Epsom, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Epsom
Suburb
Auckland Grammar School, a well-known school in Epsom
Epsom Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Auckland
Electoral ward	Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward
Local board	Albert-Eden Local Board Puketāpapa Local Board
Area
• Land	627 ha (1,549 acre)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	19,260

	Epsom, New Zealand

Epsom is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located in the middle of the Auckland isthmus, a narrow strip of land. Epsom sits between Mount Eden and Greenlane, south of Newmarket. It is about 5 kilometers south of the Auckland City Centre.

Epsom is a valley surrounded by four volcanic hills. Tāmaki Māori people first settled here around the 13th or 14th centuries. They grew gardens because the volcanic soil was very good for farming. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Epsom was near the center of Waiohua, a powerful group of Tāmaki Māori tribes. Their main settlements were at Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Around 1741, after some conflicts, the area became part of the land of Ngāti Whātua.

After the city of Auckland was founded, Ngāti Whātua sold about 8,000 acres of land to the government. The village of Epsom was then created in 1841. Epsom became a farming area in the 1840s and 1850s. By the 1860s, wealthy people from Auckland started building large country homes here. In 1903, a tramway was built, and small shopping areas grew in Epsom. By the 1920s, most of the farmland had become suburban houses. From 1930 to 1989, eastern Epsom was its own local government area called the One Tree Hill Borough.

Important places in Epsom include Cornwall Park, Greenlane Clinical Centre, and Alexandra Park.

Epsom's Location and Features

Epsom is a valley located between four volcanic hills on the Auckland isthmus

Epsom is a suburb located inland in the middle of the Auckland isthmus. It doesn't have clear natural borders. However, Epsom is mainly a valley surrounded by four volcanoes from the Auckland volcanic field. These are Maungawhau / Mount Eden to the northwest, Tītīkōpuke / Mount Saint John to the northeast, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill to the southeast, and Te Tātua a Riukiuta / Three Kings to the southwest. Before Europeans arrived, many streams flowed through the Epsom valley towards the Waitematā Harbour. Since the 1960s, the corner of Manukau Road and Great South Road has been seen as the start of Epsom.

Epsom is next to several other suburbs. Mount Eden is to the west, Newmarket to the north, and Remuera to the east. Three Kings is to the southwest. One Tree Hill and Greenlane are to the southeast, and Royal Oak is to the south. Key roads in Epsom include Manukau Road, which cuts through the suburb. It connects Newmarket to Royal Oak. Great South Road is to the east and links Newmarket to South Auckland. Greenlane is a major road that goes east-west across the isthmus. The Auckland Southern Motorway and Southern Line train tracks are east of Epsom.

Greenwoods Corner is a small shopping area in southern Epsom. It is at the intersection of Manukau Road and Pah Road.

Why Epsom is Called Epsom

The name "Epsom" first appeared in newspapers in September 1841. This was when the first pieces of land were sold. The name probably comes from the Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, England. This racecourse is famous for the Epsom Derby horse race. Epsom in New Zealand was one of the first places where horse races were held. The first races were advertised in September 1841 and took place in November of that year. People often say that Robert Wynyard, who was a leader in the Auckland Province, chose the name Epsom. However, this might not be entirely true.

The Epsom valley does not have any old Tāmaki Māori names that are widely known. However, some traditional names for specific spots include Te Rua-a-Rangi ("The Pit of Rangi"). This was at the Great South Road and Manukau Road intersection. Another was Te Punga-a-Rangi ("The Spring of Rangi"), near the Mount Saint John Avenue and Manukau Road intersection. Also, Ngā Ana-peka-rau ("The Cave of Many Bats") was near Windmill Park.

Epsom's Natural Environment

The Almorah Rock Forest is a rare type of forest in Auckland. It grows in areas with little soil on volcanic rock from Maungawhau / Mount Eden. Only about 25 hectares of this forest remain today.

The Epsom area is mostly made of volcanic soil. This soil has been changed over time into farmland. It lies on top of Waitemata Group sandstone. Tītīkōpuke / Mount Saint John and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill are the oldest volcanoes in the Epsom area. They are thought to have erupted about 75,000 and 67,000 years ago. Te Tātua a Riukiuta / Three Kings last erupted around 31,000 years ago. The youngest volcano in Epsom is Maungawhau / Mount Eden, which erupted about 28,000 years ago. To the southeast of Maungawhau / Mount Eden was Te Pou Hawaiki. This was a small volcanic cone where the Auckland College of Education now stands. It was dug away for its rock. We don't know how old Te Pou Hawaiki is, but it erupted before Maungawhau / Mount Eden.

