Francis Gittos   1843 - 1924

Francis Gittos was born in 1843 in Hokianga and died in Auckland 1924 aged 81.

In 1890 he leased the Avondale South Domain and started up Blockhouse Bay’s earliest known industry.

The business he set up at the Bay was a wool-scouring works. This would follow on naturally from his father Benjamin’s own subsidiary wool-scouring works alongside the Oakley Creek tannery.

Trees planted by Mr Gittos to help run the tannery still stand in the park today, while he once owned a large house where the Countdown carpark on Donovan St now sits.

In 2009, The Blockhouse Bay Historical Society finally got their wish for a name change from Avondale South Domain  to Gittos Domain reflecting the history of the area and felt Mr Gittos could provide the perfect title for the park.

There are a lot of walks in this Domain and great sea views at GZ.

Cache is small & no room for TBs