The Many Lovers of Auckland

For over a century the Auckland waterfront was our country’s greatest gateway to the outside world – the place to which the many lovers came. Warriors and chiefs, immigrants, entrepreneurs, watersiders, picnickers and promenaders, soldiers, strikers and strikebreakers, returning heroes and visiting royals passed through, worked, or played here, creating New Zealand’s history as they came and went.

Story Inc worked with council organization Waterfront Auckland to tell some of these human stories in and around historic Shed 10, on Queen’s Wharf at the bottom of Queen Street.

Using silhouette figures of a few of the “many lovers” cut out of corten steel in front of historic photographs of the area, large scale “shadow play” animations of episodes from the waterfront’s history, and interior graphics, we tried to bring those stories alive for today’s visitors. It is a celebration of our people, the land, sea and sky. It is about growing pride and local knowledge with the main goal being to deliver a series of delightful, insightful and meaningful heritage installations which capture what people love about Auckland, past and present.