Chatswood, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chatswood
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Suburb
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The Chelsea Sugar Refinery and suburban Chatswood in the background
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 Chatswood
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Auckland |
| Electoral ward | North Shore ward |
| Local board | Kaipatiki Local Board |
| Area | |
| • Land | 307 ha (759 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 3,490 |
| Postcode(s) |
0626
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  Chatswood, New Zealand  |
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Chatswood is a suburb in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the middle-eastern side of the North Shore. Chatswood has a primary school and many parks for everyone to enjoy. To the south of Chatswood is Kendall's Bay, a small bay of the Waitematā Harbour. The area is managed by the Auckland Council. The Royal New Zealand Navy's Kauri Point Armament Depot is in Chatswood. The famous Chelsea Sugar Refinery is also located here.
Contents
Naming Chatswood
The name Chatswood was chosen by property developers in 1973. Before that, in the late 1800s, the area near Kauri Point was often called Balmain.
Chatswood's Geography
The land in Chatswood is mostly made of Waitemata Group sandstone. This rock formed on the sea floor about 22 to 16 million years ago. Before people settled here, the North Shore was covered in a thick forest. This forest had many kauri and other large conifer trees. Along the coast, you would find many Pōhutukawa trees.
Some parts of the original kauri forest still exist today. You can find them in places like Kauri Park, Le Roys Bush, Kauri Point Domain, Kauri Glen, and Eskdale Reserve.
Local Waterways and Bays
Duck Creek is a stream that flows through Chatswood. It runs south-east and enters the Waitematā Harbour near the Chelsea Sugar Refinery. Several bays of the Waitematā Harbour are found around Chatswood. These include Chelsea Bay, Kendall Bay, Onetaunga Bay, Fitzpatrick Bay, and Soldiers Bay.
The highest point in Chatswood is about 100 metres (328 feet) above sea level. It is located on Onetaunga Road, north of Bragato Place. The southernmost tip of the suburb is called Kauri Point Birkenhead, or Te Mātā-rae-o-Mana in Māori.
Chatswood's History
Māori History in the Area
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The clay soils in the inland forests were not good for farming. Because of this, most Māori settlements in the Birkenhead area focused on fishing. They also gathered food from the forests. The main settlement for the Te Kawerau ā Maki iwi (tribe) on the North Shore was called Te Mātārae ō Mana. This was a fortified village, or pā, located on a headland at Kauri Point. It was a great spot overlooking the Waitematā Harbour.
Early European Settlers
The Chatswood area was part of a larger piece of land called the Mahurangi Block. The New Zealand Government bought this land in 1841. People who bought land to sell later, called land speculators, purchased much of the isolated forests in Birkenhead in 1843. The first permanent European settlers arrived in 1849.
One family, the de Jersey Gruts, came from the Channel Islands in the 1850s. They tried to start a farm near Duck Creek. However, the poor soil made it hard to grow food. The family struggled, and even their servants had to share food with them. Their cattle would often wander off into the bush. The de Jersey Grut family left in 1865. They even had their house shipped to Orewa!
Birkenhead was divided into smaller sections and promoted as a town from 1863. In 1882, the Auckland Harbour Board built the Birkenhead Wharf, which helped with transport. Around 1866, Walter Carnall started a brick-making business at Kauri Point.
The Chelsea Sugar Refinery
In 1881, a company called the Australasian Colonial Sugar Refining Company chose Birkenhead for a new sugar factory. The company's founder, Edward Knox, visited Auckland and liked the location. Birkenhead was chosen because it was close to the sugarcane farms in Fiji. Also, south-eastern Birkenhead had one of the few deep-water spots in the Waitematā Harbour. This made it easy for ships to dock. The factory also had access to fresh water from Duck Creek.
The Chelsea Sugar Refinery opened in 1884. By 1888, it was producing a lot more sugar. Today, it is still the largest industrial site on the North Shore.
The sugar refinery brought many people to Birkenhead and the surrounding areas. This helped Birkenhead grow into a suburban town. In the mid-1880s, a village was built next to the factory for its workers. Mr. Judd, the first customs officer, suggested naming the factory and village "Chelsea." He named it after his hometown in England. In 1938, just before World War II, the New Zealand Government built the Kauri Point Armament Depot here.
Chatswood's Growth
In the 1950s, Birkenhead was still a quiet, semi-rural area. Only the parts near the Birkenhead Wharf felt like a town. Then, in 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened. This bridge made it much faster and easier to get to Auckland city. Because of the bridge, the wharves on the North Shore became less important for transport. Instead, areas with great views of the Waitematā Harbour became popular for building homes.
Chatswood itself was developed in 1966. It was built on land that the Chelsea Sugar Refinery no longer needed. Chatswood became the largest and most expensive of the new suburbs in Birkenhead after the bridge was built. Homes in the Chatswood Estate were sold to people starting in 1973.
In 1986, the Kauri Point Centennial Park was created. This park celebrated 100 years since the Birkenhead Borough Council was formed.
Chatswood's Population
Chatswood covers an area of about 3.07 square kilometres (1.19 square miles). As of 2023, it had an estimated population of 3,490. This means there are about 1137 people living in each square kilometre.
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 2006 | 3,426 | — |
| 2013 | 3,402 | −0.10% |
| 2018 | 3,531 | +0.75% |
| 2023 | 3,438 | −0.53% |
In the 2023 New Zealand census, Chatswood had 3,438 people. This was a small decrease from 2018 but a slight increase since 2013. The median age in Chatswood was 40.7 years. About 17.8% of the people were under 15 years old. Another 17.8% were aged 15 to 29. The largest group, 47.2%, were aged 30 to 64. About 17.2% were 65 or older.
Chatswood is a diverse place. About 60.2% of people identified as European (Pākehā). Other groups included 6.1% Māori, 2.5% Pasifika, and 35.3% Asian. English is spoken by most people (92.2%). Many other languages are also spoken, showing the suburb's diversity. About 47.0% of people living in Chatswood were born overseas.
When it comes to religion, 28.9% of people identified as Christian. Many people, 58.6%, said they had no religion.
Many adults in Chatswood have a good education. About 42.7% of people aged 15 or older had a bachelor's degree or higher. The average income was $51,200.
Things to Do in Chatswood
The Chatswood area has several beautiful forested reserves. These include Kauri Park, Centennial Park, and Chatswood Reserve. They are great places to explore nature.
Schools in Chatswood
Chelsea School is a primary school in Chatswood. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 6. The school was built in 1981. As of February 2024. , it has a roll of 329 students.
