Wellsford (Māori: Whakapirau)[3] is a town on the Northland Peninsula in the northern North Island of New Zealand.

It is a major regional centre, being located at the junction of State Highways 1 and 16, almost halfway between Auckland and the Northland city of Whangārei.

Wellsford was established by the Albertlanders in 1862, a group of Baptist tradespeople and farmers from the Birmingham area who settled the southern Oruawharo River, developing into a timber and kauri gum.

By the early 20th century, the area developed into a regional centre for dairy farming, in part due to the opening of Wellsford railway station in 1909, linking the town to Auckland.

The settlement was originally known by its Māori name Whakapirau,[4] which is the name of the local creek flowing into the Kaipara Harbour.

[9] Wellsford is close to a narrowing of the Northland Peninsula caused by an arm of the Kaipara Harbour on the west coast extending inland for 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the body of the harbour, stretching to within 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of the east (Pacific Ocean) coast.

[10] The upper reaches of the Whakapirau Creek are located to the north of the town,[5] while southern Wellsford is in the catchment of the Hōteo River.

[4] During the mid-18th century, Ngāti Whātua peoples of Northland migrated south to the Kaipara Harbour.

The northern and eastern Kaipara, including Wellsford, were controlled by Te Uri-o-Hau, a Ngāti Whātua tribal grouping led by Haumoewhārangi.

[13] In the 1820s during the Musket Wars, the eastern Kaipara was depopulated, as people sought refuge in other parts of the country.

[9] Under a Special Settlement Scheme by the Government, the Oruawharo Block became a planned settlement, predominantly settled by Baptist tradespeople and farmers from the Birmingham area, who settled between 1862 and 1865 at Tāpora, Port Albert and Wellsford.

[9] By 1900, the timber and kauri gum trades had begun to recede, and settlers turned to dairy farming as a primarily source of income.

[7] During this period, the town gradually moved away from the shores of the Whakapirau Stream, with the new centre of Wellsford developing near the train station.

[10] As roads improved, the town developed as a service stop for people travelling between Auckland and Whangārei along State Highway 1.

[17] In 1979, Irwin Industrial Tools was established in Wellsford, constructing circular saw-blades and growing to be a major local employer, before closing in 2009.

[31] Rodney College's Board of Trustees was dismissed in August 2008 and a Ministry of Education commissioner appointed.

[36] With the abolition of the provinces of New Zealand in 1876, Wellsford became part of the newly formed Rodney County.