Maungauika North Head juts out into the Waitemata Harbour and overlooks the main shipping lane into Auckland. This location makes this old volcano not just a great scenic spot, but also a very strategic one. No wonder that throughout human history, this area has been used as a defensive stronghold.

The interpretive project intended to highlight the way colonial and post colonial governments have used this area in different historical contexts. At the time of the project negotiations with mana whenua where in full swing - there was no platform for proper partnerships with iwi yet, so our client (DOC), decided to leave the telling of pre-colonial history and the current meaning of the area to mana whenua to a later date. That time has now (2020) come and we’re excited to be part of the next chapter.

More than one war

Most visitors to North Head associate the bunkers, barracks and gun emplacements with the second world war. Not many know that most of the defensive installations go back to earlier times of (expected) conflict, even before the first world war, and that the site was also used as a navy training facility after WWII. All of this needed to be revealed, as well as details of the main gun emplacements and underground tunnels.

Revealing the hidden detail

We chose a classic illustration style to reveal the design of the key gun emplacements. Using three-dimensional projections and cutouts, illustrator Mike Codling managed to create clear overviews of the sites, which were strategically placed to help visitors understand what is hidden underground.

People in context

Behind one of the barracks, in a spot that is not too ‘in your face’, we created a surprising gallery of full-length portraits. These represent the different stages in the use of North Head - from volunteer militia in the 1860s to DOC rangers in the 2010s. The portraits are combined with detailed descriptions of the political context of the time, and the role assigned to the people stationed at North Head. 

Casual welcome

Most people who make their way up to the summit pass by the entrance to the North Emplacement. We used a huge photograph of a group of volunteer soldiers at this location to welcome visitors. Their casual stance reveals a key aspect of the history of North Head: in all the times these defences were in place, very little happened in the way of direct threats or conflicts. Beating boredom and lack of interest was a major issue.

In the tunnels

We created very simple signs for inside the tunnels - naming some of the key features. We designed a fixing system that would create the least amount of damage to the heritage walls.

The disappearing gun model

One of the enduring attractions at North Head is the disappearing gun. This gun dates from xxxx and was designed to be out of sight of enemy ships, so it could not be attacked. It used hydraulics and its own recoil energy to function. The gun itself has been welded in a fixed position for safety reasons, and we decided to create a working scale model in stainless steel to show the amazing movement of the gun. Two of these models were created, in case of damage. The model was placed behind the real gun, so visitors could compare the scale model with the real thing and image how this worked. It was revealed with quite a bit of fanfare in the press.

Literally disappered

Unfortunately this model attracted too much attention - the protective perspex hood was scratched, burned, jumped on and smashed, and the model was thoroughly damaged. After several rounds of repairs, the model was moved into the secure, lockable movie room, where a video about the gun is displayed. 

In our experience it is very difficult to predict if a display will be vandalised. But the fact that this site cannot be locked at night, the appeal of the stunning location and the lack of security at the site have made this one too vulnerable. Still, sometimes it is better to take a risk and experiment - we have had great experience with quite delicate displays at other locations.

In the press…

What we did not do (yet)

As mentioned, the pre-european history of Maungauika has not been covered yet, nor has the story of the impact of colonisation on Mana Whenua, and the vision for the future for this stunning location. These themes will be covered in the next stage of the interpretation at the maunga, under the guidance of the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority Te Mana Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau. (Maunga Authority in short).

Credits

Client: Department of Conservation, Auckland Conservancy - led by Dave Veart
Design: Snapper Graphics - Jan Ramp, Mike Codling (design and illustrations), Alex Stone (text), Jackie O’Brien (Image research)
Sign production and installation: Brave Design