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Wellesley Street, Auckland

Coordinates: 36°51′03″S 174°45′51″E / 36.85081°S 174.76420°E / -36.85081; 174.76420
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wellesley Street
Wellesley Street in 2017
Map
Length1.5 km (0.93 mi)
LocationAuckland City Centre, New Zealand
Postal code1010
Coordinates36°51′03″S 174°45′51″E / 36.85081°S 174.76420°E / -36.85081; 174.76420
West endHalsey Street
Major
junctions
Queen Street
East endGrafton Road

Wellesley Street is a street in the Auckland City Centre, New Zealand, located between the south-east corner of Victoria Park and Grafton Road. The street is split into two sections at the junction of Queen Street, Wellesley Street West and Wellesley Street East.

History

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Wellesley Street in 1921

The street was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.[citation needed]

During the late 1880s, Wellesley Street became the cultural centre for Auckland, after the opening of the Auckland Art Gallery and the Auckland central library.[1] The intersection with Elliott Street was the location of the Fullers Opera House, and the area thrived, with Vaudeville theatres and hotels becoming established around Wellesley Street.[2]

The Wellesley and Queen Street intersection became a transportation hub in the late 19th century, with the first horse-drawn trams linking Wellesley Street to Ponsonby starting operation in August 1884. By the early 20th century, the intersection was a major stop for the Auckland tramway network.[2]

The St James apartments were constructed in 1910 for the YMCA. By 1955, the building had become too small for the YMCA, who relocated, with the building later becoming apartments.[2]

A Rotary automatic telephone exchange system was installed in Auckland in 1924, with the central city telephone exchange (WLT) located on Wellesley Street.[3][4]

The new Auckland central library opened on Wellesley Street in 1971.[1] The Auckland Art Gallery also expanded in 1971 and 1981.[1]

Notable locations

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Haworth, Jenny (2016). Auckland Then and Now. United Kingdom: Pavilion Books. p. 28-31. ISBN 978-1-910904-79-4. Wikidata Q116870435.
  2. ^ a b c "Auckland City Heritage Walks" (PDF). Auckland City Council. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Rare exchange to answer call of duty again". The New Zealand Herald. 17 August 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Nerve centre of Auckland's telephone system". The Auckland Star – archived at Paperspast – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/. 31 May 1941. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Civic Theatre Building". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  6. ^ Lewis, Penny (13 July 2005). "Smith & Caughey's enchanting celebration". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2011.