Epsom has many lava caves. These caves were formed by the eruptions of the five known volcanoes. Northern Epsom is home to a very rare ecosystem in New Zealand, called the Almorah Rock Forest. This forest grows in areas with very little soil on the volcanic rock from Maungawhau / Mount Eden. This special forest has shrunk from 5,000 hectares to just 25 hectares since people started settling on the Auckland isthmus.

Epsom's History

Māori Life in Epsom

Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill was a large settlement and fortified village (pā) important to the Waiohua tribes of Tāmaki Māori in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Māori have lived on the Auckland isthmus since about the 13th or 14th centuries. The Epsom valley was likely one of the first places where Māori farmed. The wider area was used for growing crops, especially kūmara (sweet potato). The volcanic peaks of Maungawhau / Mount Eden, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill, and Tītīkōpuke / Mount Saint John were probably first settled around 1400 AD. An overland walking track (ara) was created between the Waitematā and Manukau harbors. This track later became Manukau Road.

Te Pou Hawaiki, a volcanic crater at the Auckland College of Education campus, was a very important place. A small fortified village (pā) called Ōwhatihue was located there. Soil from Hawaiki (the Māori homeland) was brought to this site when people first settled. Rituals were performed here before big hunting and fishing trips. A path called Aratakihaere ("The Path of Single File") connected Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Te Pou Hawaiki. Also, Melville Park is a place where Tāmaki Māori placed large stones.

In the 17th century, a chief named Hua Kaiwaka united the tribes on the isthmus. This group was called Waiohua. This union lasted for three generations until the early 18th century. During this time, thousands of people lived in fortified villages (pā) on Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill.

The Te Taoū family group (hapū) of Ngāti Whātua defeated Kiwi Tāmaki, the main chief of Waiohua, around 1741. This happened at a battle at Paruroa (Big Muddy Creek). After Waiohua was defeated, some members of Te Taoū settled in Tāmaki Makaurau and married into the Waiohua families. They later became known as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. During this time, old farming areas on the isthmus started to grow back into forests. This was because Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei had a smaller population. Ngāti Whātua stayed at Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill until Tuperiri died around 1795.

Early contact with Europeans brought diseases like influenza to Tāmaki Māori in 1793 and 1810. In late 1821, during the Musket Wars, a Ngāpuhi war party (taua) led by Hongi Hika attacked the Auckland isthmus settlements. This led to a time when the isthmus was mostly empty. Tāmaki Māori from the isthmus mostly went south to stay with their Waikato Tainui relatives. Ngāti Whātua returned to the isthmus by the mid-1830s. They resettled in the Māngere Bridge-Onehunga area.

Early European Settlement

Pencil sketch of Epsom and Mount Saint John in 1842.

St Andrews Church was built in 1846 and rebuilt in 1868.

In 1840, after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Chief Apihai Te Kawau gave land at Waihorotiu to William Hobson. Hobson was the first Governor of New Zealand. This land was for the capital city to grow. This place became the modern city of Auckland. It started with a port at Commercial Bay. In mid-1840, Apihai Te Kawau moved most of the Ngāti Whātua people from the Manukau Harbour to Remuera-Ōrākei. This was closer to the new Auckland settlement. Two ports were created: the Port of Auckland on the Waitematā Harbour to the north of Epsom, and the Port of Onehunga on the Manukau Harbour to the south.

In June 1841, the government bought another 8,000 acres of land south of Auckland from Apihai Te Kawau. Much of this land became the modern suburb of Epsom. The first farms in Epsom were divided and sold in September 1841. Since the first farms were set up later that year, Epsom became one of the first European farming areas in New Zealand. It quickly became known for horse racing events. These races were held on William Potter's land near where Alexandra Park is today. Besides the Village of Epsom, other small villages were started by property developers. These included Kingsdown, Windsor, Anna, and Maytown. However, none of these names stuck. The population of Epsom grew from 51 people in 1842 to 222 people in 1845.

