Museum

The early attacks on the timberlands of the Mahurangi occurred long before regular settlements began - 20 years at least before Waitangi - the timber-wolves were active in the area. With the birth of Auckland city, all sorts of timber was in great demand. The Mahurangi timber licences at a nominal figure became the centre of the timber trade. John Anderson Brown, the founder Warkworth, established a timber mill there. Timber was wanted for firewood, wharf piles and planking and shipbuilders took the choicest kauri, totara and pohutukawa.