Warkworth () is a town on the

Northland Peninsula The Northland Peninsula, called the North Auckland Peninsula in earlier times, is in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is joined to the rest of the island by the Auckland isthmus, a narrow piece of land between the Waitemat� ...

in the upper

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

of New Zealand. It is in the northern part of the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...

, north of

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

and south of

Whangārei Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the largest settlement of the Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, created in 1989 from the former Whangarei City, Whangarei County and Hikurangi Town councils to admi ...

, at the head of

Mahurangi Harbour Mahurangi Harbour is a natural harbour in New Zealand. It is located on the north-eastern coast of the Auckland Region near the town of Warkworth, and empties into the Hauraki Gulf. Geography The Mahurangi Harbour is a drowned river valle ...

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...

runs past it. Mahurangi Harbour and surrounding area has been settled by

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

since at least the 13th century. As Warkworth is the uppermost navigable point on the

Mahurangi River The Mahurangi River in northern New Zealand flows through the town of Warkworth and into Mahurangi Harbour, which opens into the outer Hauraki Gulf. The Left Branch of the river rises in the Dome and flows through the Dome Valley, while the R ...

, it was a crossroads between overland traffic and waka, and gained the name , referring to the waterfalls on the river. Māori people of the Mahurangi Harbour area moved seasonally between different

kāinga A kāinga ( southern Māori: ''kaika'' or ''kaik'') is the traditional form of village habitation of pre-European Māori in New Zealand. It was unfortified or only lightly fortified, and over time became less important than the well-fortified ...

based on available resources, and came to the dense

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

forests at Puhinui for food resources such as berries and eels, and to fell trees to build waka. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō and Ngāti Manuhiri were active in the Warkworth area. The area was depopulated during the

Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori people, Māori between 1806 and 1845, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an inte ...

of the 1820s, with Te Kawerau hapū taking shelter with differing tribes in the north. Ngāti Rongo returned to the area in 1836, followed by Ngāti Manuhiri in the early 1840s. European settler John Anderson Brown first settled at Warkworth in 1843, establishing a timber mill on the banks of the Mahurangi River. The town was officially established in 1853, and became a hub for timber and shipbuilding industries. The town became a hub for the Wilsons Cement Works in 1884. By the 1930s, as roads improved, it transitioned into a commercial and service hub for the surrounding rural area. Warkworth and the surrounding areas was home to over 40

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

camps during World War II. In 1971 the Warkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory was established near the town. The town's population has grown significantly since the mid-2000s.

Etymology

Warkworth was named in 1853 by early settler John Anderson Brown, who took the name from Warkworth in

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, allegedly because the Mahurangi River reminded him of the

River Coquet The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast at Amble. It rises in the Cheviot Hills on the border between England and Scotland, and follows a winding course across the ...

at Warkworth, where a relative of Browns worked as a school headmaster. The major streets of Warkworth were named after villages adjacent to Warkworth in England, or after major Northumbrian families. For ten years prior to this, the area was known as Brown's Mill, after the John Anderson Brown sawmill, and until the 1870s the township was primarily known by the name Upper Mahurangi. The traditional

name for Warkworth is ("Big Plume"), referring to the Puhinui Waterfalls located in the township.

Geography

The Warkworth area is at the upper navigable point of the

, which flows south-east towards the

. The township is located at the point where the river runs over a low waterfall and becomes a tidal estuary, The wider area is predominantly uplifted

Waitemata Group The Waitemata Group is an Early Miocene group (geology), geologic group that is exposed in and around the Auckland Region of New Zealand, between the Whangarei Harbour in the North and the Raglan, New Zealand, Raglan Harbour in the South. The Gr ...

sandstone. Historically, the area was heavily forested until European settlement. The highest point in Warkworth is a hill located between Falls Road and View Road, where a water reservoir and cellphone tower are located. On the eastern side of the river is the

Mahurangi Peninsula Mahurangi Peninsula is a landform in the Rodney Local Board Area in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located between two bodies of water: the Mahurangi Harbour Mahurangi Harbour is a natural harbour in New Zealand ...