Epsom struggled to grow as a community in the 1840s and 1850s because of land speculators. Even though the volcanic soil made farms productive, making money from dividing and selling land was often easier than setting up working farms. Early landowners included George Graham, William Potter, William Greenwood (who Greenwoods Corner is named after), and James Dilworth. Early farms grew crops like wheat, oats, flax, and barley. By the 1850s, wheat became less profitable. So, people started growing potatoes and raising livestock like cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens.

Around 1843, a windmill was built in Epsom. It was at the corner of Windmill Road and St Andrews Road. The windmill mainly ground wheat. Māori people often brought corn to be ground there. The windmill became less profitable, and its owners faced money problems. During the Invasion of the Waikato in the early 1860s, the Epsom windmill was turned into a defensive post for the area.

In 1846, the first church in the area, St Andrews, was built in Epsom. This Anglican church was later rebuilt in 1868.

Epsom's Upper-Class Rural Life

View from Maungawhau / Mount Eden in the late 1870s. It shows large houses, like Clifton House (bottom left).

By the 1860s, Epsom and Remuera became popular places for wealthy Auckland families. They built large country homes and estates here. Important people who lived in Epsom during this time included Thomas Gillies, Edwin Hesketh, David Murdoch, John Benjamin Russell, and John Logan Campbell. John Logan Campbell had a huge farm on the northern slopes of Maungakiekie. There were some disagreements between Epsom's farmers and its wealthy residents. Many wealthy people complained about farm smells and practices.

Compared to other areas close to Auckland, Epsom residents were slow to accept city development. Services arrived much later in Epsom. The post office was only set up in 1877. Manukau Road was improved in 1882. Gas street lighting came in 1882, and the first school opened only in 1885. By the 1890s, Chinese market gardeners started renting land in Epsom. The first was Ming Quong, who rented 22 acres from John Logan Campbell in 1892. He set up market gardens where the Cornwall Cricket Club is today.

In 1890, the Costley Home for the Aged Poor was built. This is where the Greenlane Clinical Centre is now.

In 1901, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (who later became King George V and Queen Mary of Teck) visited New Zealand. During their visit, the Epsom Race Course was renamed Alexandra Park. This was in honor of the Queen, Alexandra of Denmark. Cornwall Park was also officially opened. It was named after the Duke and Duchess. Cornwall Park was originally owned by John Logan Campbell, who gave the land to the City of Auckland.

Trams and Suburban Growth

People waiting for the tram on Manukau Road at Greenwoods Corner (photo taken between 1903 and 1919).

Epsom slowly became more suburban in the 1900s and 1910s. In 1903, a tramway was built in Epsom. It connected Auckland City to Onehunga along Manukau Road. This replaced the horse-drawn services that started in 1888. Trams quickly became the main public transport in Epsom. Two shopping areas grew around the tram stops. One was at the intersection of Greenlane and Manukau, and the other was at Greenwoods Corner.

The Epsom Showgrounds were first used for the Auckland agricultural show in 1911. They later became a major place for events in the 1910s. During World War I, Alexandra Park became the Epsom Military Camp. Many soldiers were trained there before going to war.

In 1923, a second tram route was built along Great South Road. This led to a third shopping center in Epsom, at the intersection of Ranfurly Road and Great South Road.

The Ambury milk treatment factory opened in Epsom in 1924. This factory operated until the early 1980s. However, the last farms in Epsom disappeared in the 1920s or early 1930s.

By the 1920s, Chinese-owned businesses started operating on Manukau Road. These included laundries and greengrocers. Around 1932, the first Indian greengrocer started in Epsom. This was when Gujarat immigrant Parbhu Kashanji began working at a relative's store.

Small factories started in Epsom from the 1920s onwards. Frederick Porter's Dye Works moved to Market Road in 1927. The Swiss Laloli brothers started a children's furniture business on Manukau Road in 1939. In 1941, the En-Ta Toys factory was built at Greenwoods Corner. Epsom residents often complained about the factory smells. The factory caught fire twice in the 1940s. After the second fire, the Auckland City Council did not allow the factory to be rebuilt.

World War II in Epsom

Cornwall Hospital (now gone) was built in northern Cornwall Park in 1943 for United States Army soldiers during World War II.

