Stillwater, Auckland
Encyclopedia
Stillwater is a village in the northern end of Auckland
in the North Island
of New Zealand
. Situated on the Weiti River
immediately south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula
in the Rodney District
, it is part of the area known as the Hibiscus Coast.
was established as a port
for transport
ing kauri logs to Auckland
. Stillwater was also used as a secondary landing to transport logs, kauri gum
and later fruit produce from orchards established on cleared land at Stillwater, Silverdale and Dairy Flat
. As there was no roading sea was the only form of transport available. The last shipment of kauri gum to leave Stillwater was in 1890. The pack horse
tracks from Dairy Flat are still clearly visible on the Weiti
Station property.
The first settler in Stillwater in 1852 was Andrew Weatherspoon Thorburn and his family. Part of his original holding is now a reserve and memorial park bequeathed on their farm. Several houses were built on the river's edge in the early days as more land was cleared and made available for farming
. Some live stock was introduced, but fruit from orchards seemed to be the major produce transported to Auckland from Stillwater.
Other early settlers included the Dacres, Percy, Blackshaw and McPike brothers families. In 1950 the McPike brothers subdivided their farm to form what has become the Stillwater settlement known today. After the Second World War
the motor camp was developed and a road
from East Coast Bays Road constructed. Prior to this there existed only a farm track to Stillwater with a ford crossing at Doctor's Creek. The original bridge built was gradually improved over the years to the two lane concrete
bridge today. In 1980 the Council began tar-sealing the road. In 1985 Stillwater was connected to the Whangaparaoa
sewerage system and more substantial houses were built in the area. By the year 2000, most of the power and telephone cables were put underground and footpaths formed the length of Stillwater Crescent. Houses were built on almost all the original sections developed and Stillwater could no longer be called a holiday resort
; it had become a well established marine suburb.
In time Coastal Heights was developed followed by the adjoining Inlet Views property and new coastal development is taking place over the river opposite the Stillwater Boat Club. Buildings continue to appear as land is cleared.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Situated on the Weiti River
Weiti River
The Weiti River is an estuarine river to the north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It rises as the Weiti Stream in the low hills approximately 7km west of Silverdale and emerges into the Hauraki Gulf immediately south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula...
immediately south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula
Whangaparaoa Peninsula
Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...
in the Rodney District
Rodney District
The Rodney District of New Zealand was a local government area in the northernmost part in New Zealand's Auckland Region, created in 1989 from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County. The seat of the district council is at Orewa, and the district includes Kawau Island to the...
, it is part of the area known as the Hibiscus Coast.
History of Stillwater
In the early 19th century SilverdaleSilverdale, Auckland
Silverdale is a village approximately 30km north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the north bank of the Weiti River and lies to the west of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula...
was established as a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
for transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ing kauri logs to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. Stillwater was also used as a secondary landing to transport logs, kauri gum
Dammar gum
Dammar gum is obtained from the Dipterocarpaceae family of trees in India and East Asia, principally those of the genera Shorea, Balanocarpus or Hopea. Most is produced by tapping trees; however, some is collected in fossilized form from the ground. The gum varies in colour from clear to pale...
and later fruit produce from orchards established on cleared land at Stillwater, Silverdale and Dairy Flat
Dairy Flat
Dairy Flat is a rural district 8 km south of Orewa beach in the North Island of New Zealand, 28 km north of central Auckland. Until the early 1990s most of the district was in dairy farms of 40 to 60 hectares , but with the growth of Auckland City and the extension of the Northern...
. As there was no roading sea was the only form of transport available. The last shipment of kauri gum to leave Stillwater was in 1890. The pack horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
tracks from Dairy Flat are still clearly visible on the Weiti
Weiti River
The Weiti River is an estuarine river to the north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It rises as the Weiti Stream in the low hills approximately 7km west of Silverdale and emerges into the Hauraki Gulf immediately south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula...
Station property.
The first settler in Stillwater in 1852 was Andrew Weatherspoon Thorburn and his family. Part of his original holding is now a reserve and memorial park bequeathed on their farm. Several houses were built on the river's edge in the early days as more land was cleared and made available for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Some live stock was introduced, but fruit from orchards seemed to be the major produce transported to Auckland from Stillwater.
Other early settlers included the Dacres, Percy, Blackshaw and McPike brothers families. In 1950 the McPike brothers subdivided their farm to form what has become the Stillwater settlement known today. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the motor camp was developed and a road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
from East Coast Bays Road constructed. Prior to this there existed only a farm track to Stillwater with a ford crossing at Doctor's Creek. The original bridge built was gradually improved over the years to the two lane concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
bridge today. In 1980 the Council began tar-sealing the road. In 1985 Stillwater was connected to the Whangaparaoa
Whangaparaoa Peninsula
Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...
sewerage system and more substantial houses were built in the area. By the year 2000, most of the power and telephone cables were put underground and footpaths formed the length of Stillwater Crescent. Houses were built on almost all the original sections developed and Stillwater could no longer be called a holiday resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
; it had become a well established marine suburb.
In time Coastal Heights was developed followed by the adjoining Inlet Views property and new coastal development is taking place over the river opposite the Stillwater Boat Club. Buildings continue to appear as land is cleared.