East Auckland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
East Auckland
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An aerial view of some of the suburbs traditionally considered East Auckland, including Bucklands Beach, Howick and Botany Downs.
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 East Auckland
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | North Island |
| Region | Auckland Region |
| NZ Parliament | Botany Pakuranga |
| Area | |
| • Total | 69.68 km2 (26.90 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 157,700 |
| • Density | 2,263.2/km2 (5,861.7/sq mi) |
East Auckland (Māori: Te Rāwhiti o Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large area within Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand. People first settled here in the 1300s. This land is part of the traditional home of the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Māori people. In the 1840s, the area became farmland. The town of Howick was set up as a military outpost by retired British Army soldiers called fencibles. They helped protect Auckland.
From the 1910s, coastal areas became popular holiday spots. Then, from the 1950s, East Auckland grew into a busy suburban area. Since the 1980s, many people from Asian countries have moved here, creating diverse communities.
Contents
What is East Auckland?
Where is East Auckland located?
Most people agree that East Auckland includes the Howick local board area. This area has suburbs like Botany, Bucklands Beach, Howick, Flat Bush and Pakuranga. Sometimes, places from the eastern part of the Auckland isthmus are also included. These can be Glen Innes, Panmure, Point England, and the Pōhutukawa Coast.
How did East Auckland get its name?
The name "East Auckland" started being used in the 1970s. It became popular in the 1990s for the areas around Howick. In the 1800s, the area was sometimes called East Tāmaki.
Nature and Landscape of East Auckland
What natural features shape East Auckland?
Much of East Auckland is a peninsula. It has the Tāmaki River to the west and the Tāmaki Strait (part of the Hauraki Gulf) to the east. The Mangemangeroa Creek is also on its eastern side. The peninsula ends in the north at a place called Musick Point / Te Naupata.
The land is mostly made of Waitemata sandstone. This rock formed a very long time ago. You can see interesting folded rock layers at the cliffs of Eastern Beach. Some areas near the Tāmaki River and other creeks have rich, fertile soils.
Are there volcanoes in East Auckland?
Yes, East Auckland has features from the Auckland volcanic field. These include Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain, Ōtara Hill, Green Hill and Styaks Swamp. These volcanoes erupted between 57,000 and 20,000 years ago. Because of these eruptions, parts of Half Moon Bay and East Tāmaki are made of volcanic rock.
What was the environment like long ago?
The Tāmaki River is a "drowned river valley." This means it was a river valley that filled with sea water as sea levels rose after the last ice age, about 12,000 to 7,000 years ago.
Before people arrived, East Auckland was covered in thick forests. These forests had trees like tōtara, mataī, tawa, and pōhutukawa. By the 1800s, much of the forest had been replaced by fern fields. In the 1850s, the area became farmland, with pastures and trees like poplar, oak, and willow.
History of East Auckland
Māori History in East Auckland
Around the year 1300, the Tainui waka (canoe) arrived in the Tāmaki Strait. Some of its crew settled in what is now East Auckland. These people were the ancestors of today's Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, who are the traditional guardians of this land.
The mouth of the Tāmaki River was known as Te Wai ō Tāiki, named after the Ngāi Tai ancestor Tāiki. The upper river near Pakuranga was called Te Wai Mokoia, after a legendary taniwha (water spirit). The Tāmaki River settlements were important because they were close to Te Tō Waka. This was a portage at Ōtāhuhu where waka could be easily moved between the Tāmaki River and the Manukau Harbour.
How did Māori live in East Auckland?
The Ngāi Tai people lived between the Tāmaki and Wairoa rivers. They moved around based on what food was available each season. They gathered fish, shellfish, and birds. They also grew crops like kūmara (sweet potato), taro, and gourds. The volcanic soils, especially at Ōtara Hill and Pakuranga Creek, were used for large stonefield gardens.
Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain was an important fortified village (called a pā) for Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. It was named after an ancestress, Huiārangi. Other pā sites like Paparoa at Waipaparoa / Howick Beach and Tūwakamana at Cockle Bay helped protect their crops.
In the 1700s, a Ngāi Tai chief named Ngāriki built a large pā called Te Waiārohia at Musick Point. This became a major center for Ngāi Tai life. By the early 1800s, thousands of people lived along the Tāmaki River.
What happened when Europeans arrived?