During World War II, two groups of the New Zealand Home Guard were based in Epsom. These were the One Tree Hill A Company and Epsom Company Home Guard. Training exercises were held at the One Tree Hill domain by the Epsom Company Home Guard. In 1942, the Auckland Teachers Training College was taken over by the government. It was used as a military operations center. A bunker was built there to protect the center if there was an attack.

In 1942, the old Costley Home for the Aged Poor was renamed the Auckland Infirmary in 1924. It was then redeveloped as Green Lane Hospital. This was because Auckland City Hospital was very busy during the war. Also, the United States Army built Cornwall Hospital north of Cornwall Park in 1943. This hospital treated American soldiers injured in the Pacific War. It closed the next year. The hospital then operated until 1975 as a hospital for mothers and babies and for older people.

Epsom in Recent Times

The Epsom windmill was taken down in 1953. In 1956, the tram service along Manukau Road stopped. It was replaced by trolleybuses.

In 1957, the Beth Shalom Jewish synagogue was built on Manukau Road. Te Unga Waka Marae, a Catholic urban Māori meeting place, was built on Manukau Road in 1966. It was started by Whina Cooper and her nephew Pa Matiu.

In 1966, the Newmarket Viaduct of the Auckland Southern Motorway was built. This was the start of a growing motorway system east of Epsom. It connected the Auckland City Centre to South Auckland.

In the 1980s, Epsom's population started to change. More Asian communities settled in the suburb. Since the early 1990s, many new townhouses have been built. This has changed the look of some streets in Epsom. Homes in Epsom are often much more expensive than similar houses elsewhere. This is because Epsom is in the school zones of many well-known schools in central Auckland.

Epsom's Population Facts

Epsom covers 6.27 square kilometers. It had an estimated population of 19260 as of June 2023. . This means there are about 3072 people per square kilometer.

In the 2018 New Zealand census, Epsom had 19,428 people. This was a small increase of 36 people (0.2%) since the 2013 census. It was an increase of 1,323 people (7.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 5,904 households. This included 9,285 males and 10,140 females. So, there were 0.92 males for every female. About 2,856 people (14.7%) were under 15 years old. 5,271 people (27.1%) were aged 15 to 29. 8,640 people (44.5%) were aged 30 to 64. And 2,667 people (13.7%) were 65 or older.

The ethnic makeup was: 47.2% European/Pākehā, 4.2% Māori, 2.9% Pacific peoples, 48.9% Asian, and 3.3% other ethnicities. Some people chose more than one ethnicity.

About 50.3% of people were born overseas. This is higher than the national average of 27.1%.

Many people did not answer the question about religion. However, 47.6% had no religion. 32.5% were Christian. 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs. 6.2% were Hindu. 2.4% were Muslim. 4.3% were Buddhist. And 2.3% had other religions.

Of those aged 15 or older, 7,251 people (43.8%) had a bachelor's degree or higher. 1,314 people (7.9%) had no formal qualifications. 3,912 people (23.6%) earned over $70,000. This is higher than the national average of 17.2%. For those aged 15 or older, 7,908 people (47.7%) worked full-time. 2,442 people (14.7%) worked part-time. And 570 people (3.4%) were unemployed.

Important Places in Epsom

Aerial view of Alexandra Park and Cornwall Park in 1973.

The Alexandra Park Raceway is in the southeastern part of Epsom. It is right next to the Epsom Showgrounds. This wide, flat area at the intersection of Green Lane West and Manukau Roads has been used for sports since the 1850s. The two venues were officially set up around 1900. Alexandra Raceway was named after the Princess of Wales, who later became Queen Alexandra. The Epsom Showgrounds host the yearly Auckland Royal Easter Show.

Manukau Road is the main road running through Epsom. It connects central Auckland on the east coast to its airport and its west coast harbor, the port of nearby Onehunga. In the 19th century, it was one of the main routes south from Auckland. The main route was Great South Road, which forms Epsom's northeastern border with Remuera. Because it linked to the Port of Onehunga, Manukau Road became the route for horse buses, horse trams, and, after 1902, electric trams. Many suburban houses and villas were built along it.

Several large homes were built in Epsom's open countryside in the mid to late 19th century. These were surrounded by big estates and smaller working farms. As these lands were divided up towards the end of the 19th century, the landscape changed a lot. A major landowner, Dr. John Logan Campbell, gave a large part of his estate to the city. This land is now Cornwall Park.

