HISTORY

History
Hobsonville had its European beginnings as a small, isolated settlement at the head of the Waitemata Harbour. Hobsonville is named after the first Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson (1792-1842) who sailed up the Waitemata Harbour to consider the comparatively level land of the Hobsonville peninsula for a township. After landing by sea at the site, Hobson thought it suitable as the seat of Government for New Zealand but later rejected this on the advice of the Surveyor-General of New Zealand, Felton Matthew, deterred by the shallow water. In 1853, Taiarua and Tinana of Ngāti Whātua transferred the peninsula to the Crown as the Waipareira block. The land comprising the Hobsonville district, about 1000 acres, was cut into 4 blocks and sold off in 1854 and 1855 to T Hamer 3 July 1854, R.O. Clark 3 July 1854, J.W. Bain & J Burt 13 December 1854 and Rev. D Bruce 1 August 1855.
Rice Owen Clark (1816-1896), one of the first European settlers in Hobsonville, was the first to make use of the district's clay deposits, producing hand-made field tiles to drain his farmland. Rice Owen Clark (1816-1896) imported machinery and by the 1890's the resulting company was the largest sanitary pipe works in the Southern Hemisphere. They made a wide range of other products including chimney pots, bends, junctions, building blocks and drinking troughs. This company was the basis of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Co, later Ceramco.
In 1863 Joshua Carder (1816-1895), a Staffordshire trained potter, set up the first commercial works, Waipareira Pottery, using a throwing wheel, and made a variety of products including sewer pipes, crockery insulators, and a variety of ornamental items. Joshua Carder (1816-1895) was the original promoter of the pottery industry in Hobsonville; responsible for the earliest fired clay production at Limeburners Bay.
Mr Carder's two sons later started their own pottery at Hobsonville (Carder Bros.and Co), and others followed including the Ocklestons (J & W Ockleston & Co), and Holland. The site of these major West Auckland brickworks is opposite the Hobsonville Church, down Old Wharf Rd to the water, the area where Brickworks Bay Rd and Vazey Rd now are. The brickworks were in operation from 1863 to 1929. It is one of the country's most important industrial archaeological sites, as well as a valuable part of our colonial heritage.
In all, seven companies operated in the Hobsonville pottery industry, providing work for hundreds of men before local clay deposits were almost exhausted in 1931. .A sideline with many larger brickyards was the burning of shells for lime, for mixing with sand to make mortar for cementing bricks together. Limeburners Bay was so named because of the industry established there to utilise the extensive shell banks at the southern end of the bay. All the land around the Upper Waitemata had been kauri forest before 1800. After 1840 as more settlers arrived, several timber mills were established in the Upper Harbour districts.
Hobsonville Church was built in 1875 as a combined meeting place, church and school incorporating a graveyard in the grounds. Hobsonville was then a thriving community of 25 to 30 houses, with a mixed economy based on brick and pottery production, and farming. Prior to the building being opened for the purpose of a school, the Education Board had granted a teacher a small salary to carry on in the meantime with a small number of pupils in a private cottage on a site just above where the pottery works now stand. School was held in the cottage and then the Church building before Education Board land was obtained in Hobsonville Road for a new school building opening in 1895 (Hobsonville Primary School at its current location 104 Hobsonville Road).
The Church is constructed of kauri, most of it pit sawn, erected by settler and carpenter John Danby (1849-1923). Originally the building had a kauri shingled roof, since replaced by corrugated roofing.
The land for the Church and graveyard was given by Rice Owen Clark (1816-1896), one of the early Hobsonville settlers. The Midgley family, another early settler family, later gave land on their boundary to extend the Church grounds.
After the 1877 Education Act ushered in a national system of free, secular and compulsory education for Pākehā children, the Church was established as a Protestant Trust (non ­denominational) in 1877, and the land was transferred to Trustees, Joshua Carder (1816-1895), R.O. Clark II (1854-1905), Joshua Ockleston (1836-1896), Thomas Scott (1827-1892) and William Sinton (1837-1880).
The Trustees are buried in the graveyard, along with members of other Hobsonville settler families, including Anderson, Boyd, Bridgford, Midgley, Williams and Wiseley.
In the earlier years, it was administered by The Whau Presbyterian Church, Avondale, along with Waikumete, Henderson, Helensville and Titirangi - a punishing round for any Minister on horseback.
