Botany Downs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Botany Downs
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Suburb
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 Botany Downs
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Auckland |
| Electoral ward | Howick ward |
| Local board | Howick Local Board |
| Area | |
| • Land | 170 ha (420 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 5,830 |
  Botany Downs  |
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Botany Downs is a lively neighbourhood in Auckland, New Zealand. It's located in the eastern part of the city. This area used to be part of East Tāmaki. Today, it's managed by the Auckland Council as part of the Howick ward.
Contents
Exploring Botany Downs: Its Location and Features
Botany Downs is found on a central piece of land in East Auckland. It sits between the Tāmaki River and the Tāmaki Strait. This strait is part of the Hauraki Gulf. The suburb is just south of Howick.
A small stream called Botany Creek flows west through the area. It eventually joins the Pakuranga Creek. The ground around Howick, including Botany Downs, is mostly made of clay and sandstone. Botany Road is a main street that runs through the suburb. It crosses Cascades Road in the southern part of Botany Downs.
A Look Back: The History of Botany Downs
How Botany Downs Began
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The land where Botany Downs now stands has a long history. It is part of the traditional area of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. These are Māori people who came to the area around the year 1300. Their ancestors arrived on the Tainui canoe.
The inland swampy areas were traditionally called Ōwairoa. People grew many crops here. To stay safe, two fortified villages called pā were built. One was Paparoa Pā near Waipaparoa / Howick Beach. The other was Tūwakamana Pā above Cockle Bay.
In the 1820s, during a time of conflict called the Musket Wars, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki moved away for a while. An English missionary named William Thomas Fairburn visited in 1833. He found the area mostly empty.
In 1836, Fairburn arranged a large land sale with Māori chiefs. This sale covered much of what is now South and East Auckland. The goal was to stop fighting. However, it's not clear if the chiefs fully understood or agreed to everything. Māori people continued to live in the area as before.
Later, in 1854, the land sale was looked at again. A special area was set aside for Ngāi Tai around the Wairoa River. As part of this deal, Ngāi Tai members agreed to move from their older settlements to the west. In 1847, Howick was set up. It was a military outpost for Auckland, settled by retired British soldiers and their families.
Developing the Suburb
The name "Botany Downs" first belonged to a farm. Vern Carr leased this farm from James Wilson. Carr named his farm after Botany Road. The "Downs" part of the name was about farming economics in the 1950s and 1960s. It didn't describe the land's shape.
In the mid-1970s, the farm land was turned into a residential area. Botany Downs Primary School opened in 1975. The school chose to use the name of Carr's old farm.
The Howick Club, a private social club, opened in Botany Downs in 1984. A new bridge was built over Botany Creek on Botany Road in 1989.
Who Lives Here: Demographics
Botany Downs covers about 1.70 square kilometres. It has an estimated population of around 10,000 people. This means there are about 6,000 people living in each square kilometre.
In 2018, the population was 5,154 people. There were slightly more females than males. About 19% of the people were under 15 years old. Around 48% were between 30 and 64 years old.
The people living in Botany Downs come from many different backgrounds. About 60% are of European descent. About 5% are Māori, and 3% are Pacific peoples. A large group, about 35%, are of Asian descent. Many people (almost half) were born outside New Zealand.
When it comes to beliefs, about 47% of people said they had no religion. About 39% were Christian. Other religions like Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism were also present. Many adults in Botany Downs have a bachelor's degree or higher. Most adults are employed full-time.
Learning in Botany Downs: Education
Botany Downs has several schools.
- Botany Downs School is a primary school for years 1 to 6. It has a roll of about 1,235 students.
- Elim Christian College is a Christian school for years 1 to 13. It has about 1,190 students.
Both of these schools teach both boys and girls.
For older students, the main high schools in the area are Botany Downs Secondary College and Howick College.