, with the seaside towns of Snells Beach and Algies Bay. It is here that the scenic

Kawau Island Kawau Island is in the Hauraki Gulf, close to the north-eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the Māori word for the shag.At its closest point it lies off the coast of the Northland Peninsula, just south of Tā ...

is found, notable for its historic Mansion House, once the private retreat of Governor Grey. East of Warkworth and north of Mahurangi East lies the Tāwharanui Peninsula, home of the Tāwharanui Regional Park and Tawharanui Marine Park. To the north is the town of

Wellsford Wellsford () is a town on the Northland Peninsula in the northern North Island of New Zealand. It is the northernmost major settlement in the Auckland Region, and is northwest of the Auckland CBD. It is a major regional centre, being located at ...

, with the thickly forested Dome Valley lying in between. On the west coast lies the

Kaipara Harbour Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Auck ...

, while to the south is the small historic township of Puhoi and further south the larger town of

Orewa Orewa () is a settlement in the northern Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is a suburb of the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and north of central Auckland. The Auckland Northern Motorway, Northern Motor ...

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as

oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...

(Cfb), but it is

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

ier in winter.

History

Māori history

The wider Mahurangi area has been settled since at least the 13th century. Local traditions describe

Toi-te-huatahi Toi-te-huatahi, also known as Toi and Toi-kai-rākau, is a legendary Māori people, Māori ''tupuna'' (ancestor) of many Māori people, Māori iwi (tribes) from the Bay of Plenty area, including Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāi Tūhoe. The B ...

being the founding ancestor for Mahurangi peoples, and Toi is the namesake for many features in the area, including Little Barrier Island / Te Hauturu-o-Toi and the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, One of the first known

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

to have settled in the area is Ngāi Tāhuhu. Named for Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, captain of the ''

Moekākara In Māori tradition, ''Moekākara'' was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand. It was captained by Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, the ancestor of Ngāi Tāhuhu. The canoe first landed at ...

'' waka, the iwi also settled at

Ōtāhuhu Ōtāhuhu is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand – to the southeast of the CBD, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tāmaki River estuary to the east. The Auckland isthmus is the narrowest connect ...

in Auckland,

and the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for ...

. ''

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori people, Māori iwi and hapū (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the ''Arawa (canoe), Arawa'' migration canoe (''waka''). The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plent ...

'' and ''

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...

'' migratory waka are known to have visited the area, and descendants of captain Manaia of the '' Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi'' waka are known to have intermarried with Ngāi Tāhuhu. A location of significance near Warkworth is , the peak of the Dome Forest, which was used as a traditional boundary marker, and is the location where

ancestress Reipae married the Ngāi Tāhuhu rangatira Tahuhupotiki. Mahurangi peoples primarily focused settlement along the shores of the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, moving seasonally between different

based on available seasonal resources. Puhinui was a crossroads, at the highest navigable point by waka. This led to overland ara. While the majority of known archaeological sites near Warkworth are on the Mahurangi Harbour coast, the Mahurangi River (traditionally called ) shores and adjoining forests would have been utilised for resources, such as berry collecting, bird snaring, flax harvesting, eel fishing and felling trees to construct waka.

Arrival of Maki

In the mid-17th century, the warrior Maki migrated from the Kawhia Harbour, Kāwhia Harbour to his ancestral home in the

. Maki conquered and unified many of the Tāmaki Māori tribes, including those of the West Auckland, the North Shore and Mahurangi, and unified these peoples under the name Te Kawerau. In Mahurangi, this was done by conquering Ngāi Tāhuhu, and by forming peacemaking marriages with the

Te Roroa Te Roroa is a Māori people, Māori iwi from the region between the Kaipara Harbour and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand. They are part of the Ngāti Whātua confederation of tribes. In the early 19th century ...

and Ngāti Manaia/

Ngātiwai Ngātiwai or Ngāti Wai is a Māori people, Māori iwi of the east coast of the Northland Region of New Zealand. Its historical tribal area or rohe stretched from Cape Brett in the north to Takatū Point on Tawharanui Peninsula in the south and ...

tribes who were migrating from the north. After Maki's death, his sons settled different areas of his lands, creating new

hapū In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...

