Wellesley Street, Auckland
 Wellesley Street in 2017 | |
 | |
| Length | 1.5 km (0.93 mi) |
|---|---|
| Location | Auckland City Centre, New Zealand |
| Postal code | 1010 |
| Coordinates | 36°51′03″S 174°45′51″E / 36.85081°S 174.76420°E |
| West end | Halsey Street |
| Major junctions | Queen Street |
| East end | Grafton Road |
Wellesley Street is a street in the Auckland City Centre, New Zealand, located between the south-east corner of Victoria Park and Grafton Road. The street is split into two sections at the junction of Queen Street, Wellesley Street West and Wellesley Street East.
History
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The street was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.[citation needed]
During the late 1880s, Wellesley Street became the cultural centre for Auckland, after the opening of the Auckland Art Gallery and the Auckland central library.[1] The intersection with Elliott Street was the location of the Fullers Opera House, and the area thrived, with Vaudeville theatres and hotels becoming established around Wellesley Street.[2]
The Wellesley and Queen Street intersection became a transportation hub in the late 19th century, with the first horse-drawn trams linking Wellesley Street to Ponsonby starting operation in August 1884. By the early 20th century, the intersection was a major stop for the Auckland tramway network.[2]
The St James apartments were constructed in 1910 for the YMCA. By 1955, the building had become too small for the YMCA, who relocated, with the building later becoming apartments.[2]
A Rotary automatic telephone exchange system was installed in Auckland in 1924, with the central city telephone exchange (WLT) located on Wellesley Street.[3][4]
The new Auckland central library opened on Wellesley Street in 1971.[1] The Auckland Art Gallery also expanded in 1971 and 1981.[1]
Notable locations
[edit]- The Auckland central library
- Civic Theatre at the junction with Queen Street, which was constructed in 1929.[5]
- Smith & Caughey's, a department store established in 1880[6]
- St Matthew's, a historic neo-Gothic Anglican church.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Haworth, Jenny (2016). Auckland Then and Now. United Kingdom: Pavilion Books. p. 28-31. ISBN 978-1-910904-79-4. Wikidata Q116870435.
- ^ a b c "Auckland City Heritage Walks" (PDF). Auckland City Council. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Rare exchange to answer call of duty again". The New Zealand Herald. 17 August 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Nerve centre of Auckland's telephone system". The Auckland Star – archived at Paperspast – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/. 31 May 1941. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ "Civic Theatre Building". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- ^ Lewis, Penny (13 July 2005). "Smith & Caughey's enchanting celebration". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2011.