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Story: Auckland region

Auckland’s original plan

In 1841 Felton Mathew, the surveyor-general, completed his plan for Auckland. However, two main features were never built: a circus (now Albert Park) and two squares (along present-day Hobson Street). Instead the city was mostly laid out on a traditional grid plan – cheaper to implement and easier to subdivide.

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Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau

Reference: NZ Map 2664

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

Margaret McClure, Auckland region – The founding of Auckland: 1840–1869, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/15891/aucklands-original-plan (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Margaret McClure, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 August 2016.