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Story: Sewage, water and waste

Ligar Canal, Auckland

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Ligar Canal, Auckland

The Ligar Canal was an infamous open drain that ran along Auckland’s Queen Street. This 1860s photo shows it crossed by rickety footbridges and surrounded by rough fences. The presence of raw sewage in open drains not only made early cities stink – it also led to high rates of disease and death.

Using this item

Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau

Reference: 4-400

by James D. Richardson

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Christine Dann, Sewage, water and waste – Dirt and disease, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/24426/ligar-canal-auckland (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Christine Dann, published 12 April 2010.