Members Stories

Birkenhead’s Oakley Quarry

The Birkenhead Borough Council were, in 1907, having some difficulty securing a supply of metal for the forming and maintenance of their roads, bridges and wharves.  By 1908, they were using Trayes Bros. as their contractors,  who sourced their supply from Rangitoto Island primarily, as well as “from Tamaki”.
By 1911, Birkenhead’s Council was looking further afield for their raw materials. In that year, they had apparently spotted the shell banks at the mouth of the Whau River, and asked the Auckland Harbour Board for permission to take the shell from there (the Board’s response was that the area at the “Whau Creek Junction” was outside their jurisdiction, and that the Council would have to seek ministerial permission.)  It may be that while they were looking at the Whau River’s shell banks (the greatest of which could be found at Pollen and Traherne Island, to the east of the Rosebank Peninsula, rather than in the Whau River itself), they may have seen the scoria fields of the north shore of Oakley Creek. By July 1912, we read in the Council’s minute books that the Mayor reported on a committee having taken an option to purchase from one to five acres “along the Oakleigh Creek including certain Quarries now being worked.”  If the Council wished to take an acre only, Mattson would charge them £300 per acre, but taking more than five would bring the price down to £250 per acre. In August, the purchase of the Oakleigh Creek Quarry was approved (this at the same time as a quarry was being purchased at Takapuna.)
We next see reference to the quarry at the end of 1915. The Mayor reported on his visit to the quarry with the quarry foreman, and finding everything satisfactory. “Mr. Brodie had taken out 2,040 feet of kerbs and pitches, and about 300 yards of spalls were available.” The Council agreed to purchase the spalls, having them hand-broken at Oakley Creek, then transporting the metal to Birkenhead.  By 1916, however, the contractors Birkenhead were apparently leasing the site to were not meeting expectations. The foreman reported to the Council that the quarry “was not being opened up in a systematic manner, which would militate against future operations.” An arrangement the Council had with a Mr. Wooton was cancelled.  (Mr. Wooton also operated quarries near Western Springs, at the Asylum Reserve, for Pt Chevalier Road Board during this period.)
In the same meeting, they gave a Mrs. Hayward, who was in need of good soil at Birkenhead, permission to take one scow load of soil from the quarry site.
As well as concerns over how effectively the quarry site was being used, the Council had issues with Mattson over when he was going to grant them title to the land. They requested that his solicitors survey the area immediately.  However, Herman Mattson advised the Council through his solicitors that he didn’t “intend to bother much more” about completing a survey of the area, stating that the matter sufficient arrangements to supply air with an air-compressor would be needed to work the drill there.  By March 1921 the Council still awaited Waitemata County’s response with regard to a request to use their air-compressor. Birkenhead instead considered purchasing their own from NZ Coromandel Granite for around £200.  This was approved later that month, along with a shed to be built to house it, measuring 20 feet by 8 feet with concrete foundation.
By 1922, however, as recession started to bite into municipal funds, Birkenhead Council considered closing the quarry down completely. The last order for 250 yards of spall went out on 14 November, and the order came down to lock up the compressor shed and move all portable equipment to the Borough Shed at Birkenhead.  The Council changed their minds in January 1923, re-opening the quarry to supply 50 spalls per week, and asking for tenders for freighting the spalls from the quarry to Birkenhead wharf.  Come September 1923, another change – the quarry was closed again, with tenders advertised for the purchase and removal of the stone crusher “and any moveable parts to the Engine”. Tools were to be stored in the Council’s machinery shed.  The shed at the quarry was ordered boarded up in February 1924.  Two years later, Waitemata County offered to sell their quarry to Birkenhead, but the latter authority wasn’t about to take up the offer.  Instead, the Council accepted an offer of £4 for the quarry machinery in 1930.

Birkenhead Borough Council finally received the long sought title for the quarry from Mattson and his lawyers in June 1931,  long after the quarry itself had ceased operations. It is doubtful that it was ever worked officially by the Borough Council ever again. By 1945, the quarry was described by Auckland City Council valuers as worked out, with reference made to it being a “lake”.  The site was eventually sold to the Crown for use as part of the future north-western motorway in 1950.