Thursday, June 25, 2009

ATTA - an Auckland taxi company

Updated 22 August 2013.

I was invited me around to a friend's place recently. Amongst her family history folders was this: an advertising plate from the ATTA Taxis Ltd (which refers to an Avondale branch).

I have to do more digging sometime into this, and would appreciate help from readers as well. ATTA Taxis was apparently an off-shoot from Wellington. All files on them are at Wellington’s office of Archives New Zealand, but according to a 1939 directory I now have, their Auckland office was at 32 Lorne Street, the Ngapuhi Chambers. Update: the Auckland Archives NZ closed file for Auckland ATTA covers the period 1931-1945, so it looks like the Auckland company merged with someone else.

Auckland Star 13 November 1931

A reader of the Avondale Historical Journal rang me with information that ATTA stands for Any Time, To Anywhere. That may have been what the general public at the time thought, but the firm's advertisements from late 1931 reveal that ATTA stood for Air Transport and Touring Automobiles of NZ, Ltd.


Air Transport and Touring Automobiles of New Zealand, Ltd, Auckland, taxicab proprietors and general carriers, etc. Capital £500, in 100 shares of £5 each. Subscribers: Richard J. Healy, Rowland L. Hill, Charles R. Boler, Raymond A. Irwin, Lyle W. Bonney, William R Sadgrove, Victor A. Christie and Alfred Ramsden, 1 share each.
Auckland Star 30 November 1931

Does this firm spark any memories?

3 comments:

  1. When I arrived in Auckland in 1980, The Service Station on Newton Road, just down from the K'Rd, Ponsonby Rd, Gt North Rd lights on the K'Rd side was know as ATTA Service Station (CALTEX).

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  2. I remember ATTA on Newton Rd near Karangahape Rd and another older ATTA station on Upper Queen St.
    Wasn't there another taxi related service station on Newton Rd just below Upper Queen St ?? RJS.

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    1. Yes I remember the Atta Station where you said, I do remember a Petrol .Station in Servia St that went through to East St Newton, about 1956, they seemed to have Taxis operating from there.

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