Between 1847 and 1852, a number of towns in the Auckland Region were established by Governor George Grey as outposts for the Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps, a collection of retired British and Irish soldiers, to serve as a buffer against a perceived threat of war from the south.

In 1857, residents petitioned the Auckland Provincial Council for a bridge across the river,[3] to replace the inconsistent ferry services.

[4] The Tamaki Bridge Act was passed in February 1864,[1] allowing the province to raise funds for its construction, however financial difficulties delayed the project.

[4] Initially designed by William Rickford Collett, the bridge was constructed of steel, basalt rock from Melbourne, tōtara wood piles and a kauri deck.

[1] Work began in October 1864, however issues involving the depth of the river bed meant that repairs on the Muntz metal sheaths were needed to be undertaken.

[3] In December 1865, the bridge was first opened for public use, timed for Auckland residents to use to get to the Howick Races on Boxing Day.

[4] Heavy rain caused larger horse-drawn carriages to sink into the unfinished embankments on the Pakuranga side of the bridge.

[3] After repairs in 2013, the swing-span mechanism on the east side was added to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust register in 2014.