52-657: The Parnell Tunnel is a railway tunnel under Parnell , Auckland , New Zealand. It is 344.5 metres (1,130 ft) long, and is on the Newmarket Line . The tunnel allows the Western and Southern lines coming from Newmarket Train Station to Waitematā railway station to pass under the Parnell Ridge before dropping to harbour level. There are two Parnell Tunnels, an older now unused single-track tunnel and
104-463: A battle between Waiōhua and Ngāti Whātua where Waiohua warriors goaded Ngāti Whātua to attack using mocking chants. This was one of the final strongholds of this iwi before it was taken by Ngāti Whātua in the 1740s, when twin brother chiefs Humataitai and Hupipi were defeated by Ngāti Whātua. Prior to European settlement, Parnell was occupied by Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei . The Domain was known as Pukekawa, which translates to 'hill of bitter memories.' This
156-407: A double-track line at the northern end, was creating significant 'delay, discomfort and danger'. When in 1905 the government declared that the line on the southern side would be duplicated to Penrose , many Aucklanders reacted angrily when it was later clarified that this would not include a tunnel duplication. The Minister of Railways , Joseph Ward , argued that his staff had convinced him that it
208-563: A length of over 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi). The gradient is mainly 1 in 33, and the Otira end of the tunnel is over 250 m (820 ft) lower than the Arthur's Pass end. Construction commenced in 1907 and a "breakthrough" celebration was held on 21 August 1918 by the Minister of Public Works Sir William Fraser . When the tunnel opened on 4 August 1923, it was the seventh longest tunnel in
260-546: A newer double-track tunnel which superseded it. The older tunnel was closed off and has not been in use for most of the last century. The older tunnel, originally intended in part to provide a connection to Drury for the New Zealand Wars , has been lauded as having enabled the first public railway line in Auckland, and opening the city up to the wider New Zealand. The first tunnel shaft was constructed as part of
312-430: A number of 19th-century houses, most of them now used by law firms, accountancy firms, shops, and a few restaurants. The lower part of Parnell has a larger concentration of Edwardian retail buildings, including a number of fashionable boutiques, nightclubs and bars. The streets to each side of Parnell Road remain mainly residential in character, with some townhouses and apartments, especially towards St Georges Bay Road. At
364-649: A population of 7,563 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 471 people (6.6%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 1,044 people (16.0%) since the 2006 census . There were 3,021 households, comprising 3,627 males and 3,933 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 756 people (10.0%) aged under 15 years, 2,145 (28.4%) aged 15 to 29, 3,597 (47.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,065 (14.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 77.2% European/ Pākehā , 4.8% Māori , 2.1% Pacific peoples , 19.3% Asian , and 4.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
416-620: A roll of 1847 as of August 2024. Parnell District School is a state full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of 533 as of August 2024. Both these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of August 2024. Otira Tunnel The Otira Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Midland Line in the South Island of New Zealand, between Otira and Arthur's Pass . It runs under the Southern Alps from Arthur's Pass to Otira –
468-610: A station in 2003 when Britomart Transport Centre became the new Auckland terminus at the former Queen Street site. Parnell has several parks and reserves. Until 2017 Parnell never had a dedicated railway station. Parnell Railway Station was opened to the public in March 2017. It serves the Western and Southern Lines. It was built near the Mainline Steam Depot at the west of the Parnell commercial area, and north of
520-546: A train started. The estimated total energy was 1,029,000 kWh (kilowatt hours) per annum plus 10% for train lighting and loco controls and 160,000 kWh for workshops and villages at Arthur’s Pass and Otira. In 1941 the power plant was replaced by a mercury arc rectifier station at the Otira portal using power supplied from the Lake Coleridge Power Station by an 11 kV line. In the 1970s the mercury arc rectifiers were replaced by silicon diode rectifiers and
572-543: Is in reference to the battles that occurred between Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whatua during the Musket Wars . The Government acquired the area from Ngāti Whātua as part of a 3,000-acre (12 km ) land deal in 1840. Robert Tod purchased 3 acres (1.2 ha) from the Government on 1 September 1841. He quickly subdivided it into 36 sections, which he advertised for sale on 4 September 1841 as the "Village of Parnell". In
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#1732797421532624-494: Is one of New Zealand's most affluent suburbs, consistently ranked within the top three wealthiest, and is often billed as Auckland's "oldest suburb" since it dates from the earliest days of the European settlement of Auckland in 1841. It is characterised by its mix of tree-lined streets with large estates; redeveloped industrial zones with Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas; and its hilly topography that allows for views of
676-551: The EO class , then from 1968 the EA class . In 1988, trials began using DX class locomotives instead of electric locomotives. While the trials were unsuccessful, it was found in trials held in 1991 that upgrading the DX locomotives with new air intakes and putting extraction fans on the Otira end of the tunnel could allow for the replacement of the electrification. Because of the increasing age of
