The bay, creek and surrounding land, with its extensive wetlands, food sources and flax, held significant importance for multiple iwi. Flax grown in the Coxs Bay gully was harvested, processed, and then dried on the north-facing hills in
Herne Bay. The western boundary of this land was marked by Opoutukeha (generally known as Opou for short) or Coxs Creek. In 1841, John and Jane Cox applied for a squatter's license for the land next to the bay and creek, from which the European name for the Creek and Bay originated. They built a dwelling and established a market garden on this land. The streets now known as Regina, Kingsley, Livingstone, Webber, and Edgars (formerly Queen, King, Stanley, Webber, and Victoria) were laid out, and logs for the early houses were floated up Coxs Creek and pit-sawn on site. From 1860, there was significant industrial development in the area, this included the Willesden Works which produced pesticide, sulphuric acid for the manufacture of fertiliser and artificial stone. In 1865, a brick factory, Caledonian Brickworks, was established by John Leckie, and products were shipped via Coxs Creek to Auckland. In 1874, the Warnock brothers set up the Warnock Soap and Candle Works on the southern side of Richmond Rd, next to Coxs Creek. In 1899, Cashmore Brothers established a steam-powered sawmill beside the creek below Coxs Bridge Rd (later renamed West End Rd). The bay and creek were used for the transport of logs and timber. Despite strong protests from the growing local population, the mill operated until 1920, when it accidentally burnt down, leaving sawdust and timber smoldering for over a year. The bridge over Coxs Creek, connecting
Westmere and
Herne Bay, was first recorded in 1881, then demolished in 1885 and rebuilt in 1886. The lower level of the
Hawke Scout Hall, built in the late 1920s, remains an important part of the local community and a significant building in the area. In 1938, a landslide deposited several tons of earth onto the road and Coxs Creek bridge. In January 2023, extensive flooding caused several landslides and a fallen tree, leading to the closure of West End Road. == Present Day ==