, including the Mahurangi hapū of Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō, Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Maraeariki, Ngāti Poataniwha and Ngāti Kahu. Ngāti Rongo formed from the union of Maki's son Ngāwhetu and Moerangaranga of Ngā Rīriki, the latter of whom is also an ancestor for

Te Uri-o-Hau Te Uri-o-Hau (sometimes spelt Te Uri O Hau or Te Uriohau) is a Māori iwi (tribe) based around New Zealand's Kaipara Harbour. It is both an independent iwi and a hapū (sub-tribe) of the larger Ngāti Whātua iwi, alongside Ngāti Whātua-o-� ...

Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa ...

. Ngāti Raupō descend from Maki's son Maraeariki, and settled on the Tāwharanui Peninsula, while Ngāti Manuhiri settled the Whangateau Harbour north to

Pākiri Pākiri is a locality in Auckland, in the former Rodney District of New Zealand. Leigh is about to the south-east. The Pākiri River flows through the area and into the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana to the north-east. The area is named for the ...

. As these hapū developed, Ngātiwai developed strong ties to Kawerau hapū through successive generations of intermarriage, especially Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Manuhiri, and Ngāti Kahu. By the mid-1700s,

Marutūāhu __NOTOC__ Marutūāhu (also spelled, Marutūahu or Marutuahu) is a confederation of Māori ''iwi'' (tribes) in the Hauraki region (the Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains) of New Zealand. The confederation comprises the tribes ...

tribes from the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Ngāti Pāoa Ngāti Pāoa is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) that has extensive links to the Hauraki and Waikato tribes of New Zealand. Its traditional lands stretch from the western side of the Hauraki Plains to Auckland. They also settled on Hauraki Gulf islands ...

, sought to control the shark fishery located on the Mahurangi coast, between

and the

Whangaparāoa Peninsula The Whangaparāoa Peninsula is a suburban area about 30–50 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. It had residents in It stretches from Red Beach, New Zealand, Red Beach, where it connects to Kingsway, Orewa and Silverdale, and exte ...

. War broke out between Ngāti Pāoa and the Kawerau hapū. By the early 19th century, Kawerau-descended hapū held exclusive land rights to the Mahurangi, while fishing rights were shared between these hapū and the Marutūāhu tribes. By the early 19th Century, the Mahurangi Harbour was primarily settled by Ngāti Rongo and their related hapū Ngāti Kā and Ngāti Raupō, all of whom kept close ties to Ngāti Manuhiri, while Marutūahu tribes frequented the coast during the summertime.

Musket Wars and Early European arrivals

In the early 1820s during the

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...

and related northern tribes attacked the Mahurangi area settlements in retaliation for past losses, leading to the Mahurangi area being depopulated. Ngāti Rongo, then approximately 100 people, sought refuge with their Ngāti Manu relatives in the Bay of Islands under the protection of

Pōmare II Pōmare II (c. 1782 – 7 December 1821) (fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II; historically misspelled as Tu Tunuiea'aite-a-tua), was the second king of Tahiti between 1782 and 182 ...

, Ngāti Raupō at Whangārei with Te Parawhau and

Te Whareumu Te Whareumu (died 1828) was the ariki and warrior chief of Ngāti Manu, a hapū within the Ngāpuhi iwi based in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. Te Whareumu was the most important chief in the Kororakeka area in his day. He was a warrior ...