728-565: The Parnell Tunnel , which has been located beneath the suburb since 1873. Parnell lies within easy reach of two universities ( University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology ) and of some significant State secondary schools: Auckland Grammar School , Epsom Girls' Grammar School , St Peter's College and Baradene College of the Sacred Heart . ACG Parnell College is a private composite school (years 1–13) with
780-812: The Imperial Government requested that work should continue in case the German navy blockaded the West Coast ports used for coal shipment. The breakthrough was on 20 July 1918, but concrete lining took a further three years, and then two more years before the tunnel opened. There were eight fatalities during construction. Its opening was marked by the British and Intercolonial Exhibition . The tunnel dimensions were 4.72 metres (15 ft 6 in) high and 4.27 metres (14 ft 0 in) wide at rail level, increasing to 4.57 metres (15 ft 0 in) at
832-633: The National Electric Company of New York, and English Electric of London; English Electric obtained the order for five locomotives plus a battery-powered shunting locomotive No E1 (which was scrapped in 1930 because of the cost of storage batteries), plus power plant and overhead catenary (14 km main line plus 8 km of yard sidings). The coal-fired power plant of 3,000 kW output was for a maximum load of 1,500 kW averaged over half an hour with peaks up to 1,875 kW. The boilers had to build up from low pressure to maximum in 2 to 3 minutes when
884-447: The bottom of Parnell Rise runs Beach Road, so-called because it ran around the beach-front of the now-reclaimed Mechanics Bay and Official Bay . St Georges Bay disappeared at the same time. Here stands the former Auckland Railway Station , an impressive brick 1930 structure, designed by Gummer and Ford . The City Fathers relocated the Auckland train terminus here from the bottom of Queen Street in 1930. The building ceased to operate as
936-426: The coming electrification of the Auckland rail network . Stormwater drainage was also improved as part of the work, with the insufficient quality of the drains (and the earlier attempts to fix them) having forced authorities to place speed restrictions on the tunnel in the past. During its long history, the tunnel and the immediate area saw a number of significant incidents, including a number of deaths. The tunnel and
988-528: The double catenary overhead was replaced by a single catenary. In 1916 the option of electrifying the 100 km from Jacksons to Springfield had been considered, and with increased coal traffic in the 1950s and the 1970s (?) electrification to Jacksons or even Moana was considered. In the 1950s possibly at 25kV 50 Hz and later using surplus EF class locomotives from the NIMT converted to 11 kV operation. But none of these plans proceeded. Locomotives used were first
1040-481: The duplication from Newmarket to Penrose Train Station still pending, duplication of the tunnel via this scheme would not be seemly. In 1910, with Ward having become New Zealand's 17th Prime Minister – and with the Newmarket-Penrose side of the tunnel now also duplicated – Clr Mackay of Auckland City Council resurrected the old pledge made by Ward. Newspapers of the time noted that while the duplication
1092-533: The early 1830s Tod had supplied copies of the Bible to a Plymouth Brethren mission in Baghdad, one of whose members was John Vesey Parnell . Streets in the village of Parnell were named Groves, Cronin and Calman after other missionaries to Baghdad, Anthony Norris Groves , Edward Cronin and Erasmus Scott Calman . These were later renamed Eglon, Fox and Marston Streets. The Borough of Parnell, established in 1877,
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#17327974215321144-412: The early 1970s the suburb became rather dilapidated. Les Harvey, a local businessman, bought up several properties cheaply and created "Parnell Village", encouraging others to follow his lead. This revitalised the area as a weekend tourist shopping destination. This involved Parnell re-inventing itself as a set of "Ye Olde Worlde Shoppes". As many other Victorian buildings underwent demolition in Auckland at
1196-592: The electric plant and the availability of upgraded DX class diesel locomotives, the electrification was decommissioned in 1997 and the equipment removed. This marked the end of electrification in the South Island. To overcome the fume problem, a combination of a door and fans are used, similar to that used in the Cascade Tunnel in the United States of America, which was also once electrified. After
1248-513: The fugitive had taken refuge there. A train entered the tunnel from the CBD side while the search party was in the tunnel, and though the policemen quickly moved onto the opposing track, the concurrent appearance of a speedy train from the Newmarket side forced them to take whatever shelter they could on the floor of the tunnel or pressed against the tunnel sides. During the passage of the train, one of
1300-517: The government did not favour the Fell system as used on the Rimutaka Incline which was expensive to operate. After taking over the line the government decided in 1900 on a 10 km long straight tunnel with a gradient of 1 in 37, but after expert advice opted two years later for an 8.55 km tunnel at the slightly steeper gradient of 1 in 33. A contract to build the tunnel in five years
1352-626: The initial construction of the line. However, works took a very long time – 9 years – having started in 1864. This was partly due to funding issues, but also due to a massive land slip which occurred at the northern end, with investigation of the causes and removal of the slip holding up the works for a long time. After the tunnel was pierced through in June 1872, work speeded up and it was finished in February 1873. The first tunnel and its approach were relatively steep, often requiring double engines to pull
