The Limeburners

In a burnt form, lime was the key ingredient in mortar.The stone is coarsely broken and loaded with a suitable fuel into a vertical kiln, then fired from the air intake at the bottom, and allowed to burn out over a period of days. The five lime kilns in Kowhai Park survive as a fitting monument to NZ's first chemical industry, of which the limeburners of the River were an important part. Their proximity by water to Auckland ensured that they contributed substantially to the building of the city.