Supported by:
In early 2020, the PBA was offered a Development Response package from Auckland Transport to mitigate the effects of the AMETI Eastern Busway construction. The PBA Board members settled on a project which was to enliven as many roller doors as possible. By the end of 2021, the Auckland Transport’s Development Response Package had benefitted our business community with artwork on 10 roller doors along the length of Queens Road, Panmure.
Furthermore, several designs have been added to other areas within Panmure, creating a welcoming and creative space for all to enjoy at any time. Iwi involvement has been paramount, to ensure collaboration
with the community.
The PBA see the potential to promote Panmure as a “street art” destination. We see an opportunity to turn the negative of pulled down roller doors into a positive for public perception; and promoting Panmure a place to visit.
Kāruhiruhi
Artist: Minky Stapleton
Location: 54 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Minky is a multi-faceted illustrator with a range of styles, all with a heavy dash of dark humour - a homage to her Afrikaans roots. www.minkystapleton.com
Kāruhiruhi, New Zealand Pied Shags, are quite easily recognisable with their black backs and white fronts, and a very colourful green eye surrounded by a blue eye ring with yellow skin area in front.
The Panmure Basin colony has been situated on the southside of the Panmure Basin inlet for many years, but is in serious decline due to pollution, lack of food sources and poor fishing techniques. In 1997, 300 adults were counted in the area, and in 2017, only 10 adults were counted.
For 30 years, Pam Howlett, affectionately known as "the mother of bird rescue", looked after the colony until her passing in 2010.
Destination Panmure
Artist: John Dempsey
Location: Temporarily removed awaiting a new location (formerly 4 Queens Road)
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio:Born in the UK, I moved to NZ in 2014. I discovered photography early in life. Although I pursued a successful career in software development, my passion for visual art never went away. I have a broad range of skills ranging from photography and Photoshop to design, illustration, 3D modelling, animation, texturing and rendering. I am particularly interested in combining these disciplines in different ways to create work that captures the imagination of the viewer. www.harbourscape.com
An Auckland passenger train emerges from a tunnel denoting Panmure's importance as a transport hub. There is a heart-shaped "P" reflection on the windscreen, part of the iconic sign that used to stand at the end of Queens Rd.
Manalua
Artist: Vilisoni Kaivelata
Location: 162 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Born in Tonga in 1972, Vilisoni is an artist who uses old cultural stories and interprets them in a modern way. He uses tapa cloth to paint on and also is a wood work artist. Some of his work, he transforms into tattoo designs which are very popular in Tonga.
This modern interpretation of the traditional Tongan design represents the relationship between two birds. Translated directly, “manalua” refers to two birds or two pairs of bird wings. The deeper meaning of this pattern is to bring two groups or families together to form a new union. This design is seen in many types of cultural artwork from Tonga. It is used on artifacts found in not only Tonga, but around the world, especially the Pacific, Asia and parts of Africa.
Kōtuku rerenga tahi
Artist: Whetu-Marama Rikihana & Te Rangi Kaihoro
Location: 88 Queens Road - Historic Alleyway
Date: March 2022
Artist Bio: Whetu-Marama is a young vibrant Māori artist working in wood, bone, stone, and skin. She is exploring incorporating her tāmoko and whakairo skill sets into murals and street art. Kaihoro is a master practitioner and historian who mentors and teaches Toi Māori. whetunicholas@gmail.com kaihoro@icloud.com
The white Kōtuku is rare, and in this case a metaphor for a leader. This work is in recognition of Ngāti Paoa as mana Whenua in Tāmaki. Mokoia Pā and Mauinaina Pā was the Kāinga noho of Te Hīnaki paramont chief of this area. Ko Te Maungareiputa ā-Hoturoa te maunga. Ko Ngā Mōkai-ika-ā-Hikāwaru te Waipuna. Ko Te Wai-ōtaiki te awa. Ko Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Hura me Ngāti Kapu ngā iwi. Ko Te Hīnaki te tangata.
Pacifika Girl
Artist: Leone Ikinepule
Location: 63 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Samoan Gal, Born and bred in Tamaki Makaurau. Digital Artist, Creating Modern Day Contemporary Portraits and Pasifika Art. Lover of Pasifika Culture and what it translates to in design. Instagram @leonesdesigns
The Modern Day Pasifika Girl, in all her glory. With all the beauty that flows through her hair and glowing complexion, she is crowned with her lei. She embodies the Pasifika Beauty that our people hold, rich with culture.
Heilala
Artist: Vilisoni Kaivelata
Location: 139 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Born in Tonga in 1972, Vilisoni is an artist who uses old cultural stories and interprets them in a modern way. He uses tapa cloth to paint on and also is a wood work artist. Some of his work, he transforms into tattoo designs which are very popular in Tonga.
The heilala is a flower that signifies high ranking in anga faka-Tonga (The Tongan Way) and is the national flower of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is a royal flower because it is used to make the kahoa (necklaces) that are presented to the King, and there are ways of stringing the heilala that were traditionally only worn by people of ‘eiki (chiefly) rank. This artwork is a representation of the flowers that many people in the multi-cultural community of Panmure are very proud of.
Tamaki Blossoms
Artist: Jia Luo
Location: 135 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Jia Luo is a mixed media visual artist with a BFA from The University of Auckland. Her focuses include painting, installation and curation.
Through the use of vividly coloured flower blooms mixing and mingling against an uplifting and bright backdrop, this artwork encourages us to celebrate the rich cultural history and contributions of the local Asian migration to the suburb of Panmure. The combination of peonies native of Asian cultures in Tāmaki Makaurau and Pohutukawa native to NZ represents the merging and remixing of cultures in Tamaki.