1404-544: The lack of unanimous agreement – and because the Railways Department argued the tunnel could take twice the traffic using it at the time – duplication was again declined. However, there was considerable discontent in Auckland during the 1900s and 1910s that the government was proceeding with major tunneling works in the South Island, such as at the Otira Tunnel to Arthur's Pass , while arguing that there
1456-413: The policemen, Constable Begg, was struck, receiving arm, leg and head injuries from some part of the undercarriage of the train, and died subsequently in hospital. Later in 1926, a railway worker was killed within the tunnel, again having been struck by a train and sustained leg and head injuries. He died from them the next day. His death was ruled an accident, as he should not have entered the tunnel until
1508-635: The port, the Waitematā Harbour , Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Domain . To its west lies the Auckland Domain , to the south Newmarket , and to the north the Ports of Auckland . Parnell Rise and Parnell Road make up the main road through Parnell. Parnell Rise leads to the central business district to the west; Parnell Road runs from Parnell Rise uphill to the top of the suburb, and then bends almost 90 degrees and continues towards Newmarket in
1560-561: The railway from Auckland Railway Station to the Newmarket Workshops also increased pressure to ensure the duplication. A new tunnel, able to carry a double set of tracks, was finally built over the 1914–1915 period. The first preparatory works occurred around April 1914, widening the approaches to the tunnel, and the first air shaft connecting the two drives was pierced through in January 1915. From initially 50 people,
1612-461: The same general location from a train on which he was being brought to stand trial in Rotorua. The prisoner had been allowed to enter a lavatory without handcuffs once the train had entered the tunnel, and attacked his guard with a kick, allowing him to lock the lavatory door and subsequently smash open the window. A police search party was organised which eventually entered the tunnel to check whether
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1664-411: The smoke (of a previous train) had cleared. In 1929, a naval prisoner being escorted on a train made an escape through a window while the train taking him to Wellington made its slow way up the incline leading to the tunnel on the northern side, a case very similar to the 1921 and 1926 escapes. Parnell, New Zealand Parnell ( Māori : Panēra ) is a suburb of Auckland , New Zealand. It
1716-492: The south-east. Parnell Road ends at the intersection of George and Sarawia Streets, where it becomes Broadway. Early European settlers knew Parnell Road as "Manukau Road" until well after the formation of Khyber Pass Road in 1845. The Parnell area has a long history of settlement by Tāmaki Māori . Point Resolution was the location of Taurarua pā, occupied by the Waiōhua confederation. The name Taurarua ("annoying chant") refers to
1768-402: The steep slow-speed slope leading up to the tunnel from the north, surrounded by thick vegetation, was also known for prisoners escaping from trains on which they were being transported. In 1907, a young bank teller apparently lost his footing while crossing from one carriage to another, and was later found dead in the tunnel. In 1915, a railway worker was killed when accidentally stepping onto
1820-610: The time, period materials became available cheaply, and the buildings of Parnell village emerged altered, extended and tarted up in a somewhat fanciful but fun ersatz Victorian style . Much of this restyling remains in evidence within Parnell Village and around the Parnell Road shopping area, partly because of the ongoing ownership of the Harvey family's company, City Construction. Along the upper part of Parnell Road stand
1872-411: The track near the tunnel portal. In 1920, a woman fell from a train carriage near the tunnel entry, and was run over by the train, dying eight days later. In 1921, a prisoner escaped through a lavatory window while the train was making its way up the hill near the northern portal of the tunnel, and made his getaway successfully. He was recaptured three weeks later. In 1926, another prisoner escaped in
1924-406: The trains and there are records of the "inconvenient habit" of some "well-loaded" passenger trains coming to a standstill on the gradient in the tunnel. The tunnel was also apparently known for forcing large amounts of steam locomotive fumes into the passenger coaches. During events like Cup Day at Ellerslie Racecourse , when extra trains needed to be provided for the large numbers of travellers (with
1976-403: The trains often composed of open cattle trucks) the sparks thrown by the locomotives tended to rebound into open carriages, often causing burn holes in passengers' clothing. The newspapers of the time often commented on this in sarcastic form. Due to these drawbacks, after construction of the second tunnel, the old tunnel was quickly demoted to only serve for shunting and non-passenger traffic and
2028-481: The tunnel should be duplicated. There was also a perception by the minister of the day that additional freight traffic generated by the North Auckland Line would not be worth considering as an argument for the tunnel, as it would be extremely limited. While duplication was finally noted as 'definitely agreed' in 1912, funding was not immediately found. However, the impending move of the engine sheds for
