Warkworth Puhinui (Māori)
Town
Queen Street, Warkworth, in 2024
Warkworth Location of Warkworth, New Zealand
Coordinates:36°24′S174°40′E / 36.400°S 174.667°E /-36.400; 174.667
Country	New Zealand
Region	Auckland
Ward	Rodney ward
Local board	Rodney Local Board
Subdivision	Warkworth subdivision
Electorates	Kaipara ki Mahurangi Te Tai Tokerau
Government
• Territorial Authority	Auckland Council
• Mayor of Auckland	Wayne Brown[1]
• Kaipara ki Mahurangi MP	Chris Penk[2]
• Te Tai Tokerau MP	Mariameno Kapa-Kingi[3]
Area [4]
• Region	15.58 km2 (6.02 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[5]
• Region	6,960
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)	0910

Warkworth (Māori:Puhinui)^[6][7] is a town on theNorthland Peninsula in the upperNorth Island of New Zealand. It is in the northern part of theAuckland Region, 64 km (40 mi) north ofAuckland and 98 km (61 mi) south ofWhangārei, at the head ofMahurangi Harbour.^[8][9]State Highway 1 runs past it.

Mahurangi Harbour and surrounding area has been settled byMāori since at least the 13th century. As Warkworth is the uppermost navigable point on theMahurangi River, it was a crossroads between overland traffic andwaka, and gained the namePuhinui, referring to the waterfalls on the river. Māori people of the Mahurangi Harbour area moved seasonally between differentkāinga based on available resources, and came to the densekauri forests at Puhinui for food resources such as berries and eels, and to fell trees to build waka.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō andNgāti Manuhiri were active in the Warkworth area. The area was depopulated during theMusket Wars of the 1820s, with Te Kawerau hapū taking shelter with differing tribes in the north. Ngāti Rongo returned to the area in 1836, followed by Ngāti Manuhiri in the early 1840s.

European settler John Anderson Brown first settled at Warkworth in 1843, establishing a timber mill on the banks of the Mahurangi River. The town was officially established in 1853, and became a hub for timber and shipbuilding industries. The town became a hub for the Wilsons Cement Works in 1884. By the 1930s, as roads improved, it transitioned into a commercial and service hub for the surrounding rural area.

Warkworth and the surrounding areas was home to over 40United States Army camps during World War II. In 1971 theWarkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory was established near the town. The town's population has grown significantly since the mid-2000s.

Warkworth was named in 1853 by early settler John Anderson Brown, who took the name fromWarkworth inNorthumberland,^[10][11] allegedly because the Mahurangi River reminded him of theRiver Coquet at Warkworth, where a relative of Browns worked as a school headmaster.^[12] The major streets of Warkworth were named after villages adjacent to Warkworth in England, or after major Northumbrian families.^[11] For ten years prior to this, the area was known as Brown's Mill, after the John Anderson Brown sawmill,^[10] and until the 1870s the township was primarily known by the name Upper Mahurangi.^[11]

The traditionalMāori name for Warkworth isPuhinui ("Big Plume"), referring to the Puhinui Waterfalls located in the township.^[13]

The Warkworth area is at the upper navigable point of theMahurangi River, which flows south-east towards theMahurangi Harbour.^[11] The township is located at the point where the river runs over a low waterfall and becomes a tidal estuary,^[14] The wider area is predominantly upliftedWaitemata Group sandstone.^[11] Historically, the area was heavily forested until European settlement.^[13]

The highest point in Warkworth is a 86 metres (282 ft) hill located between Falls Road and View Road,^[12] where a water reservoir and cellphone tower are located.^[15]

On the eastern side of the river is theMahurangi Peninsula, with the seaside towns ofSnells Beach andAlgies Bay. It is here that the scenicKawau Island is found, notable for its historic Mansion House, once the private retreat ofGovernor Grey.

East of Warkworth and north of Mahurangi East lies theTāwharanui Peninsula, home of theTāwharanui Regional Park and Tawharanui Marine Park. To the north is the town ofWellsford, with the thickly forested Dome Valley lying in between. On the west coast lies theKaipara Harbour, while to the south is the small historic township ofPuhoi and further south the larger town ofOrewa.

