The Britomart Transport Centre is named because of its location. Britomart was one of Auckland's very early European placenames. It referred to a prominent point or headland jutting out into the harbour, which was the site of the city's first military barracks, Fort Britomart. The name came from a Royal Navy ship, HMS Britomart. Britomart Point was later levelled as part of harbour development and reclamations. In December 1873 Auckland's first railway station was built near there, and called Britomart Station. This was replaced in 1885 by a new station in Customs St, and then in 1930 another new station opened on Beach Rd, Parnell. So the development of the modern Britomart station saw trains return to (near) the site of Auckland's first railway station, hence the reuse of the Britomart name.