NZ Visual Diary - entry 241

The Esplanade Hotel (Devonport)

The charming suburb of Devonport, one of the oldest colonial settlements in Auckland, was the first colonial era settlement on Auckland’s North Shore. Archaeological evidence indicates that Māori settlement in the area now know as Devonport dates back to the 14th Century.

The seaside suburb is home to the Victoria Theatre and Cinema, the oldest purpose-built cinema still in operation in the Southern Hemisphere.

Positioned as the gateway to Devonport from the ferry wharf, the Esplanade Hotel is an impressive structure. Placed on the registry of historical places by Heritage New Zealand in 1980, the establishment opened its door to guests as the Esplanade Hotel in 1903.

The hotel’s website recounts its early history as follows:

The story of The Esplanade Hotel begins in 1900 when a local company, Northern Property Limited purchased the old Flagstaff Hotel, situated on the current Esplanade Hotel site. The Flagstaff was removed and plans drawn up for a grand hotel to be built, called The Esplanade Hotel. The plans were modelled on the resort hotels of the English seaside towns of Brighton and Blackpool, The Esplanade Hotel being named after the best-known resort hotel in Brighton, England.¹

1. About the Esplandade Hotel
< https://esplanadehotel.co.nz/about/ >