Parks history

From small beginnings with the opening of Wenderholm Regional Park in 1965, today our regional parks cover more than 40,000 hectares. The ARC is the largest landowner and farmer in the region with 8400 sheep and 950 cattle.  Here you can find out more about the origins of our regional parks.

During the late 1950's and early 1960's, the Auckland Regional Planning Authority identified the need to secure key areas of land for public parks.  The authority was concerned that unless key land was secured for public parks, there was a risk that coastal land would become vunerable to subdivision and public access to coastal land would be lost.

After the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA)- the forerunner to the present day ARC - was formed it took action to raise a loan of two million dollars to secure blocks of land that the Planning Authority had for years earmarked for reserves.

The first purchase was the eastern coastal area North of Auckland, comprising Wenderholm, followed by Long Bay and then the area on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula now known as Shakespear Regional Park. Other early land acquisitions included an area for botanic gardens at Manurewa, and Omana Regional Park.

The Centennial Memorial Park land of 556 hectares of scenic reserves in the Waitakere Ranges, which had been acquired by way of gifts, bequests and purchases was transferred to the Authority in 1964.

These lands, together with the adjoining Auckland City Council lands then held for water supply purposes, were transferred to the Authority in 1968, forming the foundation of what is now the Waitakere Ranges Parklands. A similar transfer of water supply reserves in the Hünua Ranges also in 1968 created the Hunua Ranges Regional Parkland.

The former Muriwai Beach Domain became a Regional Park in 1974. The area covered by the former Domain has trebled in size to its present 432 hectare Park.

In the intervening years the Regional Council has gradually expanded its Parks network to the present day total of 26 Auckland Regional Parks spread across the region.

You can find more about historic places in our regional parks you can visit here.