The University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau is in Downtown Auckland, mainly between Princes Street and Grafton Gully. The Māori name was provided by Ngāto Whatua in 2021 and is an appeal to achieve excellence by many in the historic Waipapa location.
It was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The original buildings and grounds, including the historic Clock Tower, are on Princes Street opposite Albert Park and several historic merchants' houses. The original grounds incorporated Auckland’s Government House, presumably underused after the capital moved to Wellington in 1865.
Since its establishment, the university has expanded considerably to the south and east of the original precinct. It has eight faculties, two research institutes, the Elam School of Fine Arts, and various other institutes and centres. The university includes a business school and a medical school in Grafton, and there is a significant development site on Khyber Pass in Newmarket. With 43,000 students, it is the largest in NZ by enrollment, and the city campus takes up four large city blocks, occupied mainly by high-rise buildings.
Even to many students, the oasis provided by the original grounds has yet to be discovered. The grounds around the clock tower and Government House are now beautiful gardens with grassed areas and large exotic trees, many of which were planted when it was a seat of government. More recent plantings show the shift in sensibility in favour of native trees and shrubs. Other sites include the modernist MacLaurin Chapel and the cute Lodge building in the northwest corner of the gardens. On Princes Street, south of the clock tower, there is also the historic Alfred Nathan House.
The gardens make an excellent addition to a walk along the east side of Downtown, taking in Albert Park. They are quiet and perfect for an escape from the city. In addition, the historic buildings, including the merchant houses on Princes Street, are amongst the best survivors of Auckland’s early history. You will also find a map within the gardens that names and locates the many plants.
AUT, another Auckland university with less history, is next door to Auckland University on the south side of Wellesley Street.
