Heritage images of old Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau)
‘Then and Now’ transitions: click the thumbnails to view pairs of images separated in time. Once open, click on an image to toggle a cross-fade transition between the then and now pictures (in most cases). A link is also usually provided for an image comparison slider treatment of each pair. In some cases there are also animated video treatments of the images.
To search the collection, see the Subject Index and the Photographers Index. For non-photographic historical images (paintings and the like) see the Addendum below the main gallery.
For some animations of multiple 'Then' exposures (where there are no 'Now' images) see Moving Images at the foot of the page. (Decades are measured here using the convention where the first year ends with 1 and the last (tenth) year ends in 0; for example, 1901—1910.)
1850s
Mechanics Bay and Parnell |
Queen Street wharf |
Mechanics Bay and Parnell |
Queen Street |
Shortland Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
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Below, click for a short movie of then-and-now treatments of a selection of 1860s images of old Auckland (about seven minutes including credits).
1860s Auckland | Then and Now
1870s
Shortland Street |
View from Queen St Wharf |
Customs St at Queen St Wharf |
Waterfront from Queen St Wharf |
Point Britomart |
Fort Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
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1880s
Burton Brothers studio
The Burton Brothers images below are ordered according to the firm's negative numbering system.
Queen and Victoria Streets |
Victoria Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Fort Street |
Customs Street |
Victoria Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Fort Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Central city panorama |
Fort Street |
Queen and Wyndham Streets |
Lower Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Princes Street, St Paul's Church |
High Street |
High Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
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Other 1880s photographs
Shortland Street |
Queen Street |
Harbour from Albert Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Princes Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Customs Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Albert Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
1890s
Queen Street |
Shortland Street |
Gore and Fort Streets |
Queen Street |
Thames Hotel |
Queen Street |
Customs Street |
Railway Station |
Queen Street |
Customs Street East |
Quay Street |
Queen Street |
Customs Street East |
Queen Street |
Queen Street Wharf |
Queen Street |
Grand Hotel |
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Below, click for a short movie of then-and-now treatments of a selection of 1880s and '90s images of old Auckland (about seven minutes including credits).
1880s and '90s Auckland | Then and Now
1900s
Sixth New Zealand Contingent |
Imperial Troops |
Panorama from Northcote |
Waterfront |
Electric tramway opens |
Digging up Queen Street |
Wellesley Street |
Wellesley Street |
Victoria Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Fort Street |
Queen Street Wharf |
Quay Street |
Quay Street |
Customs Street |
Queen Street parade |
Wellesley Street |
Queen and Customs Streets |
Vulcan Lane |
Queen and Customs Streets |
Queen and Customs Streets |
Customs Street |
Customs Street |
Shortland Street |
High Street |
High Street |
Queen Street |
Fort Street |
Fort Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Warships on the Waitematā |
HMS Powerful |
Customs Street |
Bowen Avenue |
Queen Street Wharf |
Shortland Street |
Shortland Street |
Shortland Street |
The Great White Fleet |
Procession in Queen Street |
Queen Street Railway Station |
Queen Street Railway Station |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Customs Street East |
Queen Street |
Customs Street East |
Lower Queen Street |
Shortland Street |
Below, click for a short movie of then-and-now treatments of a selection of 1900s images of old Auckland (about seven minutes including credits).
1900s Auckland | Then and Now
1910s
Queen and Shortland Streets |
Queen Street |
View across Freemans Bay |
Old Customs Street West |
Waterfront |
Queen Street |
Marching strikers |
Milne & Choyce building |
Auckland Domain |
Customs and Queen Streets |
Fort Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Chief Post Office |
Fort Street |
Queen Street |
Commerce and Fort Streets |
Quay Street |
Quay Street |
Waterfront |
Waterfront |
Durham Street West |
High Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street and Vulcan Lane |
Queen Street |
Kitchener Street |
Sturdee and Customs Streets |
Darby Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Waterfront |
Waterfront |
Upper Vulcan Lane |
Durham Street East |
High Street |
Warspite Street |
Chancery Street |
Victoria Street |
Customs Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen and Wellesley Streets |
High Street |
Shortland Street |
Shortland Street |
Shortland Street |
Ponsonby Fire Station |
Vulcan Lane |
Customs Street East |
Waterfront |
HMS Renown |
1920s
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
Queen Street |
O'Connell Street |
O'Connell Street |
Customs Street |
Wellesley Street |
Chief Post Office |
Victoria Street East |
High Street |
Quay Street |
Central city panorama |
Ponsonby |
High Street |
Fort Street |
Fort Street |
Fort Street |
Customs Street East |
HMS Hood |
American Fleet |
Queen Street |
Customs Street |
Sturdee Street |
High Street |
High Street |
High Street |
Hobson and Fanshawe Streets |
Wyndham Street |
HMS Repulse |
Dilworth Building |
Customs Street East |
O'Connell Street |
Quay Street |
Little Queen Street |
Quay Street |
Queen Street |
High Street |
Queen Street |
Lower Queen Street |
Wellesley Street East |
Baker Street |
High Street |
Kitchener Street |
Addendum | other historical images
The earliest photographs of Auckland scenes date from around 1857. For earlier images we must turn to painters and illustrators.
Commercial Bay |
From the new wharf |
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Moving images
Photographers such as Henry Winkelmann sometimes made two or more exposures of a scene without moving their camera's position. These multiple images are occasionally included in the then-and-now pages in the main gallery above (see for instance, Winkelmann's The Grand Hotel). But there are many cases where for various reasons no modern 'Now' photo is possible, so presented below is a selection of such pictures animated; click the thumbnails to view.
LD Nathan & Co. fire |
Queen Street |
Queen Street Wharf |
Men boxing kauri gum |
Men loading kauri gum |
Railway Wharf construction |
National Bank, Queen Street |
NZ Insurance Company |
Anzac Avenue and Beach Road |
Wharves and harbour |
Councillors and their hats |
Karangahape Road |
