Part Three
Flying High or Left Behind? A History of Proposals for an Airport for Auckland, 1929-1959
by Alexandru Cotos*
With the strides in aviation technology during the 1920s came a great hope that Auckland could finally break its isolated position in the far corner of the world. An Auckland Star article from this time imagined an idealised future where Auckland could be a key part of global flight routes one day. Auckland could use this position to become a global centre for tourism, attracting both ‘magnates from the Orient’ and ‘hustling Americans’. This hope came coupled with anxiety that Auckland would be unable to capitalise on this technology and would be left in isolation while the rest of the world stayed connected. The Chamber of Commerce President M. Stewart argued that it would not be long until Australia and Britain flew airships. New Zealand needed to build the appropriate infrastructure before it was too late.
Early Proposals
City councillor G.W. Hutchinson took the initiative quickly after gaining office, arguing in May 1929 that Auckland needed a commercial airport and he proposed some location ideas. Firstly, Hutchinson wrote off the location of the new Auckland Aero Club’s aerodrome in Lower Māngere, arguing that the site was too distant. With current roads, the trip to Māngere Aerodrome took a full hour from the City Centre, a journey that could potentially double some shorter air journeys. As an alternative, Hutchinson suggested an airstrip in Shoal Bay, between Northcote Point and Chatswood Point, complete with guiding lights on Rangitoto. For Hutchinson, this proposal could unite the two primary forms of air travel by having a landing strip reclaimed on the bay and a site for seaplanes. Those familiar with the area may be shuddering at the thought of how the terrible traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge would become with the added stress of an airport. Despite being thirty years ahead of the opening of the Harbour Bridge, contemporaries already predicted a Shoal Bay site would have significant traffic issues. In response to the predicted traffic issues, Hutchinson’s proposal was countered with additional ideas of reclaiming land either at Hobson’s Bay or Herne Bay.
Caption: Maps of proposed airport sites at both Hobson’s Bay (left) and Herne Bay (right). Reference: Left Image: Unknown. Unknown. [Proposed Reclamation for Plane Landing Sites around Auckland], PLN-2020-8.3. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). Right Image: Unknown. Unknown. [Proposed Reclamation for Plane Landing Sites around Auckland], PLN-2020-8.2. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
Avondale engineer David Russel also proposed a project to reclaim the low-lying lands around Mōtū Manawa Pollen Island to create an airport runway. This would be joined with a new motorway bridge, connecting the proposed airport site with Te Atatū to the west and Rosebank to the east. The Auckland Aero Club presented a report to the City Council outlining the costs of developing an airport in Pollen Island, estimating a bill of around 35,000 pounds. The Aero Club supported the proposal, arguing that the location was ideal due to its proximity to the city and potential for both land and seaplane use. Others went all-in on seaplanes, such as Captain Donald Harkness, a veteran pilot who was the face of flying boat technology. Harkness proposed that Hobson Bay be cordoned off for the exclusive use of seaplanes as a much more cost-effective alternative to the proposals for land-based aerodromes.
Caption: Russel’s Proposal. Note that the map is rotated. Pollen Island today is mostly a nature reserve next to State Highway 16. Reference: Sun, Volume IV, Issue 1081, 19 September 1930, Page 1.
At this stage, most proposals prioritised access by Aucklanders, placing proposals in locations convenient to the city. In opposition, Papatoetoe Welfare League leader Septimus Closey argued that the airport location should be considered for national use rather than just for Auckland. From this, he proposed in 1930 that Ōtāhuhu would be a good site for an airport, citing its location as the meeting point for both Auckland’s rail lines and Great South Road. This plan was presented to and subsequently rejected by the Minister of Defence. While the area was well suited for a runway, it was too far from the water to serve seaplanes. Further, the plan required the eviction of the Ōtāhuhu Trotting Club, a move that was predicted to draw complaints.