The Avondale Presbyterian Board of Managers Report for the year 1896 states: "Hobsonville which has nearly doubled its Roll, has increased from 10 at the end of 1895 to 32 at present."
By the 1920’s Henderson's St. Andrews Presbyterian Church had been upgraded and Hobsonville came under it. In 1940 the two churches were amalgamated, Messrs R. H. and W. Ockleston serving on St. Andrews Session meetings until about 1950.
In 1879, the Hobsonville Public Library was registered under the Public Libraries Powers Act 1875, the library being a tall cupboard standing in the right hand corner of the Church, as one comes in from the front porch.
The Church, as originally built, was 30 feet (approx 9m) by 18 feet (approx 5.4m), plus the porch. The roof was kauri shingles, the external walls kauri weatherboard of slightly varying widths. The saw marks show both circular and straight saws were used. When the additions were made, the added length would have caused the main building to become unstable because there was nothing supporting the side walls, or tying the structure together. Early churches often display external buttressing, or internal bracing, like a ship's hull reversed. The Hobsonville Church had neither of these, so a steel rod was installed across the middle, extending through the walls and threaded at each end. Plate washers were fitted and the nuts then tightened on the outside, holding the walls in and giving the necessary stability. It has worked well, and the Church easily withstood being jacked up and re blocked in 1995 as part of the 1995 - 2000 preservation work.
Hobsonville Church Wikipedia page link here
Historic Resources
'Up the River' Stories of the Settlers of Hobsonville, compiled by Laurel V. North (January 2000), link here. A most useful resource 'intended to commemorate the 125th anniversary [in 2000] of the Church, graveyard and school and honour our forebears who came from afar to start new lives and who are buried here'. Early Days of Hobsonville part 1 by W Ockleston 1952 link here Early Days of Hobsonville part 2 by W Ockleston 1952 link here Hobsonville Church by Eric Ockleston 19 June 1995 link here Hobsonvlle Church - Further memories by E W Ockleston 1 July 1995 link here Hobsonville Properties R.O Clark 1 and Descendants by EW Ockleston with sketch map provided by Percy Midgley 1995 link here The Final Years of the Potteries at Hobsonville - by Ockleston (undated) link here Ceramco Ltd A History of 50 years 1929 - 1979 link here Hobsonville District School Diamond Jubilee Booklet 1875 - 1935 (original held by Ockleston family, AJ Laurenson) link hereHobsonvlle Primary School Centennial Booklet 1875 - 1975 (original held by Ockleston family, AJ Laurenson) link here Hobsonville Church Graveyard Plan surveyed by AJ Ockleston May 1953 link here R.O Clark's Pottery (1864 - 1931) Limeburners Bay, Hobsonville Archaeological Investigation - by Clough & Associates Ltd January 2008 link here Old Identities of Hobsonville photo link here Hobsonville School Attendee list September 7 1899 link here Hobsonville School Attendee list 1880 link here Hobsonville School Attendee list 1881 link here New Zealand Herald, 7 March 1881, Country News, Hobsonville link here Hobsonville District School Diamond Jubilee Ex-Pupils 1875-1934 link here Archaeological Investigation of the Field Cottage and Ockleston House; Authors: Foster, Russell; Felgate, Matthew 2011 link here Hobsonville School Centennial 1875-1975 Photo of Second Oldest Group 1895-1904 link here Hobsonville School Centennial 1875-1975 Photo of Reunion Roll Call 1925-1934 link here Herald Island (also called Woods Island and Pine Island) history link here Hobsonville Hall, opened 1924 link here "They Came To Trade" article from Hobsonville Primary School Centenary booklet 1875-1975 link here Children's Paper Dance, Auckland Star 28 August 1929 link here Hobsonville Church History, Nor West News April 26 2012 link here Hobsonville produced some champion scholars and sportsmen 1975 article link here Some Interesting Firsts link here Oldest Pupils Hobsonville School 1975 Centennial (1875-1975) link here
Notable Trees
Largest Angophora (Sydney red gum) tree in New Zealand, and likely the world, 5 Williams Road link hereOak Tree, 23 Oakpark Place - Wiseley & Carder history link here
Our Soldiers and Service Personnel Graves & Memorials in the graveyard - Lest We Forget
World War 1 Graves & Memorials at the Hobsonville Church & Settlers' Cemetery link here World War 2 Graves & Memorials at the Hobsonville Church & Settlers' Cemetery link here Servicemen not WW1 or WWII Graves & Memorials at the Hobsonville Church & Settlers' Cemetery link here Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) link here
Sexton
Get in touch with Jason Midgley and Kohl Midgley at this link for information on Graves, Burials, Funerals, Ash Memorial Wall, Plaques. Information Sheet on Graves and Ash Wall for descendants of the early settler families buried in the graveyard link here. Many descendants of the nineteenth century inhabitants of Hobsonville have plots set aside, and plans to be interred there when the time comes.Hobsonville Church Graveyard Plan surveyed by AJ Ockleston May 1953 link here.Ash Memorial Wall Plan link here. Ash Memorial Wall plaque allocations link here. Google Earth photo of graveyard link here. We use Silverdale Landscape Services for Sexton services for grave digging. Silverdale Landscape Services burial confirmation checklist link here. One of the Society’s mission is to recognise the historic significance of the cemetery and the settlers' families buried therein by ensuring that to the greatest extent possible descendants of those families be accorded pre-emptive burial rights.