Restful Guardian
Artist: John Dempsey
Location: 16 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Born in the UK, I moved to NZ in 2014. I discovered photography early in life. Although I pursued a successful career in software development, my passion for visual art never went away. I have a broad range of skills ranging from photography and Photoshop to design, illustration, 3D modelling, animation, texturing and rendering. I am particularly interested in combining these disciplines in different ways to create work that captures the imagination of the viewer. www.harbourscape.com
This design depicts a stylized landscape of Panmure Basin and Maungarei/Mt Wellington, the local maunga. These two natural features define the geography of Panmure and are of deep spiritual significance to many locals.
Ngāti Paoa Whānaungatanga
Artist: Whetu-Marama Rikihana & Te Rangi Kaihoro
Location: 113 Queens Road
Date: March 2022
Artist Bio: Whetu-Marama is a young vibrant Māori artist working in wood, bone, stone, and skin. She is exploring incorporating her tāmoko and whakairo skill sets into murals and street art. Kaihoro is a master practitioner and historian who mentors and teaches Toi Māori.
“Ngā tīhore i te oneone o te wā, kore rawa i tētehi tangata noho ngoikore…
Footsteps in the sands of time, were not made by a person standing still” (William Blake)
Mokoia Pā was the jewel in Ngāti Paoa’s mana whenua through mahi ngā kai, in terms of the expansive Mauinaina Pā site and māra kai cultivations, stretching from Panmure Mt Wellington to Purewa, Ōrakei to Mission Bay and Karaka Bay to Point England to the Mokoia Pā site. Kaitiakitanga was very important as strategically for food and resources as well as protecting the waterways and portage to the Manakau Harbour.
Tauoma, herehere o nga kai
Artist: Minky Stapleton
Location: 2 Basin View Lane
Date: March 2022
Artist Bio: Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Minky is a multi-faceted illustrator with a range of styles, all with a heavy dash of dark humour - a homage to her Afrikaans roots.
The design 'Tauoma, herehere o nga kai' reflects the relationship with the Basin and the fertile abundance of the land and waterways.
Kai Moana
Artist: Minky Stapleton
Location: 154 Queens Road
Date: May 2021
Artist Bio: Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Minky is a multi-faceted illustrator with a range of styles, all with a heavy dash of dark humour - a homage to her Afrikaans roots.
Situated next to Wai O Taki/Tāmaki River, the inhabitants of Mokoia and Mauinaina Pā’s moved between Te Waitematā and Manukau Harbour, and the water ways beyond. The west coast was accessed by the waka paddlers carrying canoes across the portage at Otahuhu, linking both harbours.
Canoes were able to cross vast areas of water, allowing Māori to gather food including fish, shellfish, and sea plants, as well as trade goods with iwi located across Aotearoa.
Evidence of the diversity of seafood was found during the excavation of the Mokoia Pā site (around the Eastern Busway bridge).
Traveling Cottage
Artist: Leo Alonso
Location: 146 Queens Road
Date: November 2022
Artist Bio: Originally from Colombia, Leo is an Artist, Graphic & Character Designer & Illustrator based in Auckland. Always an enthusiast of motivating people to express themselves through art, this has led him to teach as part of his career.
Leo lives by this mission; there is no such thing as talented people, instead, highly motivated people can achieve any goal. @_leoillustrated_
There is a sense of nostalgia and permanence associated with the cottages in this area.
In time, it flows and adapts, recalling old times, and telling stories from the past with its strong foundations.
Te Whanga o Panmure
Artist: TaT
Location: 47 Queens Road
Date: November 2023
Artist Bio:
Nō Waikato/Tainui ahau
E noho ana ahau ki Tāmaki Makaurau me te Mokoia
Ko Te Wai Moehurori tōku ingoa
Panmure-based creative maven. Trending the art of doodles, digital wizardry, and captivating canvases of painted portraits. 90’s graffiti roots infused a rebellious spirit in the mix.
A versatile skilled collector, transcending mediums with dynamic blend of aerosol paint finesse, musical vibes, hairstylist, cake artistry and fine arts. Crafting an eclectic symphony of creativity that paints life vividly.
Beneath the tender gaze of a cerulean sky, Panmure estuary unfurls its watery tapestry, a haven where nature’s hues intertwine. Here, Pōhutukawa trees, wise and ancient, stand sentinel along the winding pathway, whispering tales of generations past. Their scarlet blossoms dance like flames, a harmonious symphony of beauty and timelessness. The estuary’s ripples reflect fleeting dreams, while the guardians stand resolute, watching over this tranquil passage where earth and water entwine, weaving a story of splendour and wisdom for those who pause to listen.
Lagoon Pools
Artist: Desmer Glenn
Location: 44 Queens Road
Date: November 2023
Artist Bio:
Desmer Glenn, is a seasoned artist with nearly two decades of experience in creative work, including illustration, painting, hand lettering, chalk art, sculpture and murals. She is passionate about storytelling and loves bringing visions to life through imagery. Originally from South Africa, she grew up in a creative family where art was a way of life and has been involved in various local art projects since making Tāmaki Makaurau her home. She studied art for film at Yoobee College, has a visual art degree, and enjoys tutoring in her free time.
For decades, Lagoon Pools formerly known as Swimarama stood as a cornerstone of aquatic enjoyment for local residents. Its pools echoed with the laughter of families, the splashes of swimmers, and the camaraderie of shared experiences. As it evolved over the years, so did its significance in the hearts of locals bringing the community together and creating memories that will last forever.