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate asoceanic (Cfb),^[16] but it israinier in winter.

The wider Mahurangi area has been settled since at least the 13th century.^[19] Local traditions describeToi-te-huatahi being the founding ancestor for Mahurangi peoples, and Toi is the namesake for many features in the area, includingLittle Barrier Island / Te Hauturu-o-Toi and theHauraki Gulf (Te Moananui-ā-Toi).^[20] One of the first knowniwi to have settled in the area is Ngāi Tāhuhu.^[21][20] Named for Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, captain of theMoekākara waka, the iwi also settled atŌtāhuhu in Auckland,Whangārei and theBay of Islands.^[22]Te Arawa andTainuimigratory waka are known to have visited the area, and descendants of captain Manaia of theMāhuhu-ki-te-rangi waka are known to have intermarried with Ngāi Tāhuhu.^[20] A location of significance near Warkworth isTohitohi ō Reipae, the peak of theDome Forest, which was used as a traditional boundary marker, and is the location whereTainui ancestress Reipae married the Ngāi Tāhuhu rangatira Tahuhupotiki.^[23]

Mahurangi peoples primarily focused settlement along the shores of theHauraki Gulf,^[11] moving seasonally between differentkāinga based on available seasonal resources.^[10] Puhinui was a crossroads, at the highest navigable point by waka. This led to overland ara.^[11] While the majority of known archaeological sites near Warkworth are on the Mahurangi Harbour coast,^[21] the Mahurangi River (traditionally calledWaihē) shores and adjoining forests would have been utilised for resources, such as berry collecting, bird snaring, flax harvesting, eel fishing and felling trees to construct waka.^[21][13]

In the mid-17th century, the warrior Maki migrated from theKāwhia Harbour to his ancestral home in theAuckland Region. Maki conquered and unified many of the Tāmaki Māori tribes, including those of theWest Auckland, theNorth Shore and Mahurangi, and unified these peoples under the nameTe Kawerau.^[24][25] In Mahurangi, this was done by conquering Ngāi Tāhuhu, and by forming peacemaking marriages with theTe Roroa and Ngāti Manaia/Ngātiwai tribes who were migrating from the north.^[20][25]

After Maki's death, his sons settled different areas of his lands, creating newhapū, including the Mahurangi hapū of Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō,Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Maraeariki, Ngāti Poataniwha and Ngāti Kahu.^[26][20][21]

Ngāti Rongo formed from the union of Maki's son Ngāwhetu and Moerangaranga of Ngā Rīriki, the latter of whom is also an ancestor forTe Uri-o-Hau ofNgāti Whātua.^[20] Ngāti Raupō descend from Maki's son Maraeariki, and settled on theTāwharanui Peninsula, while Ngāti Manuhiri settled theWhangateau Harbour north toPākiri.^[21] As these hapū developed, Ngātiwai developed strong ties to Kawerau hapū through successive generations of intermarriage, especially Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Manuhiri, and Ngāti Kahu.^[20]

By the mid-1700s,Marutūāhu tribes from theHauraki Gulf, especiallyNgāti Pāoa, sought to control the shark fishery located on the Mahurangi coast, betweenKawau Island and theWhangaparāoa Peninsula.^[20] War broke out between Ngāti Pāoa and the Kawerau hapū. By the early 19th century, Kawerau-descended hapū held exclusive land rights to the Mahurangi, while fishing rights were shared between these hapū and the Marutūāhu tribes.^[20]

By the early 19th Century, the Mahurangi Harbour was primarily settled by Ngāti Rongo and their related hapū Ngāti Kā and Ngāti Raupō, all of whom kept close ties to Ngāti Manuhiri,^[11][10] while Marutūahu tribes frequented the coast during the summertime.^[11]