, and Ngāti Mahuhiri to the north of Whangārei with Ngātiwai. In 1832, Gordon Browne established a spar station on the Pukapuka Peninsula of the Mahurangi Harbour. Browne obtained rights to fell kauri from Marutūāhu tribes, after which Ngāpuhi chiefs Patuone and

Tītore Tītore ( 1775–1837), sometimes known as Tītore Tākiri, was a rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe). He was a war leader of the Ngāpuhi who led the war expedition against the Māori people, Māori tribes at East Cape in 1820 and 18 ...

brokered a deal with the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

to supply

spurs for navy ships, using the spar station. This station was the first European settlement in the Auckland Region, and most of the station labourers were members of Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāpuhi. The station operated until 1834, and was contested by Kawerau descendant hapū. Ngāti Rongo returned to the Mahurangi area in 1836, under the leadership of Te Hēmara Tauhia, focusing settlement at Te Muri. Ngāti Rongo and Ngāti Raupō occupied modern Warkworth by the late 1830s or early 1840s, with Ngāti Mahuhiri likely returning in the early 1840s. By this period, many of the Kawerau hapū had developed associations with

, and the Mahurangi area was contested between Kawerau, Ngāti Whātua and Marutūāhu tribes.

Land sales and early colonial settlement

Following the signing of the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...

in 1840,

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

made the first purchases of the Mahurangi and Omaha blocks on 13 April 1841, which included the Mahurangi Harbour. While some iwi and hapū with customary interests had been engaged, such as Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Raupō and Ngāti Manuhiri were not a part of this transaction, and it took the Crown until the 1850s to finalise a deal with these tribes. Te Hemara Tauhia and his people continued to occupy their lands at Te Muri during this time. In 1843, early settler John Anderson Brown began squatting on land along the Mahurangi River, establishing a dam and timber mill on the left bank in 1844. The timber industry, later joined by shipbuilding, were the two major economic activities in the area during the mid-19th century. In 1853, Brown was among the first land owners in the area, when Warkworth was established as a planned settlement and he and his daughter Amelia purchased of land from the Crown. The town developed slowly, primarily around the Mahurangi River wharf, where settlers could supply goods and services for the Auckland market. Bridge House Lodge, established on the site of John Anderson Brown's home next door to the Warkworth Bridge, is the oldest surviving building in Warkworth. The Mahurangi Post Office and Library were established in 1859, followed by the first local government in the area, when the Mahurangi Highway Board was established in 1863. In the same year, the Mahurangi School opened, and by 1868 Henry Palmer had established a flour mill in the settlement. Shipbuilding declined in the area during the late 1870s, and ceased in 1880. Unlike other areas of northern Auckland and Northland,

kauri gum Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...

digging did not appear to play a large part in the economy of the town. Orchards were established around Warkworth, with some continuing to operate today. In 1883 the Masonic Hall was built and up until 1911 served as a public hall until a dedicated building was constructed on the corner of Alnwick and Neville Streets.(2007). DVD. Warkworth: Majorlook. Ngāti Rongo continued to hold a presence in the area in the 19th century. While initially made landless through the Mahurangi Purchase, a native reserve was established between Pukapuka and Waiwera in 1853. Land in this block was gradually sold land to settlers, and when Te Hemara Tauhia died in 1891, his Ngāti Rongo family moved to Glorit. In the 21st century, 13 iwi and collectives have interests in the Warkworth area, of whom Ngāti Manuhiri are considered

mana whenua In New Zealand, tangata whenua () is a Māori term that translates to "people of the land". It can refer to either a specific group of people with historical claims to a district, or more broadly the Māori people who's common ancestors are bur ...

; or having historic and territorial rights in the area.

Lime and concrete works

John Sullivan began Warkworth's first roche lime production in 1849. John Southgate established a second limeworks at a site further downstream in 1857, selling it to Nathaniel Wilson in 1864. Wilson became interested in cement in 1883 and formed the Wilsons Cement Works in 1884 with his brothers John and James. The site became the first

portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar (masonry), mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in th ...

manufacturing works in the Southern Hemisphere. The company built the Warkworth Bridge in 1899. By 1910, the cement company had become one of the major employers in Warkworth. In 1918, it amalgamated with the New Zealand Portland Cement Company, who were based in Motu Matakohe – Limestone Island in

, and the operation was gradually moved to Whangārei, eventually closing entirely in 1929. Ruins remain and the mine is a popular local freshwater swimming hole.