The 1875 Settlers' Cemetery (also called Graveyard or Churchyard)
The earliest recorded burial in the graveyard is in June 1875, being that of a newborn child. An infant son of pottery works owner Walter Carder (1847-1907) might have been buried there a few months earlier. However it is suspected the graveyard may have been in use well before then, given European settlers were living in the district from the mid-1850's it does seem odd that there appear to have been no deaths in the district for 20 years.
There are approximately 50 children buried in Hobsonville Cemetery, the vast majority being under two years of age. Of the adults, a dozen or so died between 20 and 40 years of age, including a number of young married women. However, also represented are an astonishing number of elderly, approximately 65, who reached at least 70 years, and six of whom attained 90 years or better.
One of the Society’s mission is to recognise the historic significance of the cemetery and the settlers' families buried therein by ensuring that to the greatest extent possible descendants of those families be accorded pre-emptive burial rights.
A walk through the graveyard reflects the strong connection Hobsonville had to the brick and pottery making industry, with the graveyard monuments commemorating significant ceramic manufacturers, including Clark, Carder and Vazey, and other Hobsonville potters including Cater, Holland and Ockleston.
Unknown Graves
We have a number of graves that we don't know who are buried in them. We also had people we knew are buried but we didn't know where in the graveyard. In April 2024 Dr Hans-Dieter Bader, an archaeologist from Archaeology Solutions Ltd surveyed part of the graveyard, walking areas of possible unmarked graves using ground penetrating radar and found 9 grave plots that we didn't know about. A couple of these newly found grave plots are likely children. We have marked these unknown peoples' graves with plaques. We are yet to survey the remaining half of the graveyard, including the Scott Road side of the Churchyard for more unknown gravesites.
Triangle Reserve history
“I thought there was always supposed to be a park planned for opposite the Church on the old triangle? Now there is just housing. What happened?” In 2018 Auckland Council decided not to allow a small park opposite the Church that had always been set aside by previous Council’s for a reserve. Explanation attached at this link Hobsonville Point Buckley B Precinct Framework Plan 31 August 2016 link Agenda Auckland Council Finance & Performance Committee 27 February 2018 link
Sightline to Church May 2022 Sightline to Church October 2017
Family Tree Circles Geneaology list of people buried in graveyard links below.The list not up to date but is very informative with interesting family history included. Note the Family Tree Circles internet page for Hobsonville Cemetery has been hacked, and you can't currently access the pages. Use the pdf links below to access the Family Tree Circles Geneaology information for the Hobsonville Settlers Church graveyard. Andersen - Dunlop link hereEllice - North link hereOckleston - Yates link here
Family Histories of Graves and Early Settler Families
Please email us at this link if you would like to contribute to your family history bios.