In the early 1820s during theMusket Wars,Ngāpuhi and related northern tribes attacked the Mahurangi area settlements in retaliation for past losses, leading to the Mahurangi area being depopulated.^[20] Ngāti Rongo, then approximately 100 people, sought refuge with their Ngāti Manu relatives in the Bay of Islands under the protection ofPōmare II, Ngāti Raupō at Whangārei withTe Parawhau andTe Whareumu, and Ngāti Mahuhiri to the north of Whangārei with Ngātiwai.^[21][20]

In 1832, Gordon Browne established a spar station on the Pukapuka Peninsula of the Mahurangi Harbour. Browne obtained rights to fell kauri from Marutūāhu tribes,^[21] after which Ngāpuhi chiefsPatuone andTītore brokered a deal with the BritishRoyal Navy to supplykauri spurs for navy ships, using the spar station.^[21] This station was the first European settlement in the Auckland Region,^[27] and most of the station labourers were members of Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāpuhi.^[21] The station operated until 1834, and was contested by Kawerau descendant hapū.^[20]

Ngāti Rongo returned to the Mahurangi area in 1836, under the leadership of Te Hēmara Tauhia, focusing settlement atTe Muri.^[10][21] Ngāti Rongo and Ngāti Raupō occupied modern Warkworth by the late 1830s or early 1840s, with Ngāti Mahuhiri likely returning in the early 1840s.^[20] By this period, many of the Kawerau hapū had developed associations withNgāti Whātua, and the Mahurangi area was contested between Kawerau, Ngāti Whātua and Marutūāhu tribes.^[20]

Following the signing of theTreaty of Waitangi in 1840,the Crown made the first purchases of the Mahurangi and Omaha blocks on 13 April 1841, which included the Mahurangi Harbour. While some iwi and hapū with customary interests had been engaged, such as Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō and Ngāti Manuhiri were not a part of this transaction, and it took the Crown until the 1850s to finalise a deal with these tribes.^{[28][29][11][21]} Te Hemara Tauhia and his people continued to occupy their lands at Te Muri during this time.^[21]

In 1843, early settler John Anderson Brown began squatting on land along the Mahurangi River, establishing a dam and timber mill on the left bank in 1844.^[10] The timber industry, later joined by shipbuilding, were the two major economic activities in the area during the mid-19th century.^[10] In 1853, Brown was among the first land owners in the area, when Warkworth was established as a planned settlement and he and his daughter Amelia purchased 234 acres (95 ha) of land from the Crown.^[10] The town developed slowly, primarily around the Mahurangi River wharf, where settlers could supply goods and services for the Auckland market.^[10] Bridge House Lodge, established on the site of John Anderson Brown's home next door to the Warkworth Bridge, is the oldest surviving building in Warkworth.^[30]

The Mahurangi Post Office and Library were established in 1859, followed by the first local government in the area, when the Mahurangi Highway Board was established in 1863.^[11] In the same year, the Mahurangi School opened, and by 1868 Henry Palmer had established a flour mill in the settlement.^[10] Shipbuilding declined in the area during the late 1870s, and ceased in 1880.^[11] Unlike other areas of northern Auckland and Northland,kauri gum digging did not appear to play a large part in the economy of the town. Orchards were established around Warkworth, with some continuing to operate today.^[11]

In 1883 the Masonic Hall was built and up until 1911 served as a public hall until a dedicated building was constructed on the corner of Alnwick and Neville Streets.^[31][32]

Ngāti Rongo continued to hold a presence in the area in the 19th century. While initially made landless through the Mahurangi Purchase, a native reserve was established between Pukapuka andWaiwera in 1853.^[33] Land in this block was gradually sold land to settlers, and when Te Hemara Tauhia died in 1891, his Ngāti Rongo family moved toGlorit.^[34] In the 21st century, 13 iwi and collectives have interests in the Warkworth area,^[35] of whom Ngāti Manuhiri are consideredmana whenua; or having historic and territorial rights in the area.^[36]

John Sullivan began Warkworth's firstroche lime production in 1849. John Southgate established a second limeworks at a site further downstream in 1857,^[10] selling it to Nathaniel Wilson in 1864.^[10]

