Te Aro's Bypass Surgery

A 25 year legal battle saved Martha's Pantry from the maw of the motorway and saw it earthquake strengthened.

From the 1860s onwards, workers cottages were cheek by jowl in south Wellington's Te Aro and a hundred years on, a tightly-knit mix of homes, shops and small factories had evolved, centred on upper Cuba St. This feisty community showed its mettle when plans were announced for an inner-city motorway bypass which would cut through Te Aro and involve the loss of many dwellings and businesses. Residents fought their bypass surgery for over 20 years but the planners eventually won and the bypass opened in 2006.

Relocated houses flank the motorway extension, Karo drive.

Now that the dust has settled, Spectrum's Jack Perkins looks at upper Cuba St through the eyes of residents past and present and dips into a Spectrum programme recorded in the 1980s.