Maps capture fleeting moments in history. They reveal the knowledge, perspectives and plans of particular groups of people at specific moments in time. Explore stories from the You Are Here: Mapping Auckland exhibition.
Bean Rock lighthouse
A beacon in the dark
The red dot at the centre of this colour wheel of light is Bean Rock — one of Auckland’s most well-known lighthouses. Built in 1871, it is still keenly spotted by passengers on ferry trips to Rangitoto or Waiheke Island.
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 Hochstetter's volcanoes
A volcanic city
This vividly coloured map shows us Auckland through the eyes of German geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter. You can see a few man-made features recorded here, such as the Royal Oak Hotel and the Harp Inn.
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 Partington's Windmill
X marks the spot
Near the centre left of this image you’ll find the cross-shaped sails of one of Auckland’s earliest and most prominent landmarks.
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 Freemans Bay
Changing fortunes
When this map was made in 1865, Freemans Bay was still the place of ‘beauty and calm’ described by Reverend G.E. Mason, a visitor from England. It was also still a bay — a charming seaside spot with a curving, sandy beach.
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 Felton Mathew
Blunder or brainwave?
This is central Auckland as it appeared in one man’s mind more than 170 years ago.
The man who drew the design, Surveyor-General Felton Mathew, believed the new town should be laid out in a series of concentric circular streets radiating out from this hilltop hub which is now Albert Park.
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 Hand Drawn
No straight lines in nature
At first glance this map is confusing because north is at the bottom of the page. The upside-down orientation suggests that the maker was an amateur. From the map we can see how dramatically the shape of Auckland’s waterfront has changed.
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 Parking
Bumper to bumper
Aucklanders’ love affair with cars was just taking off when this map was printed in 1948. Cars were becoming cheaper, suburbs were spreading out, and more people than ever were choosing to zip to town and back on four wheels.
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 Motorways
Keep Left
At first glance, this 1975 map looks uncannily like a beginner’s guide to knot tying. In fact, it’s a guide to motorway off-ramps, designed to aid bamboozled drivers on their way north of Auckland.
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 Soil Bureau
Digging in
This is part of the first full soil survey of the North Island, published by the Soil Bureau in 1954 to increase the country’s knowledge of soil quality — mainly for meat, wool and dairy farming.
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 Dumont d’Urville
In a Frenchman’s wake
The zig-zagging line cutting across this close-up is the path of a ship. Standing at its helm in the hot summer of 1827 was the man who made this map — the French explorer Dumont d’Urville. This ‘tacking line’ shows how his vessel, the Astrolabe, regularly turned to fill its sails with wind as it moved through the sheltered channels of the Waitemata Harbour.
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 Mission Bay
Beside the seaside
In 1925 the Melanesian Mission in Mission Bay subdivided a large part of its land and put it up for auction. This artist’s impression appeared on the reverse of the double-sided poster that advertised the sections for sale.
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Newton
A shattered community
Motorways are meant to connect people. In reality, they can do just the opposite. This is the border of the inner-city suburb of Newton in 1908. Today, it looks utterly different, split in half by the tangle of motorways known as Spaghetti Junction
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