World War II, developing community

In 1933, the road to Auckland had improved enough that the town no longer relied on the steamer service to transport goods, and the steamers stopped operating in 1937. After this time, Warkworth transitioned from a logging town into a commercial and service hub for the wider north Auckland area. Logging continued at Warkworth until the 1930s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Warkworth and the surrounding area became home to over 40 camps for

servicemen, including the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry division ...

, 25th Infantry Division and the 43rd Infantry Division. The first personnel to arrive were the 43rd Infantry Division in October 1942, and camps included the modern-day Rodney Showgrounds, and a military hospital that was constructed near Hill Street. The historic cement works, which had been closed since 1928, was used as demolition practice by the servicemen. By 1944 when the United States Army had left, the

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

requisitioned many of the camps. In 1971, the Warkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory was established near the town, as the first major long-range telecommunication centre for satellite telephone circuits and television in New Zealand. By 2010, the facility had been redeveloped as an

AUT AUT may refer to the following. Locations *Austria (ISO 3166-1 country code) *Agongointo-Zoungoudo Underground Town, Benin * Aktio–Preveza Undersea Tunnel, Greece *Airstrip on Atauro Island, East Timor (IATA airport code) Organizations *Arri ...

radio observatory. The Warkworth & District Museum, a local museum showcasing local history, opened in 1980. Warkworth saw significant suburban housing growth between 2008 and 2018, with the population increasing by 61% between 2006 and 2018. In 2023, the Pūhoi to Warkworth section of the

Auckland Northern Motorway The Auckland Northern Motorway (known locally as the Northern Motorway, and historically as the Auckland–Warkworth Motorway) in the Auckland Region of New Zealand links Central Auckland and Warkworth in the former Rodney District via th ...

was opened, diverting traffic away from Warkworth. The town is currently projected to triple in size by the late 2040s.

Local government

The first local government for the township was the Upper Mahurangi Highway District, which was formed on 24 December 1864. It was one of the first highway districts to form north of the city of Auckland, and was formed to administer the road upkeep costs in the area. With the abolition of the

provinces of New Zealand The provinces of the Colony of New Zealand existed as a form of administrative division, sub-national government. Initially established in 1846 when New Zealand was a Crown colony without responsible government, two provinces (New Ulster and New ...

in 1876, Warkworth became part of Rodney County, which was formed at that time. The highway district was merged with the Lower Mahurangi Highway District in 1903 and it became the Warkworth Road Board. In 1908 the road board became a town board, and in 1954 it became a town council following the Municipal Corporations Act. In 1976 Warkworth became a district community council of Rodney County. From 1989 to 2010, Warkworth was part of

Rodney District Rodney District was a local government area in the northernmost part of New Zealand's Auckland Region from 1989 to 2010. It included Kawau Island. It was created from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County in 1989. The seat ...

. In November 2010, all city and district councils in the

were merged into a single unitary authority,

Auckland Council Auckland Council () is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that also has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is a unitary authority, according to t ...

, with Warkworth in the

Rodney Local Board area Rodney Local Board is one of the 21 local boards of Auckland Council, and is administered by the ward councillor representing Rodney Ward. Located in the northern part of the Auckland region, it is named after the former Rodney District which ...

. Electors in Warkworth vote for the seven-member

Rodney Local Board Rodney Local Board is one of the 21 local boards of Auckland Council, and is administered by the ward councillor representing Rodney Ward. Located in the northern part of the Auckland region, it is named after the former Rodney District which ...

, and also a Rodney ward councillor, who represents the area on the Auckland Council. The local board operates from the Warkworth Service Centre on Baxter Street. The Rodney Local Board formerly held meetings outside of the local board area, in

on the

Hibiscus Coast The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the List of New Zealand urban areas by population, 10th most populous urban area in New Zealand, ...

. Since 2023, the local board has held meetings at 3 Elizabeth Street in Warkworth.

Demographics

Warkworth is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Warkworth had a population of 6,675 in the

2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...

, an increase of 1,089 people (19.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,406 people (56.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,231 males, 3,429 females and 15 people of other genders in 2,571 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,233 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 948 (14.2%) aged 15 to 29, 2,742 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,749 (26.2%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 82.9% European (

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

); 10.7%

; 7.3% Pasifika; 8.4% Asian; 1.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.9%, Māori language by 1.3%, Samoan by 0.1%, and other languages by 13.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.3% (e.g. too young to talk).