Wilson became interested in cement in 1883 and formed the Wilsons Cement Works in 1884 with his brothers John and James.^[37][10] The site became the firstportland cement manufacturing works in the Southern Hemisphere.^[10] The company built the Warkworth Bridge in 1899.^[10]

By 1910, the cement company had become one of the major employers in Warkworth.^[37] In 1918, it amalgamated with the New Zealand Portland Cement Company, who were based inMotu Matakohe – Limestone Island inWhangārei, and the operation was gradually moved to Whangārei, eventually closing entirely in 1929.^[37] Ruins remain and the mine is a popular local freshwater swimming hole.

In 1933, the road to Auckland had improved enough that the town no longer relied on the steamer service to transport goods, and the steamers stopped operating in 1937. After this time, Warkworth transitioned from a logging town into a commercial and service hub for the wider north Auckland area.^[11] Logging continued at Warkworth until the 1930s.^[11]

DuringWorld War II, Warkworth and the surrounding area became home to over 40 camps forUnited States Army servicemen, including the3rd Marine Division,25th Infantry Division and the43rd Infantry Division. The first personnel to arrive were the 43rd Infantry Division in October 1942,^[21] and camps included the modern-day Rodney Showgrounds, and a military hospital that was constructed near Hill Street.^[10] The historic cement works, which had been closed since 1928, was used as demolition practice by the servicemen.^[38] By 1944 when the United States Army had left, theNew Zealand Army requisitioned many of the camps.^[21]

In 1971, theWarkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory was established near the town, as the first major long-range telecommunication centre for satellite telephone circuits and television in New Zealand.^[39] By 2010, the facility had been redeveloped as anAUTradio observatory.^[39]

TheWarkworth & District Museum, a local museum showcasing local history,^[40] opened in 1980.^[41]

Warkworth saw significant suburban housing growth between 2008 and 2018,^[42] with the population increasing by 61% between 2006 and 2018.^[43] In 2023, thePūhoi to Warkworth section of theAuckland Northern Motorway was opened, diverting traffic away from Warkworth.^[44] The town is currently projected to triple in size by the late 2040s.^[42]

The first local government for the township was the Upper Mahurangi Highway District, which was formed on 24 December 1864. It was one of the first highway districts to form north of the city of Auckland, and was formed to administer the road upkeep costs in the area.^[45] With the abolition of theprovinces of New Zealand in 1876, Warkworth became part ofRodney County, which was formed at that time.^[45] The highway district was merged with the Lower Mahurangi Highway District in 1903 and it became the Warkworth Road Board. In 1908 the road board became a town board, and in 1954 it became a town council following the Municipal Corporations Act. In 1976 Warkworth became a district community council ofRodney County.^[46][47] From 1989 to 2010, Warkworth was part ofRodney District.

In November 2010, all city and district councils in theAuckland Region were merged into a single unitary authority,Auckland Council,^[48] with Warkworth in theRodney Local Board area. Electors in Warkworth vote for the seven-memberRodney Local Board, and also aRodney ward councillor, who represents the area on the Auckland Council. The local board operates from the Warkworth Service Centre on Baxter Street.^[49] The Rodney Local Board formerly held meetings outside of the local board area, inOrewa on theHibiscus Coast. Since 2023, the local board has held meetings at 3 Elizabeth Street in Warkworth.^[50]

Warkworth is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers 15.58 km² (6.02 sq mi)^[4] and had an estimated population of 6,960 as of June 2024,^[5] with a population density of 447 people per km².

