Drury: Waterways, railway history and places of remembrance

Drury offers several historical points of interest for a trip: waterways, early railway history and different forms of remembrance. The events range from the military camp of 1855 to a memorial stone unveiled in 2012. If you would like to focus primarily on the history of the area during your stay, these different themes may influence your choice of search location for holiday accommodation.

Waterways and early railways

In 1861, construction began in Drury on a horse-drawn tramway from the harbour to a coal mine. It was the first railway on the North Island. Its construction led to the establishment of a railway line between Auckland and Drury.

Waterways are also part of the area's history: in the past, they provided access between Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato. The name Opāheke has its own geographical connection. Opāheke was named after the Opāheke Papakāinga and the pā at the confluence of Otuwairoa (Slippery Creek) and Drury Creek. The names of the waterways and the pā locate this historical connection more precisely. Together, these transport and place references offer insight into different aspects of regional history, without needing to combine them into a single route or shared itinerary.

Remembering different events

The memorials in Drury commemorate different contexts and points in time. The 1st Waikato Regiment Memorial was erected in 1867 for militia members and volunteers who fell in the Battle of Titi Hill on 23 October 1863. It is next to a memorial stone unveiled on 6 June 2012 in the churchyard of St John’s Anglican Church. The stone commemorates nine soldiers of the New Zealand Wars who died between 1862 and 1864 for non-combat reasons, in accidents or from illness.

Another date in the area's history of remembrance is 25 April 1922. On that day, Prime Minister W. F. Massey unveiled the Drury-Runciman War Memorial.

St John’s Church (Anglican), at 9 Cameron Place and Norrie Road, is a Category 2 historic place. The church is not open to the public. This restriction is important when planning your trip: the church cannot be planned as a publicly accessible place to visit. The memorial stone is in its churchyard.

Drury as a possible search location

For a local, everyday connection, Roma Coffee Roasters has a branch in Drury at 257 Great South Road. If Drury’s history and its different places of remembrance are what matter most to you, you can consider Drury as a possible location when searching for holiday accommodation. If, on the other hand, you would like to include other destinations in your travel plans, the following places may also be of interest.

More destinations

Newmarket, Parakai, Pukekohe, Port Waikato, Matakana, Great Barrier Island, Takanini and Ellerslie.

For the broader travel overview: Auckland.