Queen Street, Auckland facts for kids
Intersection with Wellesley Street (photograph taken in 2011)
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| Location | Auckland CBD, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Postal code | 1010 |
| North end | Quay Street |
| South end | Karangahape Road |
Queen Street is the main street in Auckland, New Zealand. It runs through the heart of the city centre, called the Auckland CBD. The street starts at Queens Wharf by the water and goes almost three kilometres south. It ends near Karangahape Road, which is close to many homes.
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About Queen Street: Auckland's Main Road
Queen Street was named after Queen Victoria. It was one of the first streets built when Auckland was founded in 1840. Originally, the main street was planned to be Shortland Street. But Queen Street became more important over time.
Did you know Queen Street was built over a stream? The Waihorotiu Stream used to flow where the street is now. From the 1870s, this stream was covered up. This allowed the street to grow and develop. You can still see a slight bend in the lower part of Queen Street today. This bend shows where the old stream used to flow. Also, the northern part of Queen Street is built on land that was reclaimed from the sea. This happened in the late 1800s.
Auckland was once called the "Queen City." This nickname was used before the 1900s. Today, Auckland is more often called the "City of Sails."
Queen Street's Story: How It Grew
From Stream to Street: Early Days
Settlement on Queen Street began in 1841. There were many wooden buildings along the western side. The street followed the path of the Waihorotiu Stream. By 1843, the street was covered with gravel. But the stream still often flooded. This made the area quite swampy. So, the stream was turned into a canal and later covered over.
Auckland's Main Shopping Area
In 1858, a big fire destroyed about 50 buildings in other parts of Auckland. After this, businesses started moving to Queen Street. The first brick buildings appeared in the 1860s. This made Queen Street the main business area. But fires were still a problem. In 1873, another fire destroyed 54 buildings on Queen Street. These fires led to the creation of the Auckland Volunteer Fire Service.
In the 1880s, the first horse-drawn buses started running on Queen Street. They connected the street to other areas like Ponsonby. In 1900, the first motorcar was seen on the street. In 1902, Queen Street became the first street in New Zealand to be paved with asphalt. The same year, electric trams started running. Trams served the street until 1956.
Many grand buildings were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These include the Smith & Caughey's store and the Auckland Town Hall. The General Post Office was also built by the waterfront. It later became the Britomart Transport Centre. Queen Street became a popular place for parades and celebrations. It was also used for important political events.
What Makes Queen Street Special?
Queen Street is famous all over New Zealand. Even people who have never visited Auckland know about it. It's the most expensive spot in the New Zealand version of the Monopoly game. The street was even featured in a song called (It started on) Queen Street.
Queen Street is a busy place. Many parades, marches, and other events happen here. It's the main shopping area in the city centre. Most big New Zealand stores, banks, and restaurants have a branch on Queen Street. Important local businesses, like the Smith & Caughey's department store, have their main shops here.
Many people walk on Queen Street every day. Some estimates say it's 10 times busier than other shopping streets in Auckland.
Getting Around Queen Street
Before a big upgrade between 2006 and 2008, about 50,000 pedestrians used Queen Street daily. Also, 40,000 public transport users and 20,000 people in private cars used the street. The city council expected fewer private cars after the upgrade.
Old Tram Network
Trams used to be the main public transport on Queen Street. They ran until December 1956. Queen Street was the only street in New Zealand with "grand unions." These were special junctions where trams could go in any direction.
Queen Street's Big Makeover (2006–2008)
In the early 2000s, people felt Queen Street looked a bit old and tired. So, the Auckland City Council decided to give it a major upgrade.
The upgrade made the footpaths wider and relaid them with new stones. Special granite designs were added. These designs were made with the local Māori people (Ngati Whatua iwi). They showed areas related to the old Waihorotiu Stream. New street lights, signs, and trees were also added. This created a "boulevard effect."
The project cost more than expected. It went from NZ$23 million to about NZ$43.5 million. The construction took a long time. This affected shoppers and traffic. Because of this, the upgrade was not very popular at first.
However, the upgrade is now seen as a success. It won an award in 2009 for its Urban Design. The award praised it for creating a great public space.
Changes for People and Transport
During the construction, the number of car lanes was reduced. The council wanted to make this permanent. They planned to add more bus lanes and bike lanes. They also suggested a 30 km/h speed limit. But after public discussions, four lanes for vehicles were kept. This was to allow for future public transport like light rail.
The changes also made it better for pedestrians. The total footpath area grew by 20%. New pedestrian crossings were added. The number of on-street parking spaces was reduced. This was to give more space to people walking.
Cool Buildings and Places to See
Queen Street has many important and interesting buildings. Here are some of them:
- Auckland Ferry Building: Built in 1911, this beautiful brick and sandstone building is by the waterfront. It was renovated in 1986.
- (Former) Chief Post Office: Built in 1910, this grand building is now part of the Britomart Transport Centre. It looks similar to the Parliament Buildings in Wellington.
- (Former) Custom House: Built in 1888, this building has cool mansard roofs. It was renovated in the 1980s for shops.
- Dilworth Building: Built in 1927, this building was meant to be a "Gateway to Auckland." It's made of reinforced concrete and covered in stone.
- The Queens Arcade: This 1920s building connects Queen Street to Customs Street.
- Imperial Hotel: A Victorian building from 1883, now used as a backpackers' hostel.
- Guardian Trust Building: A 1919 building with cool bronze columns at its entrance.
- Jean Batten State Building: Named after the famous New Zealand pilot Jean Batten. It was used as the American High Command headquarters during World War II.
- Bank of New Zealand Building: Built in 1865 with sandstone from Australia. Only its front remains today, attached to a modern office building.
- Vulcan Buildings: Built in 1928, this elegant building has a unique cupola (small dome) on top.
- Landmark House: Built in 1927, this building shows an early Art Deco style. It was floodlit at night to advertise the power board it housed.
- Queen Victoria Building, Auckland: Built in 1899, this building used to be John Court's department store. It has a Victorian Italianate style.
- Strand Arcade: Built in 1900, this shopping arcade has kept much of its original charm.
- Auckland Savings Bank Building: Built in 1884, this building has colorful marble and granite. It became a McDonald's restaurant in 1977, but its original look was kept.
Beyond the Wellesley Street intersection, you'll find the entertainment area around Aotea Square. This is where many important city buildings are:
- Auckland Civic Theatre: Built in 1929, this is one of the best "atmospheric theatres" left. Its inside looks like an open courtyard in ancient Baghdad, with a ceiling like a night sky full of stars!
- St. James Theatre: A 1927 theatre built for live shows. It was known for its great stage and sound.
- Aotea Centre: Opened in 1990, this building is a major performing arts venue. Its lobby has many artworks by New Zealand artists.
- Auckland Town Hall: Built in 1911, this building has amazing acoustics. It's known as Auckland's best concert venue. It has a large pipe organ donated by a former mayor.
Further up Queen Street, near Myers Park, you'll find:
- 'Queen Street Shops': A row of Edwardian shops from 1909. They still have many original features, like curved iron verandahs.
- Theosophical Society Building: Built in 1923, this is a nice example of neo-classical architecture.
- Myers Free Kindergarten: Built in 1916, this brick building looks like a cozy cottage. It's located in Myers Park and still operates as a kindergarten.
- Auckland Baptist Tabernacle: Built in 1884, this large church looks like an ancient Roman temple.
The very end of Queen Street, past Karangahape Road, is called Upper Queen Street. It crosses over a big motorway interchange.
Images for kids
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The Farmers Trading Company premises, looking up from the corner of Queen Street and Victoria Street.
