Henderson Heritage Trail

The Henderson Heritage Trail is a joint venture by the West Auckland Historical Society and the Waitakere City Council as a contribution to the Henderson 150 Commemoration (1844 - 1994).  The Henderson Trail is divided into two loops of about 40 minutes walking time, each with an optional 10 minute extension. Both loops start and finish at the Henderson's Mill Cottage.

Loop A

Loop B

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Henderson Heritage Trail Map (Size 72K)

Trail Landmarks -Loop A

Mill Cottage

A1. Mill Cottage

The original part of this cottage is believed to have been built about 1848 as the mill cook house. In 1875 it became the second Henderson's Mill school room. After 1880 it is believed to have been converted into a four roomed cottage.

In the 1930s it was extended by the Corban family, who gifted it to the City in 1993, when it was restored to it's present condition by the West Auckland Historical Society.

Mill River

A2. Henderson's Mill

On 8 October 1844, Governor Fitzroy proposed a Crown Grant of half the land claimed by Henderson and Macfarlane, and the partners commenced milling activities in this area. They established a timber mill on this site about 1847.

A3. Mill Dam 

A wooden holding dam was set up here in the late 1840s to contain the kauri logs brought down from further upstream. The foundations of the dam, which also powered the 5-metre water wheel, are still visible in the stream bed.

A4. Cranwell Park

This park was originally part of Thomas Henderson's farm. About 1900 it was developed into an orchard by Ben Cranwell, whose father Robert had founded the first commercial orchards in Henderson in the Lincoln Road area in the 1880s.

Delta Point Landing Waitakere Public Libraries Historic Collection

A5. Delta Point Landing

This landing, the remaining supports of which can be seen in the bank below the sign, was, until the arrival of the railway in 1880, the main means of communication with Auckland for the early mill settlement, as Great North Road was notoriously unreliable.

A6. Concrete Wharf, Tui Glen

The concrete wharf was the focus of many attractions at the Tui Glen Motor Camp and Amusement Park in the 1930s. The derrick, used to raise and lower canoes and dinghies, was part of the original wooden wharf built in 1924.

A7. "Manuka Shade", Tui Glen

This cabin, built in 1908, is a good example of a simple colonial cottage. Originally situated at 21 Henderson Valley Road, where the present Wilsher Village now stands, it was moved to Tui Glen in 1964.

A8. Tui Glen

This area, originally part of Thomas Henderson's farm, was bought by Claude Brookes in 1915 and developed into New Zealand's first motor camp. Known as Tui Glen Motor Camp and Amusement Park, it was opened on 12 December 1924.

A9. Mill River

Henderson's Creek was shown on early maps as "Mill River", as kauri timber was shipped down the river to the harbour from Henderson's Mill. The 1854 "Pandora" chart shows two buildings on either side of the river at this point, possibly early sawing stations.

Swan's Arch 1925 F. Morris Collection, Waitakere Public Libraries Historic Collection

A10. Swan's Arch

The lawyer Henry Swan bought land here in 1898. In 1904, telling his friends that he was embarking on a solo journey around the world, he sailed the "Awatea" here, planted fruit trees, and lived on board as a recluse for the rest of his life. He built the brick arch in 1909; the underground shelter was used mainly for fruit storage.

Falls Hotel on its original site c.1926, at the corner of Great North Road and Railside Ave. Waitakere Public Libraries Historic Collection

A11. Fall's Park and site of the Falls Hotel since December 1996 

The "Falls Recreation Ground" was purchased and developed by the Henderson Town Board from 1923 to 1925, and was a popular picnic area, playground, swimming hole and overnight anchorage during the 1920s and 1930s. It was later occupied by the Henderson Women's Bowling Club.

A12. The original site of the Oratia / Falls Hotel

This hotel was built in 1873 to provide accommodation for the travelling public. Originally named Oratia Hotel after the Oratia stream, the hotel's name was changed in 1890 to Falls Hotel, after the Waitakere Falls, which were a major tourist attraction in the late nineteenth century. The first proprietor was "Shepherd" John McLeod, Thomas Henderson's farm manager.