Caption: Cox’s Bay Runway proposal. Reference: Unknown. Unknown. Proposed Reclamation for Plane Landing Sites around Auckland, PLN-2020-8.1. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
After a few months of community discussions, Hutchinson commissioned the Works Committee to investigate some of the proposals and select the best candidates to be surveyed. Of these options, the Works Committee settled on three leading contenders: Point England in East Tāmaki, Māngere Bridge, and Māngere East. From these investigations, North Shore delegates felt spurned, as the Work’s Committee did not consider any North Shore ideas like the previously mentioned Shoal Bay proposal. Further, some boroughs like Newmarket wanted nothing to do with the airport project, as they believed the project would not benefit them. The Council and Works Committee agreed that they needed to spend more time considering their options and delayed the decision by another three weeks and then another month. In the meantime, the Mount Albert Borough Council threw its hat in the ring. Councillor Kayes recommended that when the time came to build an international airport for Auckland, it should be built over the Mission Swamp in Mount Albert, just behind the Mount Albert Grammar School.
Caption: Map of proposed airport locations from 1929. At this stage, airports require far less land than their modern counterparts, which can explain why each plot is so tiny compared to today’s airports. While unconfirmed, this map was likely made by the Works Committee to be presented to Auckland’s regional boards. Reference: Unknown. Circa 1929. City of Auckland and Surrounding Districts, MAP-2020-2. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
Caption: George Hutchinson, City Council member and later Mayor who led early airport site investigations. Reference: Auckland City Council, 38-106832.
Amongst this bickering, a new offer emerged. In 1932 the already existing Auckland Aero Club in Māngere offered to use their grounds for commercial purposes in addition to recreation. The Aero Club’s offer was accepted, and just a month later, the Council agreed to help the Aero Club level out their airstrip. The levelling out would also mean that the aerodrome could receive larger planes that previously could not land in Auckland. From this point forward, the Māngere Aerodrome became the primary point of contact for land-based aircraft. Yet, those in Auckland still questioned whether Māngere would make a good permanent airport due to its distance. The Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith argued that a good airport should be readily accessible to those in the city. Māngere did not fulfil this, as in the time it took to travel to Māngere, an aircraft could reach Hamilton, effectively doubling the travelling time for shorter domestic flights.
Caption: Māngere Aerodrome, circa early 1928. Reference: ‘Māngere Clubhouse Photos’, MNP Aero Club Collection, MS 026, Box 16, Item 25, File 1.
In 1935, the question still was not settled. Technology continued to improve, opening up global air routes that Auckland’s undeveloped aerodromes could not access. In September, a committee of experts assessed the viability of the proposed airport sites. They found that Point England would make the best site, taking only two years and £66,000 to complete. This option was favoured by the Chamber of Commerce, which announced to the public that if all went well, there could be a new airport opened in time for Auckland’s centenary in 1940. Things were looking up for Auckland, as in-depth investigations concluded in April of the following year, which bumped the estimated cost to £110,000. This updated proposal would have Point England as the nation’s primary airport, with four landing strips able to take plenty of traffic from international flights. Yet, a year later, no progress was made. Auckland Mayor Sir Ernest Davis expressed his frustration with the lack of progress, which was mostly held up by a lack of agreement among different Auckland boards to support and therefore fund the project.
Caption: The Tāmaki River area in 1930, with Point England on the centre-right. Reference: ‘Looking northeast by north from Mount Wellington, 1930’, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1031-P289.’
Progress on planning an airport dried up after this point, prompting Davis to call for a new meeting of borough councillors to discuss options. In this meeting, the Council considered new evidence that Point England was an inadequate site. With the increasing size of commercial planes, the soft soil combined with nearby Mount Wellington spelled great difficulties for any reasonable air project. Instead, the Council considered a new proposal to reclaim the area of the Manukau harbour between Onehunga and Māngere. In May 1938, the second meeting of this committee concluded with the decision that Manukau Harbour would go forward. By the end of the month, the Government approved funding for investigations of the site, provided local bodies give equal contributions. This proved a challenge, as boroughs like Takapuna and Newmarket refused to fund a project they viewed would only benefit South Auckland. Fortunately, a month later, the surveys began regardless. The surveying process was complicated due to soft mud and a harsh winter. As a result of these complications, the project was continually extended until October 1939, when New Zealand joined the Allies in declaring war on Germany.
Caption: Map of the proposed Manukau Harbour Site, to be used for both land and seaplanes. Reference: Ministry of Works, ‘Proposed Aerodrome/Proposed Seaplane Base’, ’Archives NZ R22453978 ‘Defence – Municipal Airport, Auckland – Point Chevalier Site’, circa 1939.
