Piha local Ross Barnes recently gave a talk to the West Auckland Historical Society on how the tracks of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland got their names. Here’s his notes of the talk from the February edition of the West Auckland Historical Society Newsletter.

Contact email protectpihaheritage@xtra.co.nz PO Box 3, Piha Activities Holds regular seminars and workshops on matters to do with the natural and historic heritage of Piha Publishes monographs and documents on the historic heritage of Piha Works on natural heritage projects, for example, pest control Holds events to celebrate heritage of Piha eg Piha Mill Gala  [ Read More ]

Into the West: a goldmine of information about the early settlers of the West Piha resident, Jan Barnes, is a descendant of two of the oldest families to settle in the Waitakere Ranges. Edward Lovett, a shoe manufacturer from Leicestershire, and Sarah Usher farmed Edward’s Crown Grant in the upper Karekare Valley from1862. Their old  [ Read More ]

Read here about new research that shows that the creation of the Waitakere parkland started earlier than thought. Most of us thought the first step was in 1894 when Sir Algernon Thomas, Professor of Biology at Auckland University, took a deputation to the Auckland City Council to ask it to start purchasing land in the Waitakeres  [ Read More ]