The park is named after the Cafler family. Edward Eugene Cafler, born in France 1797, served in the battle of Waterloo and after many adventures around the world, settled in Whangārei in 1855.
He was an enterprising businessman who built a majestic home near what is today the Town Basin, and later a cottage in the vicinity of the park.
Cafler built Whangarei’s first hotel, first store and first post office. He died in 1893 at the age of 95.