THE PROMISED LAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 762, 7 September 1929, Page 5

THE PROMISED LAND

NEW AREAS AVAILABLE BY WATERFRONT RAILWAY Auckland’s new front gate is being thrown open. The main stream of visitors will soon no longer be required to enter by the back door. The opening of the new railway deviation will mean a big thing for the city, as well as for the railway service to southern parts. Broad acres which only needed ac-

cess for rapid settlement have now been brought close to the heart of commercial Auckland. Rolling countryside which in the past lias been a sighed-for promised land, the perfection of residential aspirations, has been transferred at a stroke almost to urban nearness to the centre of business and professional Auckland. No factors more profoundly influence settlement of sparse lands than transport, and with the opening of the new and easy route, a wide area of admirable residential country will be made

available because of its proximity to the centre of things. Tamaki has hitherto been regarded as desirable, but remote. It took too long for the city worker to reach liis occupation, and the expense of travel was against liis settlement in the freshness of the country. The same applies to other parts near the deviation. Whereas it was a matter of an hour and sometimes more to reach the city, the route by rail makes it only a question of minutes. Orakei, which will undoubtedly become Auckland’s most desirable sub-

urb, will of course occupy pride of place from the aspect of convenience of access alone. It will be ridiculously easy to get there. A matter of seven minutes by motor-car, and less by train. Ten minutes by bus to the General Post Office should be a long journey. The rail, which has been designed for speed and comfort, will whirl the worker and the business man across Hobson Bay, up the Purewa Creek, through the Purewa tunnel —which, by the way, is a splendid piece of engineering, and of striking proportions—and so out into the Tamaki and the rolling east. What an opportunity to

acquire that section, handy to the city, yet pleasantly secluded. The final triumph of the deviation will come with the completion of the new railway station, which at present is being erected as quickly as possible by the contractors, Messrs. J. T. Julian and Son. Ltd. When finished, it will be one of the finest railway stations in the Southern Hemisphere, and a fitting building to accommodate the travelling public which reaches Auckland from other parts of the Dominion and leaves for various centres. It is estimated that by the end of this year the main work of the station will be finished, but it will be some months before the final touches

have been completed. Rapid progress has been made during the past few months, and a great deal of the interior of the building is taking its final shape. The passing of the first goods train along the deviation a week ago was a milestone in railway history, but the great moment will be the running of the pioneer passenger train from the new station. This will take place within a year, at any rate. There are many home-builders who are anticipating that event, and by the time the service is in running order they will have begun the building of their bright home of the east.