Motutapu Battery

Motutapu Battery was planned in the early 1930s, with the three six inch guns emplaced in 1937. This was the main coastal defence battery for Auckland during World War Two as the bigger 9.2 inch batteries at Waiheke and Whangaparaoa were not completed till near the end or after the war. The battery was upgraded in 1941, with the gun emplacements receiving overhead covers and underground facilities being built. A network of 16 pill boxes was built around the island to provide security for the battery against raiding parties.

The battery was used for training and live firing up to 1957 when the coastal defences across New Zealand were disbanded. The battery is managed by the Department of Conservation and is accessible to the public.