Henry Charles Swan

Henry Charles Swan ( 1856 – 1931) was an English lawyer and New Zealand settler. In 1901 or 1902, he left for a supposed solo yacht trip around the world but instead ended up sailing up a tidal tributary of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, on New Zealand's North Island, where he lived inside his yacht for at least 25 years until his death.

He built Swan's Arch, which became a Category 2 listed structure.

Early life

Swan was born 1856 in Gateshead, England, to Joseph and Ann Swan (née Robson). from 1880 until at least 1891.

Swan and his wife lived in Devonport, and in either 1901 or 1902 he sailed out onto the harbour aboard the Awatea, the yacht he had purchased in 1900. Most reports state Swan had told people he was going to sail around the world.

One person who had met Swan recalled that Swan had dug up an apple and offered it to him. Swan claimed the apple was 25 years old and he had used a scientific method of preserving it. An apple Swan propagated known as the Golden Swan was well known in West Auckland.

Lucy Cranwell-Smith, a highly regarded botanist, credits Swan with helping foster her interest and learning about botany. opened_date = inauguration_date = relocated_date = renovation_date = closing_date = demolished_date = cost = owner = height = material = Brick and mortar, concrete size = floor_count = floor_area = architect = Henry Charles Swan architecture_firm = parking = public_transit = website = references = footnotes = embedded =

Swan built tunnels to store his crops and books using bricks that had fallen off the pottery ships in the side of the creek. He also built an arch. The tunnels were destroyed by flooding in 1929, but the arch survived. It is near Central Park Drive, in Swan Arch Reserve.

The purpose of the arch is not known, but a neighbour's son said it was supposed to be part of a swimming pool and fountain, possibly for the purpose of teaching children how to swim.

Swan likely constructed the arch before 1923 but the construction date is unknown. Awatea_crop.jpg|The Awatea