as early as the 1860s this shore front began to be modified by the european settlers. in particular it was in order to get the railway tracks around to the bottom of queen street that point britomart was quarried away and official bay and mechanics bay filled in. initially the railway tracks came through the gully that lay between the auckland domain and the suburb of parnell, but later when a second route was formed further to the east through meadowbank the shoreline between mechanics bay and hobson bay was also modified. st georges bay ceased to exist and became the shunting yard for the railway station, and judges bay was separated from the harbour by a railway embankment.