The outbreak of war grounded any work on a commercial airport. Despite this, Davis continued to urge the Government to resume work on Manukau Harbour. Davis argued that Auckland was already behind the rest of the Commonwealth, a disparity that would become very clear when the war ended. A similar sentiment was echoed by the next mayor, John Allum, who in 1943 began to discuss projects for post-war Auckland. Allum differed from Davis, as he wanted to restart the proposal process due to the significant innovations in aviation during the Second World War. With the increasing availability of private cars, the requirement for proximity to the city became less important. At the same time, the larger planes of the new era required larger and stronger runways, a fact that would push any airport far from established communities in Auckland.
Airport Planning in Post-War Auckland
After the war, commercial flights resumed, and Auckland was left without an adequate airport. This prompted authorities to repurpose the RNZAF Air Base at Whenuapai into a commercial airport until a better site was chosen. By the end of the decade, the New Zealand Government wanted to ensure they took the proper steps towards aviation in Auckland. They invited Sir Frederick Tymms, a British aviation expert and representative of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, to advise them on the future of civil aviation. Tymms found that the current status quo of flying boats and Whenuapai would not last long, as flying boats were being phased out globally, and Whenuapai’s runway and environment were not fit for modern jets. In 1951, the newly minted Auckland Airport Committee elaborated on the Tymms Report, urging the Government to start a permanent international airport as soon as possible.
Caption: Map of various proposed airport sites considered in 1951. Reference: Ministry of Works, ‘Auckland – Lands and Survey Annotated Maps’, Archives NZ R22685174.
Adopting the requirements laid out by the Tymms Report, the engineer J Wright assessed ten sites suggested around the city since 1930. All of these sites failed to meet the standards of a modern airport, ranging from needing excessive reclamation to clashes with mountains. Some of the proposals were outright ridiculous, such as the one suggested at Ōrākei, which would entail the construction of an entirely new island. Similarly, a proposal built on the previous idea in Shoal Bay was to lengthen the runway to cut through Narrow Neck, leaving Lake Road as a tunnel under the runway. Ultimately, from all the options considered, Wright landed on Māngere as the ideal site. Of the nine requirements Wright listed, Māngere fulfilled eight, only coming short on distance from the city centre. The area was ideal for aviation due to favourable winds, a large, flat area, and low fog rates compared to other regions. Even though it would require some reclamation, the rates were not excessive, and the materials needed were readily available in the area from topsoil and quarrying.
Caption: Sites reviewed by Wright. Reference: J. Wright, ‘Some Problems Associated with The Siting of an Airport for Auckland’, NZ Engineer, 10, 7, 1955, p.213.
By 1954, the proposal process seemed to be ending. In March, the government named Māngere the official site for the new international airport. They estimated the project would cost £3 million and take three years to complete. The Government put its money where its mouth was and began to buy property in the area. Despite settling on a location, some parts of Auckland refused to fund the airport project.
The unwillingness of Auckland localities to assist in funding the airport project caused the Ministry of Works to consider building outside of the region altogether. They briefly investigated building Auckland’s international airport in Rangiriri, a rural area in Waikato near Huntly. The area was naturally flat, bordered the existing highway and railroad, and, above all, would not be subject to city council politics. In this proposal, the rail line would be upgraded into high speed rail straight to Auckland city, with some even discussing having customs processing occur on the train. According to Waikato District Commissioner of Works C. Parsons, the site was advantageous for its proximity to tourist areas such as the Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, and the rapidly growing city of Hamilton. Auckland Mayor Dove Meyer Robinson found the idea amusing as, if Auckland was struggling to find local funding, one could only imagine how much worse a remote rural community would fare.
Caption: Newspaper cartoon satirising the Waikato proposal, pointing out the high rates of fog in the region, as well as its use as a paddock. Reference: New Zealand Herald, 6 January, 1960, p.10.
In the end, funding was secured, and Māngere became the airport we know today. Geographically speaking, it was the best bet of all the sites considered. The location was ideal for aviation, with no surrounding hills, a naturally flat landscape, and low rates of fog. The distance issue has been somewhat overcome in the intervening years, with the construction of State Highway 20 providing fast access from all around the city. However, all of the conversations covered in this article centred around practicality. The planners of the 1930s through 1960s did not consider other factors, like culture and heritage, which begs the question, what was lost under the tarmac of Auckland Airport?