New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...

was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 30.7, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 37.3%

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 1.3%

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 0.5%

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 0.4%

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 0.8%

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, 0.5%

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 51.2%, and 7.1% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 834 (15.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,856 (52.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,458 (26.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $38,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 630 people (11.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,511 (46.1%) people were employed full-time, 711 (13.1%) were part-time, and 90 (1.7%) were unemployed.

Education

Mahurangi College

Mahurangi College is a co-educational secondary school, teaching students between years 7–13 (form 1–7, grade 6–12), with a roll of students as of It was first built on the current site in 1957, and was then called Warkworth District High School. It was renamed Mahurangi College in 1962, and had a roll of 210 students at the time. Yacht designer Bruce Farr was among the first pupils. Mahurangi College first reached the 1,000 pupil milestone in 1998 and the school had an entire staff and pupil photograph taken.P. Barlett, personal communication: Mahurangi College Staff, 19 March 2009 A new auditorium was completed at the end of January 2011. In early January 2012, construction began on rebuilding B-block and a new administration centre. The renovations and constructions were completed mid-2013, and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced on 2 April 2015, that work would begin on a $6.3 million property upgrade at the college.

Warkworth School

Warkworth School is a co-educational primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of students as of

Sports

Mahurangi RFC is the local rugby club, formed in 1989 as an amalgamation of three local rugby clubs: Warkworth, Kaipara Flats and Omaha.

Kōwhai festival

Warkworth has a festival celebrated when

kōwhai Kōwhai ( or ) are small woody legume trees within the genus '' Sophora'', in the family Fabaceae, that are native to New Zealand. There are eight species, with '' Sophora microphylla'' and '' Sophora tetraptera'' being large trees. Their natu ...

trees start to drop their flowers (September–October). Thousands of visitors come to see the festival which features old horse carriages, markets, and bands.

Notable residents

* Lucy Moore was a botanist and descendant of a pioneer family. The Lucy Moore Memorial Park was named in her honour. *Harry Parry (?–1977) was a supporter of obtaining land for a park with kauri trees. The Parry Kauri Park is named in his honour. *

Serj Tankian Serj Tankian ( , ; born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band System of a Down, which was formed in 1994. Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down ...

singer and songwriter, member of System of a Down. * Conrad Robertson olympic gold medalist.

Transportation

passed through Warkworth until an extension of the

opened in July 2023. The new motorway ends just to the north of Warkworth. A particularly complicated intersection called "the worst in New Zealand", where the old SH1 intersects with Hill Street, was intended to be replaced in 2024, but this was removed from NZTA's plan because it did not align with the National Government's roading plans. Warkworth is served by hourly buses to Hibiscus Coast Station and less frequent buses to Snells Beach, Algies Bay, Matakana, Ōmaha and Point Wells.

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...

buses run through Warkworth from Auckland to

Kerikeri Kerikeri () is a town in the Bay of Islands, in the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the head of Kerikeri Inlet, a northwestern arm of the Bay of Islands, where fresh water of the Kerikeri River enters the Paci ...

and Mahu City Express twice a day to Auckland.

Sister towns

Warkworth has several sister towns including: *Warkworth, Northumberland (Town founder John Anderson Brown named Warkworth after his former home in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

) * Furudono, Fukushima (Furudono is a

sister school A sister school is usually a pair of schools, usually single-sex school, one with female students and the other with male students. This relationship is seen to benefit both schools. For instance, when Harvard University was a male-only school, Ra ...

of Mahurangi College and Warkworth Primary School located in

Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

) *

Warkworth, Ontario Warkworth is a community in the municipality of Trent Hills, Northumberland in Central Ontario, Canada. Originally known as Percy Mills (1851 Census), the village of Warkworth was incorporated in 1857, and became part of Trent Hills when the lat ...

(This town in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

was sistered in 2003)