2080-428: The widest point. Because of its length and gradient, gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide could easily build up, potentially making the tunnel both unhealthy for the train's occupants and unworkable with steam engines. Hence the tunnel was electrified with a 1500 V DC overhead system . Tenders for electrification of the 14 km Otira-Arthur’s Pass section through the tunnel were received in 1920 from
2132-405: The workforce had by then expanded to 140. Approximately 25,000 cubic yards of earth were removed for the tunnel, for a shaft 25feet 9 inch wide, and 18feet 2 inch high. The walls were constructed in concrete, and almost three quarters of a million bricks were used for the arch, in 4-6 layers. The second tunnel was also constructed to a less challenging gradient than the first. The tunnel
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2184-602: The world and the longest in the British Empire . The Midland Railway Company investigated alternatives to a long tunnel, but a line over the pass with gradients of 1 in 50 on both sides was not practical. Other options for a line over the pass were a cable-hauled system or a line of 1 in 15 gradient using either the Fell system or a rack railway using the Abt system (or even an S-shaped tunnel under Mount Rolleston). However,
2236-564: Was 39.7, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.1% had no religion, 35.6% were Christian , 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs , 1.3% were Hindu , 0.6% were Muslim , 2.0% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 3,384 (49.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 267 (3.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 2,478 people (36.4%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
2288-555: Was amalgamated into the Auckland City Council area in 1913. The Parnell Road Board administered the area before the borough was established. The following served as mayors of the Borough of Parnell until its incorporation into Auckland City: Parnell covers 2.88 km (1.11 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 7,720 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,681 people per km . Parnell had
2340-486: Was certainly necessary, it remained unseemly to bring about the second tunnel in this way, with a "stacked" body of men asking for it, despite the definite way in which Ward had phrased his pledge – leaving him no honourable alternative to now decline it. The 10-man committee was indeed formed in 1910, and apparently investigated in detail, in the face of continuing government resistance. In the end, in 1911, only 7 of them recommended duplication, with 3 opposed. The opposition
2392-417: Was eventually closed fully (sometime after 1930). In World War II, it was temporarily converted into an air-raid shelter for Parnell residents, with baffle gates across the entries to protect against blasts. There is a proposal to re-open this old tunnel to pedestrians and cyclists, as part of cycleway projects in the area. In the 1900s it became increasingly clear that the single-track tunnel, despite having
2444-471: Was immediately lauded for the improvements to rail efficiency and safety, now allowing double tracks over the whole line between Britomart and Penrose. By 1926, about 150 trains were passing through the tunnel each day. In January 2010, the tracks within the Parnell Tunnel were removed during a summer network closure, and the tunnel floor lowered by between 20 and 35 cm, to prepare the tunnel for
2496-625: Was let to the engineering firm of John McLean and Sons who started at the Otira end in 1908, using the "drill and blast" method. With progress difficult and slow McLeans asked to be relieved from the contract in 1912, and were financially ruined (the tunnel cost over twice the contract price of £599,794 ($ 1,200,000). The government could find no other tenderers, so the work was taken over by the Public Works Department . The government considered halting construction in World War I, but
2548-539: Was no funding available for the Parnell Tunnel. Groups like the Auckland Chamber of Commerce lobbied strenuously for the duplication. At the same time, proposals to either take a new line up Grafton Gully , or build a new line via Ōrākei (which was eventually constructed as the Eastern Line ), thus avoiding the almost 1:50 gradient up to the Parnell Tunnel, may have contributed to doubts as to whether
2600-478: Was not [yet] essential to duplicate the tunnel to remediate the delays. However, in a strange twist, he moved at the end of a meeting with a 200-strong citizens deputation that if "ten representative [business]men", selected by the Mayor of Auckland, would traverse the section with him, and then ask for the tunnel duplication, he would be willing to proceed with it. At the time, it seems that Aucklanders agreed that, with
2652-469: Was possibly caused by the concern that the tunnel duplication would prevent a goods shed expansion, and because it had been advised that timetabling could work around the limitations of the single-track tunnel. Government had previously argued that up to 240 trains daily (one every 6 minutes) could be run through the single-track tunnel, and thus, the cost of £35,000-£40,000 for the duplication was not merited when other projects were of greater importance. Due to
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#17327974215322704-576: Was that 3,702 (54.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,014 (14.9%) were part-time, and 219 (3.2%) were unemployed. Parnell forms part of the Epsom Electorate for parliamentary representation. Parnell represents approximately 20% of the population in the electorate. The current Member of Parliament for Epsom, David Seymour , represents ACT New Zealand . Parnell forms part of the Ōrākei Ward within Auckland Council . During
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