Anderson/Andersen related to Simpson, Midgley, Sinton, Clark, Hagan, Holliday, Apps Anderson Bruce related to Simpson, Midgley, Sinton, Clark, Hagan, Holliday, Apps Andrews related to Sinton, Gunn, Wallace, Anderson, Holliday, Birch Anderton related to Midgley, Andersen Armistead related to Hagan, Sattleday, Andersen, Bridgford, Connor, McRae, Sinton, Gunn Beggs related to Boyd Bennett related to Cane, Bridgford, Dunlop, Holland Bernecker related to Gregory, Freeman Boyd related to Gunn, Wallace, Robinson Boyd John and Jane related to Gunn, Wallace Boyd Private John George biography related to Gunn, Wallace Bridgford related to Ockleston, Sinton, McRae Brown Dulcie and her Will Bulmer Davis Burrows related to Fortes Cane related to Bennett, Bridgford, Fawkner Carder Joshua and Hannah related to Vazey, Alice Lindsay, Wiseley Cater George Thomas related to Clark, Scott, Smith, Bailey, Plasmeyer Cater Thomas related to Clark, Scott, Smith, Bailey, Plasmeyer Clark Rice Owen related to Cater, Midgley, Andersen, Scott, Dorricott Clark Bigamy Case Connor related to Hagan, Sattleday, Andersen, Bridgford, Armistead, McRae, Sinton, Gunn, Millar, Lowe Crisp George Arthur Danby John related to Carder Ellice Harris John Emm related to Smith Field Amy Felgate Benjamin related to Clark Ferguson Duncan and his Death Certificate Fortes related to Burrows, O'Dea Freeman related to Gregory, Bernecker Gunn related to Bridgford, Armistead, Connor, Sinton, Boyd, Scott, Cater, Ockleston, Clark Hagan related to Sattleday, Andersen, Bridgford, Connor, McRae, Sinton, Gunn, Armistead Hanlen related to Waller Harre Lloyd & Lois Harris related to Ockleston, Sims Holland related to Bennett Holliday related to Gunn, Andersen, Sinton Jamieson related to Midgley, Anderson, Sinton Jonkers related to Parr, Midgley, Anderson
Kennedy related to Hagan Laurenson related to Ockleston, Scott, Sinton, Sims, Harris, Gutry, Seakins, Wyber, OgilvieLindsay Alice related to Carder, Vazey, Wiseley Lucena related to Sinton, Ockleston, Bridgford Luckens (not buried in graveyard), Luckens History by Danehill Parish Historical SocietyLuke related to Clark McLeod Norman and BarbaraMcNeil McRae related to Armistead, Hagan, Sattleday, Andersen, Bridgford, Connor, Sinton, Gunn Midgley Edmund Sager related to Clark, Andersen, Holliday, Sinton, Hagan, Anderton, Jamieson Midgley Joseph Miller Ellen related to Clark, Gardner, Midgley, Dorricott, Cater, Scott, Harré, Bayly Mills Mitchell Nicklin related to McRae, Bridgford, Hagan More Rev James North related to Boyd, Gunn, Wallace, GuestOckleston Joshua related to Scott, Sinton, Sims, Harris, Laurenson, Gutry, Seakins, Wyber, Ogilvie Parr related to Jonkers, Midgley, Anderson Rowe (not buried in graveyard) related to Scott Scott related to Clark, Ockleston, Carder, Gunn, Cater, Bailey, Plasmeyer Simpson related to Anderson, Apps, Holliday Sinton Lucena related to Ockleston, Bridgford Sinton Maria and William related to Clark, Thomson, McKenzie, Wallace Sinton related to North, Woods-Child Smith related to Emm Strawbridge related to Williams, Moylan Thompson related to Waller Vazey Emma related to Carder, Wiseley, Danby Wallace related to Sinton, Nicklin, Wiseley, North Waller Keith related to Thompson Watts Williams related to Strawbridge, Moylan Wiseley related to Carder, Vazey, Lindsay, Scott, Armstrong, Wallace, Sinton, Thompson, Waller Woods-Child related to Sinton, North Yates
120th Jubilee 1875 - 1995 Inauguration of The Preservation Society held on 30 July 1995
At the Inauguration of The Hobsonville Church & Settlers Cemetery Preservation Society on 30 July 1995, Mrs Olive Thomson nee Sinton (1905-2005) cut the 120th Jubilee cake. Mrs Valmai Ockleston (1909-2001) and Sir Tom Clark (1916-2005) each planted a commemorative kahikatea tree which now grow either side of our front entrance gates, marked by commemorative plaques. Photo: David Clark Harré (1938-2018) and Geoff Ockleston assist Mrs Valmai Ockleston (1909-2001) and Sir Tom Clark (1916-2005).
Renovations 1995-2000 by small group of volunteers made up of descendants of the original settlers
After years of neglect and disuse the building fell into severe disrepair and the tombstones in the cemetery had been badly vandalised.
In 1995, a small group of volunteers made up of descendants of the original settlers in the area, got together and decided to bring the building and grounds back to their original glory for the people of Hobsonville and the surrounding district. This small dedicated group set about the five year restoration project (1995-2000) with great enthusiasm and held working bees every fortnight for over five years, repiling, reroofing, respouting, repainting, rebuilding the front porch, replacing the windows and clearing the surrounding grounds.
