Victoria Park Market
Encyclopedia
Victoria Park Market is a craft, souvenir and clothing market and retail complex in Auckland
, New Zealand
. It is housed in a former waste
depot and incinerator complex. The Market is located in Freemans Bay
and takes its name from nearby Victoria Park
. As well as a foodcourt and a wide range of shops, the Market houses a museum dedicated to the history of the site, and a Celebrity Walk of Fame, opened in 1984, which features the hand or footprints of famous New Zealanders including Sir Edmund Hillary
, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
, Billy T James, John Walker and Rachel Hunter
.
and part foreshore of Freemans Bay. In the late 1870s the bay was reclaimed, and various commercial and residential buildings were erected. From 1905 to 1918 a series of brickwork
buildings were constructed on the site, initially to deal with the disposal of rubbish from the city. These included a 38m tall chimney. In 1907 work began on a power generator building to use the heat produced by the "Destructor". Although this was finished in 1908, it was found to be inadequate for the city's power demands, and was shut down in 1913. Further additions were made from 1914 to 1918, including double storeyed stabling for the 94 horses used to pull the city's rubbish carts, and council administration offices.
From 1952 the stables were no longer used for their original purpose, and the 'Destructor' ceased operation in 1972, although the complex continued to act as a rubbish collection depot until 1981. The Auckland City Council
originally planned to demolish the complex, but relented following a public campaign. It was converted into a market and retail complex, and alterations were made for this purpose in 1983 and 1990. The complex is a Category I Historic Places under the Historic Places Act 1993
.
A further redevelopment, which would also have seen a removal of the current car parking building at the western end of the market, was planned, but is currently dormant due to the financial crisis of 2008.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is housed in a former waste
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
depot and incinerator complex. The Market is located in Freemans Bay
Freemans Bay
Freemans Bay is the name of a former bay and now inner city suburb of Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. The historical bay was filled in to a large extent, and lost its shoreline to reclamation works...
and takes its name from nearby Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Auckland
Victoria Park is a park and sports ground in Auckland City, New Zealand. It lies on reclaimed bay land in Freemans Bay, a suburb directly west of the Auckland CBD. This origin of the land makes it very flat and level...
. As well as a foodcourt and a wide range of shops, the Market houses a museum dedicated to the history of the site, and a Celebrity Walk of Fame, opened in 1984, which features the hand or footprints of famous New Zealanders including Sir Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
, Billy T James, John Walker and Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
.
Site history
The site of the Victoria Park Market buildings was originally part headlandHeadland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
and part foreshore of Freemans Bay. In the late 1870s the bay was reclaimed, and various commercial and residential buildings were erected. From 1905 to 1918 a series of brickwork
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
buildings were constructed on the site, initially to deal with the disposal of rubbish from the city. These included a 38m tall chimney. In 1907 work began on a power generator building to use the heat produced by the "Destructor". Although this was finished in 1908, it was found to be inadequate for the city's power demands, and was shut down in 1913. Further additions were made from 1914 to 1918, including double storeyed stabling for the 94 horses used to pull the city's rubbish carts, and council administration offices.
From 1952 the stables were no longer used for their original purpose, and the 'Destructor' ceased operation in 1972, although the complex continued to act as a rubbish collection depot until 1981. The Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...
originally planned to demolish the complex, but relented following a public campaign. It was converted into a market and retail complex, and alterations were made for this purpose in 1983 and 1990. The complex is a Category I Historic Places under the Historic Places Act 1993
Historic Places Act 1993
The Historic Places Act 1993 was an Act of the Parliament of New Zealand. It defines the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and its roles of preserving, marking and recording places of historic interest in New Zealand....
.
A further redevelopment, which would also have seen a removal of the current car parking building at the western end of the market, was planned, but is currently dormant due to the financial crisis of 2008.
External links
- Victoria Park Market (official website, currently offline)