Point Britomart facts for kids

The Auckland waterfront with Māori waka and the original St Paul's building above Point Britomart, painted in 1852.

Point Britomart at the far right, seen from the east end of Official Bay, with Fort Britomart atop it.

Point Britomart being quarried away. The original St Paul's building above the works was pulled down in 1885 as it became unsafe.

The waterfront in about 1930. The older coastline from 1841 is shown as a darker line. Point Britomart was the sharp headland in the centre.

Point Britomart was once a important piece of land in Auckland, New Zealand. It was a headland (a piece of land sticking out into the sea) located in the Waitematā Harbour. The Māori name for this place was Te Rerenga Ora Iti. It was found between two bays, Commercial Bay and Official Bay. Today, almost nothing is left of Point Britomart. It was quarried away to create new land for the Auckland CBD and the Auckland waterfront.

History of Point Britomart

Māori History and Name

The Māori name for Point Britomart was Te Rerenga Ora Iti. This means ‘the leap of the few survivors’. It was a very important place for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland isthmus). The point was home to at least one Māori pā (a fortified village).

Many battles were fought over this land. For example, the Ngāti Whātua iwi (tribe) fought here in the 1600s and 1700s. The name Te Rerenga Ora Iti remembers an event around 1680. During this time, Ngāti Whātua drove another tribe, Ngāti Huarere, over the cliff.

European Settlement and Fort Britomart

After the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, the Ngāti Whātua chief, Āpihai Te Kawau, offered land for British settlers. This land was on the Waitematā Harbour. On September 18, 1840, the Union Jack flag was first raised in Auckland at Te Rerenga Ora Iti. This was done by Felton Mathew.

Soon after, the point became the site of one of New Zealand's first British military forts, called Fort Britomart. It was also where Auckland's first church, St Paul's, was built in 1841. This church was a well-known landmark for 40 years. The European name, Point Britomart, was given in 1848. It was named after HMS Britomart, a ship whose crew carefully mapped the harbour.

Quarrying and Land Reclamation

In the 1870s and 1880s, Point Britomart was quarried away. This means large amounts of rock and earth were dug out. This material was used as fill to create new land in Mechanics Bay. This new land was then used to build a new railway station. Removing the point also made it easier to walk to Official Bay.

Even though the original St Paul's Church was set back from the digging, it became unsafe. It had to be pulled down in 1885. Today, the area where the northern tip of Point Britomart once stood is now part of a city block. This block is bordered by Tangihua Street, Beach Road, Quay Street, and Britomart Place.

Modern Memorial

In 2018, the Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei tribe and Ports of Auckland created a special memorial. It is called Te Toka o Apihai Te Kawau. This memorial remembers the founding of Auckland. It includes a rock that marks the exact spot where Rerenga Ora Iti met the water. This is where the city of Auckland truly began.