Below Left to Right: *Laurel North and her brother Jack North (1927-2015) next to the Church Restoration sign in June 1998 *Geoff Ockleston, Sue Robinson (Boyd) and Jenny Gutry (Ockleston) *Percy Midgley (1917-2008), Jason Midgley on tractor, in 1995
Below Left to Right: *Isobel Midgley (Jamieson) (1925-2020) and her brother Wally Jamieson (1927-2001) *Dawne Laurenson (Ockleston) and Wally Jamieson (1927-2001) in June 1999 *Cedric Wiseley (1923-2012), Sue Robinson (Boyd), Owen Petch (1928-2024), Judith Anderson Photo taken April 1999
Below Left to Right: *Graeme Laurenson (1938-2010) and Bruce Anderson (1948-2023) Mulch all spread, half of tarseal removed, 30 October 1998 *Bruce Anderson (1948-2023) and Geoff Ockleston on scaffolding, 25 October 1997 *Trevor Smith (1930-2020), Kenneth Child and Ross Swenson (1924-1998) 25 October 1997 *Volunteers cleaning up graveyard
All the materials and expertise were generously donated by local firms and the work was done by volunteers. During preservation work between 1995 and 2000, most of the building proved to be sound. The entrance gates are the original 1940's Hobsonville School gates, painted in Pioneer Red colour.
1999-2000 Preservation Society Committee
Bruce Anderson (1948-2023), Geoff Ockleston, Sue Robinson (Boyd), Laurel North, Kevin Farley, Owen Freeman, Jenny Gutry (Ockleston), Percy Midgley (1917-2008), Cedric Wiseley (1923-2012)Sexton: Graeme Laurenson (Ockleston) (1938-2010) Photo below taken 9 April 2000 Absent Percy Midgley (1917-2008)
125th Jubilee 1875-2000 held on 9 April 2000
On 9 April 2000, the 125 year anniversary was held to celebrate the returning of this historically very important asset to its original state and the upgrade of the cemetery where members of many pioneer families are buried.
The Hobsonville Church & Settlers’ Cemetery Preservation Society Chair Bruce Anderson (1948-2023) welcomed around 150 guests, with musical performances from Hobsonville School and Miriam Brooke, accompanied by Zita Horsley (1923-2008), Plaque unveiling by Joe Midgley (1950-2024) as Percy Midgley (1917-2008) could not attend, a Dedication by Reverend Stuart Lange, Address by Sir Tom Clark (1916-2005), Bell Ringing by Eric Ockleston (1911-2008), then guests were invited to view the Church & Cemetery. Hard Work and TLC - Western Leader article (published around 1997) link here Hobsonville Church Dedication Booklet 9 April 2000 link here
Renovations 2017
In 2017 The Hobsonville Heritage Trust provided most generous financial support in renovation work of the Church building and grounds including the repainting of the exterior, interior and roof of the Church, replacement of rotten weatherboards, new flashings, a fire sprinkler system, and the landscaping of the grounds. A large portion of the Heritage Trust fund came from the Waitakere City Council to the Heritage Trust for the Charitable Purpose: "To promote education, to protect and conserve historic buildings & sites in the Hobsonville area and promote education of the history within the area." We are very grateful to The Hobsonville Heritage Trust for this fantastic renewal and refresh of the building and grounds. Photo below taken outside the Church, October 2017 Hobsonville Heritage Trust Trustees, Bryan Heron MNZM (1933-2024), Patricia Heron, Ross Dallow MNZM, QPM (1937-2020)
Renovations April 2022
In April 2022 The Plant People undertook a terrific upgrade and refresh of the Church grounds, with funding by Angela Laurenson. Angela's great-great-grandfather Joshua Ockleston (1836-1896), one of the first five Hobsonville settlers, was an original Trustee of the Church. Works included a new temporary walkway fence erected on the Scott Road southern boundary (replacing the temporary AT orange net fencing), removal of the old post and wire fence on the eastern boundary, waterblasting of fences, fence painting, new aggregate and shell pathway and a new garden bed and irrigation system installed around the building, park seats installed on concrete bases, front gate bollard, weeding and spraying of graveplots, new shell on gravebeds, a garden shed and Church sign erected. Photos: April 2022 upgrade and refresh of the Church grounds