New Lynn Parks and Open Space Information
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New Lynn Brochure
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Parrs Park |
History
Location
map & brochure
Popular
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History
 The
New Lynn ward holds its own history for
both Maori and Europeans. Before
European contact the region was an
important trading crossroads between
tribes of East and South Auckland with
the West Coast and Kaipara areas.
Additionally the
Whau portage, which runs through the
New Lynn ward, was the most direct route
linking the
Manukau and
Waitemata
Harbours. Canoes were dragged to the
head of the Whau River and rowed down to
reach the Waitemata, or in turn rowed
and dragged across to the Manukau along
the route that is present day Portage
Road.
European settlement in the area began in
the mid 1800s with the timber milling
industry dominant in Titirangi, Green
Bay, Glen Eden, Kelston, Glendene and
New Lynn. As the timber industry began
to slow in the New Lynn ward each suburb
adopted various industries. Titirangi
and Glen Eden took to farming when the
land was cleared, with the small
population at Glen Eden also working in
nurseries. Green Bay, Glendene and New
Lynn adopted manufacturing centres for
products such as bricks, ceramics,
piping and tanning, the latter of which
continued operating until 2007.
The arrival of the rail through the
region in the 1880's increased the
population in parts of the ward, and
offering more business and manufacturing
opportunities turned New Lynn into one
of the major manufacturing areas of the
region. Suburbs such as Glen Eden,
Kelston and Glendene did not see
significant population shifts until
after the depression in the 1930's.
Today signs of the wards history can
still be seen.
Waikumete Cemetery was
opened in 1886 and contains the historic
Mortuary Chapel as well as memorials for
our lost soldiers and those lost to the
Holocaust, the losses of the influenza
epidemic of 1918, and the victims of the
1979 Erebus disaster.
Ambrico Historical
Reserve holds an early brick making
kiln, the original New Lynn Post office,
now Potters Post still stands on Totara
Avenue as does the Glen Eden Playhouse
built in 1901 and rebuilt after the 1936
fire.
The Maori history of the area has been
recognized at Olympic Park with art work
depicting the significance of the
crossroads and the Whau River.
Location map and brochure
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Click
to view PDF version of brochure & map |
Download the New Lynn Ward Parks and Open Space Information
brochure for a map and information on popular
parks, playgrounds and walkways in this area.
Brochures are available from all libraries
and Council reception
or contact us
for a copy.
Note: You will need to have 
Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your computer in order to view and print this document. For
help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful
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New Lynn Ward - Parks and Open Spaces Information Brochure
and Map (Size 1350K)
Other brochures in this series:
Popular Parks
Below is a list of New Lynn's most popular parks.
Parrs Park |
Harold Moody and Duck Park |
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A favourite park for young people and one of the busiest in Waitakere, Parrs Park offers a large playground, basketball courts, skating facilities and seemingly endless space for field sports.
The gentle and spacious path surrounding the sports field suits people of all ages and abilities; walkers, cyclists and joggers. Follow the walkway as it meanders around the sports fields, through the Macrocarpa shelter belt and over to the Waikumete Stream. Major renovations are set for this park over the next 5 - 10 years.
How to get there: West Coast Road, Parrs Cross Road or Benita Place, Glen Eden.
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Intersected by the lush Waikumete stream, Harold Moody and Duck
Park offer the space to let loose on a sunny weekend or warm evening.
Take a jog around the two parks, practice your ball skills or challenge
your friends to a game of softball. Fly a kite, walk the dog or bring the
kids for an afternoon on the playground.
How to get there:
Glendale Road, Glen Eden.
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Ceramco Park |
Crum Park |
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Offering open fields for ball games or kite flying, a playground for
all ages, a skate park and gentle paths for bike riding, children won't
know where to start.
Pack a picnic lunch and bask in the warmth of
the sun or seek shade under one of the lush park trees. For some
gentle exercise, there is a short 15 minute walk along a beautifully
planted streamside track to Kaurilands Domain.
How to get there:
Glendale Road, Glen Eden.
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Situated in a quiet Titirangi neighbourhood, Crum Park offers a
large open space for people of all ages to enjoy, surrounded by lush
Waitakere bush.
Practice your ball skills, spend an afternoon playing
games or be entertained on the playground. Get out of the house
and take a breath of fresh air at Crum Park.
How to get there:
Hilling Street via Golf Road, Titirangi.
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Manawa Wetland |
Ambrico Historical Reserve |
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Hidden behind the busy New Lynn town centre,
Manawa Wetland
is a park with a difference. Once rich in clay, the area was exploited
during the early to mid 20th century by the neighbouring Ambrico
brickworks leaving a large quarry in the New Lynn landscape.
The
area has now been transformed into a wetland, utilising the remnant
clay pit. The park and wetland acts as a filter for pollutants running
off the road and surrounding areas helping to preserve our streams
and harbours. The wetland has also become the home for many a
bird, including ducks and pukekos. Take a stroll and try to spot the
elusive eels living in the cool water of this magnificently transformed park.
