Published on 14 November 2024
Upper Hutt: City of Industry has now extended its closing date to 1 December.
This is a new exhibition that captures a unique chapter in our city's story. Hosted by Upper Hutt Libraries’ Heritage team, this mini exhibition showcases the extraordinary era when Upper Hutt became a major industrial hub, producing everything from telephones and tyres to lingerie and dressing gowns.
The post-World War II industrial boom brought dramatic changes to Upper Hutt. One of the most iconic contributions was the Dunlop Tyres factory, which opened in 1949. Over the years, this factory evolved into South Pacific Tyres and produced tyres for both the local and international markets, employing hundreds and shaping the city’s economy. During its peak, the Dunlop plant manufactured millions of tyres each year, including pioneering steel-belted radials. This success mirrored the growth of Upper Hutt as a whole, with factories springing up to manufacture various goods.
Upper Hutt: City of Industry invites you to step back into this fascinating period with artifacts, oral histories, photographs, and interactive information panels. Through these displays, you’ll get a sense of the early industries that laid the groundwork—like saw-milling and timber production—and how they eventually paved the way for a diverse industrial landscape.
This exhibition not only honours the community’s industrial heritage but also encourages reflection on the future. How can we retain these values of innovation and resilience in a changing world? Join us as we relive the stories that defined Upper Hutt’s past and continue to inspire its future.
Extended to 1 December—Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with our local heritage and celebrate Upper Hutt’s journey from a rural town to an industrial powerhouse.