Many sections of Great South Road were constructed on
ara hīkoi; traditional walking paths used by
Tāmaki Māori. The first sections of Great South Road were constructed in 1843. In 1861, Governor
George Grey ordered the construction of the Great South Road further into the Waikato, to improve supply lines through swampy and thickly forested country, prior to the
Invasion of the Waikato. The road was constructed by British Army troops, including
Dominic Jacotin Gamble, and provided a flow of supplies for the
Waikato campaign.
Queen's Redoubt at
Pōkeno was a major base of operations for soldiers working on constructing the road. Approximately 12,000 soldiers were involved in the construction over two years. Toll booths were set up along the road in 1866 at
Newmarket,
Ōtāhuhu and
Drury in order to pay for upkeep costs of the Great South Road. Travellers along the Great South Road complained about the excessive cost of these tolls, which were abolished in 1875. Much of the road between Newmarket and Drury was laid in concrete in the 1920s, up to one foot thick. The road was later covered with asphalt. Originally, the road was marked by milestones, but these are now all believed lost, although there is a ‘22 mile’ milestone marker outside Drury School, in Drury. The
Auckland Southern Motorway has largely superseded Great South Road as a through route, but many parts of the road are still in use, particularly the urban sections. == Route ==