How to get there:
Margan Avenue or New Lynn Place, New Lynn. Just a short walk from
the New Lynn rail and bus stations.
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New Lynn was once the centre of ceramic, brick and
crockery production in Waitakere. Ambrico Historical Reserve
represents the remains of this historic industry with the
only remaining kiln in the city. This down-draught kiln was
built in 1926 and produced 30,000 bricks a fortnight for the
expanding Waitakere and Auckland regions.
A hop, skip and a jump away from the kiln is a place for
the family to picnic and a playground for the kids to play.
How to get there:
Ambrico Place via Rankin Avenue, New Lynn.
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Todd Triangle |
Ken Maunder Park |
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Located in the heart of New Lynn's bustling town centre, Todd Triangle
offers a breath of fresh air and sunshine when rushed off your feet. Sit
and relax on one of the park benches or wander through the annual
gardens and let Todd Triangle brighten your day.
How to get there:
Corner of Great North Road and Totara Avenue, New Lynn. Just a short
walk from the New Lynn Shopping Centre.
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If your backyard is too small for a rousing game of backyard cricket or kilikiti, come down to Ken Maunder Park. Utilise the fi elds for
exciting summer sports and games with your children or friends.
Ken Maunder doesn't just stop with its love of active life, enjoy a stroll around its estuarine boarder and take in the wildlife this environment has to offer. A long footbridge links this park to the residential suburbs of New Lynn via Queen Mary Avenue. How to get there:
Binsted Road via Rata Street, New Lynn.
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Shadbolt Park |
Green Bay Beach |
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Shadbolt Park is yet another park with vast amounts of open space that the New Lynn ward has to offer. It lies on the border of Waitakere and is opposite another large park owned by the neighbouring
Auckland City. Play on the grassy fields, or test out your skills at the popular skate park. Shadbolt Park also offers over 700m of walking track through parkland and bush for a jog or stroll.
How to get there:
Portage Road, New Lynn.
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Green Bay Beach is a hidden gem and offers access to the beauty of the Manukau Harbour. It is one of only a few beaches in urban Waitakere and perfect for a short trip to the beach when you don't
want to travel far. Wander along the waters edge, explore the rock pools and paddle in the calm waters of the sheltered bay. Pack a picnic lunch and bring the family down for a day in the sun, or enjoy
a quiet evening walk along the tranquil coast.
How to get there:
South end of Portage Road, New Lynn.
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Olympic Park |
Waikumete Cemetery |
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Located on Waitakere's border, Olympic Park grew through the joint effort of the Olympic Trust and Waitakere City Council and was awarded the
Outstanding Park Award 2007 by the New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA).
It brilliantly utilises space and brought the
Whau River running
through the heart of the park back to life through the replanting of native streamside trees and wetland vegetation. Bring a picnic and enjoy lunch
alongside the Whau River as it meanders though the heart of the park offering panoramic views of aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats.
Olympic Park
is located on land with both prehistoric and historical significance which is represented in the art work displayed along the parks gentle pathways.
Children can unleash their imagination on the state of the art playground, from web-like rope climbing frames and traditional swings with a twist,
children will be easily entertained at Olympic Park.
For the younger ones of the family the park offers a sheltered sandpit filled with toys and activities
to keep them busy for hours on end. If all the bright coloured play equipment isn't enough, they can search eagerly for a sight of the Avondale
spider in the unique wooden sanctuary. Olympic Park also emphasises Waitakere City Council's eco-city vision in its development and presents both
educational and sustainable features throughout.
How to get there:
Wolverton Street, New Lynn.
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Opened in 1908, Waikumete Cemetery is a place of deep
history, peace, beauty and reverence. Waikumete offers a
glimpse into Waitakere's pioneering days through to the
resent with New Zealand's strong multi cultural history
represented by those of the past.
Memorials act as a reminder of historical events, from
the influenza epidemic of 1918 to the Holocaust of World War
II and the 1979 Erebus tragedy. Our soldiers are remembered
in the Serviceman's Cemetery and the annual ANZAC day dawn
service at the Cenotaph where the public can pay their
respects to those that fought for what we have today.
How to get there:
Great North Road or Glen Road, Glen Eden.
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Sport in New Lynn |
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Home to fifteen of Waitakere City's thirty plus sports fields, New Lynn offers opportunities to get fit, active and experience team spirit no matter your age or fitness level.
For sporting people or passive recreation seekers the wide open spaces offered in New Lynn gives everyone the chance to get out into the fresh air. Sports parks are also ideal for community events and are available to be booked.
There is no charge for hiring a park or field, although hirers must pay a bond in some circumstances. For more information contact the Waitakere City Council 24-hour call centre or
visit our Sports Parks
webpage.
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Playgrounds
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