Warkworth had a population of 6,675 in the2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,089 people (19.5%) since the2018 census, and an increase of 2,406 people (56.4%) since the2013 census. There were 3,231 males, 3,429 females and 15 people ofother genders in 2,571 dwellings.^[52] 2.4% of people identified asLGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,233 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 948 (14.2%) aged 15 to 29, 2,742 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,749 (26.2%) aged 65 or older.^[51]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 82.9%European (Pākehā); 10.7%Māori; 7.3%Pasifika; 8.4%Asian; 1.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.9%, Māori language by 1.3%, Samoan by 0.1%, and other languages by 13.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.3% (e.g. too young to talk).New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 30.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 37.3%Christian, 1.3%Hindu, 0.5%Islam, 0.4%Māori religious beliefs, 0.8%Buddhist, 0.5%New Age, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they hadno religion were 51.2%, and 7.1% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 834 (15.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,856 (52.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,458 (26.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $38,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 630 people (11.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,511 (46.1%) people were employed full-time, 711 (13.1%) were part-time, and 90 (1.7%) were unemployed.^[51]

Mahurangi College is a co-educational secondary school, teaching students between years 7–13 (form 1–7, grade 6–12), with a roll of 1,580 students as of March 2025.^[55][56] It was first built on the current site in 1957, and was then called Warkworth District High School. It was renamed Mahurangi College in 1962, and had a roll of 210 students at the time. Yacht designerBruce Farr was among the first pupils. Mahurangi College first reached the 1,000 pupil milestone in 1998 and the school had an entire staff and pupil photograph taken.^[57]

A new auditorium was completed at the end of January 2011. In early January 2012, construction began on rebuilding B-block and a new administration centre.^[58] The renovations and constructions were completed mid-2013, and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced on 2 April 2015, that work would begin on a $6.3 million property upgrade at the college.^[59]

Warkworth School is a co-educational primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 571 students as of March 2025.^[55][60]

Mahurangi RFC is the local rugby club, formed in 1989 as an amalgamation of three local rugby clubs: Warkworth, Kaipara Flats and Omaha.^[61]

Warkworth has a festival celebrated whenkōwhai trees start to drop their flowers (September–October). Thousands of visitors come to see the festival which features old horse carriages, markets, and bands.^[47]

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(June 2024)

• Lucy Moore was a botanist and descendant of a pioneer family. The Lucy Moore Memorial Park was named in her honour.^[62]
• Harry Parry (?–1977) was a supporter of obtaining land for a park withkauri trees. The Parry Kauri Park is named in his honour.^[47]
• Serj Tankian singer and songwriter, member ofSystem of a Down.^[63]
• Conrad Robertson olympic gold medalist.^[47]

State Highway 1 passed through Warkworth until an extension of theAuckland Northern Motorway opened in July 2023.^[64] The new motorway ends just to the north of Warkworth.

A particularly complicated intersection called "the worst in New Zealand", where the old SH1 intersects with Hill Street, was intended to be replaced in 2024, but this was removed fromNZTA's plan because it did not align with theNational Government's roading plans.^[65]

Warkworth is served by hourly buses toHibiscus Coast Station and less frequent buses toSnells Beach, Algies Bay,Matakana,Ōmaha and Point Wells.^[66]InterCity buses run through Warkworth from Auckland toKerikeri^[67] and Mahu City Express twice a day to Auckland.^[68]

Warkworth has severalsister towns including:

• Warkworth, Northumberland (Town founder John Anderson Brown named Warkworth after his former home inEngland)
• Furudono, Fukushima (Furudono is asister school of Mahurangi College and Warkworth Primary School located inHonshū,Japan)
• Warkworth, Ontario (This town inCanada was sistered in 2003)

• Stone, R. C. J. (2001).From Tamaki-makau-rau to Auckland. Auckland University Press.ISBN 1869402596.

• Bioletti, H. (1993). Tales of the Mahurangi. Warkworth, New Zealand: Times Colour Print.
• Bioletti, Harry (1991).Warkworth Roundabout: Stories of Warkworth, Kawau Island, the Mahurangi, Puhoi, Matakana & Leigh. Warkworth: Times Media Group Ltd.ISBN 0-473-01063-1.
• Clague, C. (2006).Recollections of Warkworth and Warkworth People. Warkworth and District Museum Society Inc

36°24′S174°40′E / 36.400°S 174.667°E /-36.400; 174.667

• Rodney Local Board Area
• Populated places in the Auckland Region
• Matakana Coast
• Populated places established in 1853
• 1853 establishments in New Zealand

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