History – Building bridges

At the point on the Mahurangi River where fresh water meets the tidal flow a fierce tribal conflict once took place and the area was named Puhunui, meaning ‘a very big battle’.

John A. Brown, founder of Warkworth, made his home overlooking this part of the river. He saw possibilities in the waterfalls and harnessed the twin streams to run a sawmill on one side and later a flourmill on the opposite bank.

The task of planning a bridge to span the river fell to the Upper Mahurangi Highway Board formed in 1863. With no government help forthcoming, the settlers were thrown on their own resources to make the long talked-of bridge a reality. The wooden structure, situated between the flour and bone mills, opened in 1867 and greatly improved access to the town.

In 1905, Wilson’s Cement Company built a concrete dam below the bridge and, for many years, this was a popular swimming place.

A concrete bridge costing £3,300 was constructed in 1914 and opened with some ceremony. Prime Minister W Massey was among the dignitaries attending. It survives to serve a useful purpose alongside the newest bridge opened in 1971. The main route north continued to meander through the town of Warkworth until the 1950’s when the Brown’s Road bypass was built. Included was a bridge over the Mahurangi at a place where the Bone Mill bridge once stood, until washed away in a flood.