One of our favourite community spaces and heritage buildings – Remuera Library – is 100 years old!
This month’s anniversary was celebrated with speeches, cake, balloons, live music courtesy of New Zealand Defence Force’s jazz band, and children’s entertainment. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei opened the festivities with a karakia and mihi.
“As the whakataukī reminds us: Ka mua, ka muri – We walk backwards into the future, guided by the wisdom of those who came before. This feels especially fitting as we celebrate a century of history while looking ahead to the next hundred years,” says Sarah Powrie, Ōrākei Local Board chair.
“Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to Remuera Library's remarkable 100-year journey. May it continue to inspire learning, curiosity, and connection for generations to come.”
Remuera Library was built in 1926, in the Neo-Georgian Classical style of architecture, and opened to the public on the 31 July that year.
It most recently had seismic strengthening work and a small refresh completed in 2025, future proofing it for years to come.
“We like to think of this place as a community hub, a central meeting place, a warm and welcoming space for anyone who enters our doors,” says Sue Jackson, Remuera Library manager.
“A place of learning, connection, socialising and recreation – a place to be in the presence of others.”
Remuera Library centenary celebration with woven tukutuku panels on the wall.
To mark the significant milestone, Ōrākei Local Board commissioned three tukutuku panels which are now displayed in the library.
Tukutuku is a collective art form grounded in partnership, communication, and shared responsibility. These panels were created through a collective process, bringing together Te Puāwai weavers (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei) and community members.
The panels were designed specifically for this place and acknowledge Remuera by its original te reo Māori name, Remu wera, meaning “burnt edge” or “burnt hem.”
Local histories tell of a visiting chieftainess who was killed and placed in an umu (earth oven) while still wearing her piupiu (harakeke / flax skirt), its hem scorched by fire. Other traditions speak more broadly of a burnt edge of a cloak, marking a significant event near Ōhinerau (Mt Hobson). These histories are embedded in the patterns and materials of the panel.
More about the tukutuku panels can be found in this video.
Remuera Library in the late 1920s, from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 35-R0071.
Stay up to date
Sign up for the Ōrākei Local Board e-news and get the monthly update straight to your inbox, or follow us on Facebook.