North Shore Heritage Thematic Review Report ... - Auckland Council

The volcanic cones of North Head, Mt Cambria and Mount Victoria are also major recreational spaces, and
many others have been established on reclaimed land, including Stanley Bay Park and the Naval Sports
ground, Woodall Park, Waitemata Golf Course and Ngataringa and Dacre Parks.
Few new parks have been created in recent years, an exception being the Mary Barrett Glade. This native
bush area extends from Lake Road along the coast of Ngataringa Bay on the site of the old Duders‟
Brickworks. It is known locally as Polly‟s Park since it was the personal efforts of Mabel Pollock (Polly)
that led to the land, belonging now to the New Zealand Navy, being gradually replanted over the years
since 1993 as a haven for New Zealand native flora and fauna.
As early as 1878 the Flagstaff Highway Board identified three foreshore reserves for bathing.
In 1881 the control of Flagstaff Hill (Mt Victoria) and Devonport Domain came under the jurisdiction of the
Devonport and Mt Victoria Domain Board, later to become the Devonport and Rangitoto Domain Board.
Fig. 21. Narrow Neck Parade Ground Fort Cautley, North Head. The Price Photo Co., Devonport Historical Society and
Museum.
Much of the public land in Devonport used by the military for defence has become public recreation
reserve when no longer required by the military. Windsor Reserve, the first naval ammunition store, was
given to the Borough in 1911. 40
Mt Victoria was made a public reserve in 1881, but used for defence purposes during the Russian scare and
both world wars. North Head was designated a defence reserve in 1878 and returned to the public in 1994.
Narrow Neck (Fort Takapuna) was used for various defence purposes from 1880s but is now mainly given
over to recreational use (see Section 5.2). In these locations, the gun emplacements, barracks, searchlight
positions and other artefacts have been conserved.
40 „A Chronology of the Borough Council‟, The Hundred of Devonport, p. 149.
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