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Western Springs Pumping Station

Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Auckland RegionPreserved beam enginesUse New Zealand English from April 2025Western Springs (Auckland suburb)
Western Springs Pumping Station
Western Springs Pumping Station

The Western Springs Pumping Station, located in the Auckland suburb of Western Springs, was constructed between March 1875 and March 1877. It was formally opened by the Auckland City Council on 10 July 1877. The pumping station was commissioned by the Auckland City Council to pump water for Auckland's first major public water supply system. A twin beam engine, supplied with steam by four Lancashire boilers, was housed in brick buildings. The pumping station remained in regular use until the late 1920s when the Auckland water supply was shifted to a series of dams in the Waitākere Ranges. The station was officially decommissioned in 1936. The pumping station buildings and beam engine were gifted to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) with the formation of the museum in the early 1960s to preserve the site and act as the museum's first buildings. Restoration of the beam engine began in 1964 and continued in stages over the following 44 years, returning it to an operational state. The restored beam engine was officially opened by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark on 19 April 2008. As well as the beam engine, the site now houses several other operational historic steam engines. The Western Springs pumping station is recognised by Pouhere Taonga Heritage New Zealand as a Historic Place Category 1.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Western Springs Pumping Station (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Western Springs Pumping Station
Great North Road, Waitematā Grey Lynn

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Latitude Longitude
N -36.8676 ° E 174.7266 °
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Great North Road
1022 Waitematā, Grey Lynn
Auckland, New Zealand
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Western Springs Pumping Station
Western Springs Pumping Station
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Auckland Zoo
Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is a 16.35-hectare (40-acre) zoological garden in Auckland, New Zealand, situated next to Western Springs Park not far from Auckland's central business district. It is run by the Auckland Council with the Zoological Society of Auckland as a supporting organisation. Auckland Zoo opened in 1922 experiencing early difficulties mainly due to animal health issues. By 1930 a sizeable collection of animals had been assembled and a zoological society formed. The zoo consolidated during the Second World War and was at that time under the leadership of Lt. Col. Sawer. After the war the collection was expanded, and in the 1950s chimpanzees were acquired to provide tea parties for the public's entertainment, but this practice ceased in 1964. In 1973 the zoo expanded into the adjacent Western Springs park. From the late 1980s to the present day, many old exhibits were phased out and replaced by modern enclosures. In 2011 the zoo opened its largest development, Te Wao Nui, which exhibits native New Zealand flora and fauna. The zoo is separated loosely into areas defined by the region of origin of the species exhibited, its taxonomy, or by biome. The zoo plays a part in conservation (mainly of New Zealand species), research and education. It has many modern features such as the New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM). Auckland Zoo is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA), and received ISO 14001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System in 2007.