1882

The New Zealand Government offered a bounty to set up a sugar refinery in New Zealand,up to this time all sugar was imported from Australia in sacks.

The bounty was picked up by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company of Australia, which formed the New Zealand Sugar Company in a partnership with the Victorian Sugar Company and a number of New Zealand businessmen including such well-known names as Horton, L D Nathan, W S Wilson and Sir Frederick Whitaker. The partnership lasted until the 1888 depression when it was absorbed by the Colonial Refining Company.

Located in Birkenhead, Auckland on the North Shore, the original site of 160 acres (later expanded to 450 acres), was purchased because it had a large area of flat land for the refinery, fresh water from Duck Creek, deep water for a port (the Waitemata Harbour is at its deepest a few yards from shore), and building materials on site (timber from the native trees and clay to make bricks), all within four miles of Auckland city.

1883

Construction started on the Chelsea Refinery and took 18 months to complete. Clay from excavations was used to make 1.5 million bricks by hand - one million for the refinery and half a million for the dams across Duck Creek.

Two dams were built across Duck Creek (dams 1 & 2): the upper dam was 26 ft deep and contained a million gallons of water to be used for sugar refining; the lower dam, 2 acres in size had a brick batter and a roadway up the side. There were two wharfes – 210 ft long.

During early construction, short-term accommodation for labour was a shanty town of 60 tents beside the lower reaches of the creek. These were replace by a village (known as Chelsea village) once construction of the refinery was completed. The name "Chelsea" came from the first customs officer at the Refinery, who named it after his home town in London, England - Chelsea.

1884

The first shipment of raw sugar from Indonesia arrived. The refinery began processing and packing the sugar.The world sugar market collapsed not long after the refinery opened.

1886

Cottages for the workers were built on Colonial Road (until then they lived in tents).

1887

After four profitless years, amalgamation seemed the only answer. Shares in the company were exchanged for CSR (Colonial Sugar Refinery) shares.

1899

A passenger wharf was built and in the 1900’s, the shipping wharf was extended.

1900

Management took an interest in beautifying the estate and the company undertook a revegetation programme planting both native and exotic fauna. Most of the trees on the estate today, including much of the native bush, have been planted by the Company since 1900.

1901

A 3rd dam was built with a bridge over Chelsea Bay.

1908-1909

The original manager’s homestead was built, a large brick homestead that is sited at the top of the hill above the Refinery raw store. In 1909 four brick cottages were built for the core workers who needed to be close by in case of emergency (these line the left side of Colonial Road, within the Chelsea Heritage Estate). The five houses are all that remain today of the original dwellings and are private residences.

1910s and 1920s

Gumdigging was carried out on the Chelsea Estate. Locals supplemented their income by digging for gum, which was sold to a gumdealer in Fort Street for about $3 a sugar bag. All that was required was a spear (which were Chelsea made), a shovel and a sack.

1920

The 4th dam was constructed. The dams were built is sequence over 37 years the last one in 1920 (dam 4). The dams were built to provide a fresh water source (from Duck Creek) to use to make steam.

The dams are still in use today and the water is treated in our treatment station (candy filter station) and sent to the boiler station where it is boiled with natural gas to make steam. About 650m3 a day is drawn primarily from the 3rd dam.

1930

The Great Depression hits businesses in NZ, the worst affected had some employees working one week on and one week off. Fortunately it didn’t impact on Chelsea as bad as it affected other businesses.

1939-1945

World War II: A special defence block was set up at the Chelsea Refinery. Women were employed for the first time in the office and Golden Syrup packing house, to cover the men’s work whilst they were at war.

1958

Bulk shipments of raw sugar were brought in for the new automated bulk sugar store. Prior to this, a 9,500 tonne shipload took 60 men three weeks to unload. The sugar would arrive in sacks which were transported to the raw sugar store by horse drawn carts where it was stacked up to 13 metres high.

1959

Arrival of Supermarkets in New Zealand.

Auckland Harbour Bridge opened. The height and width of the main span was built to allow for ships going to Chelsea. Before the bridge was built 90% of Chelsea’s production was shipped across the harbour by seven Lighters (flat bottomed boats).

1961

The Lighters (flat bottomed boats) were sold.

1966

Chelsea Sugar Company sold 262 acres for a subdivision, which subsequently became known as Chatswood.

1970s

The Chelsea grounds hosted the ‘Downhill Derby’, in this event, which used the refinery road, the fastest survivor took the honours.

1975

Chelsea won the Waitemata Garden Centre prize for the best factory environment on the North Shore.

1980s

Deregulation of the sugar market – New Zealand was the second country in the world to have a deregulated sugar market. Before this, Chelsea had a fixed price for sugar and a monopoly in the country.

1984

A ‘centenary grove’ of 120 Kauri trees were planted in the grounds to commemorate the century of Chelsea Refinery.

1997

Alterations to Chelsea wharf . Chelsea wharf is an official port facility and each shipment is cleared by Customs and MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) on arrival.

2008

37 hectares of land, encompassing lakes, regenerating forest, wetlands and open spaces are sold to the Heritage Park Trust to secure the park is kept for future generations to use.

2009

The official opening of Heritage Park in conjunction with North Shore City Council. The day was celebrated as a family fun day with old fashioned games, sack races and entertainment.

Celebrated Chelsea Sugar Refinery operating for 125years.

2010

Still on the original site, the New Zealand Sugar Company is one of New Zealand’s top 100 companies and "Chelsea" has become one of New Zealand’s iconic brands.