Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve contains elements from all periods of coastal defence in New Zealand. Notable defensive features of the fort include twin six-inch disappearing guns, an underground magazine, and barracks.
The fort houses two massive searchlights, which swept the Hauraki Gulf every night from 1899 until the end of World War II. The Examination Battery, first established in 1938, was used to control the harbour’s anchorage.
Fort Takapuna is set below ground level and surrounded by a dry moat that protected the central fort from land attacks.
The protected headland
Tainui ancestor Peretū settled and named the site, which was inhabited by various local tribes until Crown purchase in 1841.
Fort Takapuna was built in the 1880s to combat threats of Russian invasion, but Japanese entry into World War II incentivised additional firepower and new barracks.
A global centre
Fort Takapuna served as a training area for soldiers from across New Zealand, Niue and Rarotonga.
In 1919 Fort Takapuna’s Camp Hospital quarantined flu victims, and after WWII it served as a maternity ward.
Fort Takapuna was the only coast defense in continuous operation in Auckland during WWII, a vital part of New Zealand’s protection. The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps worked the fort’s guns, searchlights, and hospital from 1942.
Enduring pursuits
The Royal New Zealand Navy has occupied the site since 1963, with the Officer and Trade Training Schools still in action.
Over its modern 140 year history, Fort Takapuna has stood at the centre of development for New Zealand’s’ defensive technology.
Further reading
More about the history of Fort Takapuna.
