campaigning, very little district development took place under the City Council. The residents were becoming increasingly concerned, particularly about the rapid erosion that was occurring on the Blockhouse bay beach foreshore. So, on 23 April 1930 Philip Turner convened the first meeting of the Blockhouse Bay Improvement Association Club (the Association). Its first objectives were to protect the foreshore and improve the beach reserve.
Before the early 1930s Blockhouse Bay, being typical of the Manukau Harbour, was a muddy tidal exit for two streams. On 23 April 1930 Mr. P. Turner convened the first meeting of the Blockhouse Bay Improvement Association, with a committee of eleven interested local residents. Its first aims were to protect the foreshore and improve the reserves. The Auckland City Council was approached about building a seawall to protect the reserve area from erosion from the sea which was taking place, and improve the reserve. The Association was prepared to contribute £200.00 ($400.00) — at the time a large amount of money — towards the cost of the project.
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