From the 1780s, European whalers visited the area. Their visits brought new diseases, which caused hardship for many Ngāi Tai communities.
In the 1820s, during a time of conflict between Māori tribes (the Musket Wars), Ngāti Pāoa and Ngāi Tai settlements were attacked. Many Ngāi Tai people sought safety in the Waikato region. When missionaries visited in the 1830s, many settlements were empty. Some important sites became tapu (sacred and restricted) because of the many deaths.
In 1836, a missionary named William Thomas Fairburn arranged a large land sale. While he hoped it would bring peace, it's not clear if the Māori chiefs fully understood or agreed to the sale. Māori continued to live on the land. Later, much of this land was taken by the New Zealand Government and sold to settlers, rather than being returned to Ngāi Tai.
Early European Settlement in East Auckland
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In 1837, Fairburn started a mission at Maraetai. Here, he taught reading and writing and shared Christianity with Ngāi Tai and Ngāti Pāoa. This mission also had one of Auckland's first farms.
In 1847, Howick was founded as a defensive outpost for Auckland. It was settled by fencibles, who were retired British soldiers and their families. The fencibles arrived between 1847 and 1852. Early settlers found it hard to establish themselves because there were few trees for building and the soil was mostly clay.
Howick grew into a service center for the surrounding farms. People relied on boats and ferries until the first Panmure Bridge was built across the Tāmaki River in 1865. Wheat, potatoes, and butter were important products for the early settlers.
During the 1860s, there were conflicts in New Zealand. A defensive blockhouse was built at Stockade Hill in Howick. While some Māori were forced to leave their lands, Ngāi Tai were considered "friendly" by the Crown and remained neutral. However, after 1865, much of Ngāi Tai's land was taken by the government and sold to European farmers.
In 1865, the capital of New Zealand moved from Auckland to Wellington. This caused financial problems for Howick residents. In 1874, the Pakuranga Hunt was started, becoming a large social club.
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, dairy farms replaced wheat fields. In the 1910s and 1920s, places like Bucklands Beach, Eastern Beach, Shelly Park and Cockle Bay became popular holiday spots for people from Auckland.
Suburban Growth in East Auckland
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In the 1930s, the road to Howick was paved. This made it easier to transport milk to Auckland and for people to travel. Howick became a commuter suburb, where people lived but traveled to work in other parts of Auckland. During World War II, defenses were built along the coast. In 1948, Pakuranga was considered for a new international airport, but it was built elsewhere.
In 1952, Howick became its own borough. From the 1950s to the 1970s, East Auckland saw huge suburban growth, with many new neighborhoods built. In 1965, the Pakuranga Town Centre (now Pakuranga Plaza) opened. It was one of Auckland's first modern shopping malls.
In the 1980s and 1990s, many Asian immigrants moved to East Auckland. Business owners created commercial areas in Meadowlands and Somerville to support the growing Chinese New Zealander communities. In 2007, the Fo Guang Shan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in New Zealand, opened in Flat Bush.
In 1981, Lloyd Elsmore Park opened. It's a big park with sports facilities and the Howick Historical Village. The Botany Town Centre shopping mall opened in 2001.
In the 2000s, large new housing areas were built in the south, including Flat Bush, Dannemora and East Tāmaki Heights. The Ormiston Town Centre opened in 2021. The Flat Bush area is expected to have 40,000 residents by 2025. The Eastern Busway, a fast bus route connecting Botany to Panmure, began construction in 2019.
People of East Auckland
How many people live in East Auckland?
The Howick ward, which covers much of East Auckland, is about 69.68 square kilometers. As of 2023, it has an estimated population of 157,700 people.
What is the population like?
At the 2018 census, the Howick ward had 140,970 people. This was a good increase from previous years. There were slightly more females than males. The average age was 37.3 years. About 19.4% of the people were under 15 years old.
The population is very diverse:
More than half (53.1%) of the people living in East Auckland were born overseas.
What are the religious beliefs?
When asked about religion, 42.2% of people said they had no religion. 35.8% were Christian. Other religions included Hindu (6.3%), Muslim (2.8%), and Buddhist (3.4%).
What about education and jobs?
About 29.8% of people aged 15 or older had a bachelor's degree or higher. The average income was $34,900. More than half (51.1%) of people aged 15 or older worked full-time.
