The Auckland Stories mobile app presents an opportunity for people to immerse themselves in vivid stories of how Māori and European history has shaped Puketāpapa’s unique identity.
“The Three Kings Heritage Trail is a great way to spend an afternoon, exploring one of our oldest neighbourhoods. Using the app makes our heritage places more accessible to more people, especially with options for people who may be visually or hearing impaired,” says Puketāpapa Local Board Chair Julie Fairey.
People can expect interesting yarns on the Three Kings Heritage Trail, such as what eventually spelled the end of Three Kings pump house in 1922 (spoiler: a typhoid outbreak). After it closed, the building then transformed into Mt. Roskill’s first Community Kitchen Hall.
How did gorgeous Edwardian and Italianate style architecture come to our area in the early 1900s? Around the same time in 1927, how did the local community advocate for a local fire station to be built at the cost £3111? Years later, in 2009 the old fire station was put on the market when the new one was built on Dominion road at a cost of 4.9 million dollars.
Each of the 16 stops on the Three Kings Heritage Trail provides a fascinating account of changing times. As our area is constantly changing, it can be seen as frequently altered with the old and new co-existing.
The Three Kings Heritage Trail is available on Auckland Stories thanks to funding from Puketāpapa Local Board.
“Three Kings has a rich history, including the stories of tangata whenua from before Europeans arrived, and we hope the heritage trail and the App will be useful for locals and visitors alike,” says Chair Fairey.
The Three Kings Heritage Trail is 7 kms long and takes about 2 hours 30 mins to complete.
Download the App for free from the Apple Store, Google Play or the Auckland Stories website.
Other Auckland heritage trails can be found on Auckland Stories too. People can categorise their tours by place, theme, or anything else they want and even add a custom map or trigger audio or immersive, location-specific content.
It’s an interactive platform where people can make changes to their content and have a rich experience with audio, images, and video.
