As the size of ships was increasing dramatically, rather than build new wharves or dredge the harbour channels, it was proposed that cargo ships moor out in the Waitematā Harbour channel and be unloaded into "lighters", small barges that would then ferry the goods to shore via the specially built wharves in the new "Viaduct Lighter Basin".

This left the partially completed lighter basin without a real purpose, so it was used to berth the various fishing boats and thus tidy up the appearance of the Auckland waterfront further east.

Next to the Lighter Basin a fish market and various warehouses were constructed, including Turners & Growers Ltd, the city's main produce wholesalers.

[7] Timber mills had occupied the edges of Freeman's Bay prior to the construction of the Lighter Basin and Victoria Park; these continued to be a feature of the area for most of the 20th century along with other industries such as foundries, many of which were associated with ship building in one way or another.

[9] Other yards, added along much of the waterfront, included - In 1995, Russell Coutts and Team New Zealand won the America's Cup in San Diego.

[3] In 2011, the area of the Auckland waterfront to the west of the Viaduct Harbour, historically known as the Western Reclamation or Tank Farm, was redeveloped into Wynyard Quarter.