Epsom's most notable parks and reserves include the volcanic cone of Mount Saint John and Marivare Reserve. Marivare Reserve is at the intersection of Manukau and Ranfurly Roads. It has a War Memorial arch made of volcanic rock. Other sports grounds are Melville Park and Windmill Park. Besides reserves within Epsom itself, the suburb is surrounded by public parks. These parks were often given to the city by Epsom residents.

To the west is Mt Eden with the Mount Eden Domain. To the east are Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill Domain.

Famous Buildings in Epsom

Campbell Memorial Fountain and Statue.

• St Andrews Church – St Andrews Road. This is a wooden Anglican church from the 19th century. It is built in the style of Bishop Selwyn. Dr. Purchas was the vicar here. This church was once the center of a rural area. It has an old and important graveyard. Not much of the 1846 or 1867 churches remain. However, the church has been a Category 1 listed building since 1989.
• Dilworth Chapel – Great South Road. This is a modern chapel for a well-known boys' school.
• Rocklands Hall – 187 Gillies Avenue. This is a grand country home built in the French Second Empire style. It was designed by Auckland architect John Currie (1849–1919). It was the home of Thomas Bannatyne Gillies. He was a farmer, lawyer, politician, judge, and naturalist. He arrived in Dunedin in 1852. He served in local and national governments in the 1860s. He became a Supreme Court Judge. The house was built around 1865–66. A large ballroom was added in 1889. This house was once a center for horseback hunting when the area was mostly open farmland. Now it is a student hostel for the nearby teachers' college.
• Te Unga Waka Marae – Corner Clyde Street and Manukau Road. This is a Catholic urban Māori meeting place.
• Epsom Library – Manukau Road. This building is from the 1990s. It replaced an older building from 1917.
• Liberal Jewish Synagogue – Manukau Road. This is a modern building from the 1950s by John Goldwater. It is one of two synagogues in Auckland.
• Vasanta School – Margot Street. This is a two-story wooden Victorian house with a turret. It is used by the Theosophical Society as a school.
• Marivare – Ranfurly Road. This is a large 19th-century country house from around 1862. It was built for Henry Ellis (1828–1879). Ellis was elected to the Provincial Council in 1869. He later worked as an immigration agent. The residence was bought by lawyer John Russell in the early 1880s and renamed Marivare. After Russell died in 1894, his daughter Ada Carr bought Marivare. Now it is surrounded by suburban houses. The Carr family gave the last part of the estate to the city as a War Memorial, which is now the Marivare Reserve.
• Former One Tree Hill Borough Council Building – Manukau Road near Ranfurly Road.
• St Cuthbert's College – Market Road. This is a 1920s Classical building for a private girls' school.
• Epsom Post Office – Manukau Road. This is an Arts & Crafts style building from around World War I. It is made of brick, stucco, and Marsailles tiles.
• Campbell Memorial Fountain and Statue – This is at the Manukau Road entrance to Cornwall Park. It is a baroque fountain honoring Sir John Logan Campbell. It is made of a huge pile of basalt rocks with a red granite base and a large bronze statue. The sculptor, Henry Alfred Pegram (1862–1937), worked from London. The statue was unveiled on Empire Day, May 24, 1906.
• Former Tram Company Building – Greenlane. This was an office block built after the Electric Tram System started in 1902. Epsom was a good place for the large Tram Sheds because it was halfway between Auckland and Onehunga. These sheds were taken down in the late 1970s and replaced by office buildings. The old office block is now a restaurant.
• Lido Cinema – Manukau Road at Greenlane. This is a Neo-Greek style building from the 1920s.
• Alexandra Park Raceway Gates – Greenlane Road. These are brick, stucco, and Marsailles tile lodges with wrought iron gates from the early 1920s.
• 1905 Totaliser Building – Alexandra Park Raceway. This is a wooden building from the early 20th century. It is one of the oldest things still standing on this site.
• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – Banff Avenue. This is a Roman Catholic Church with a school next to it.

Education in Epsom

Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar School are state secondary schools for boys and girls separately. They teach students from years 9 to 13. Their student numbers are 2,664 and 2,206 respectively.

Dilworth School, Diocesan School for Girls, and St Cuthbert's College are private schools. They teach boys or girls separately from years 1 to 13. Their student numbers are 490, 1,688, and 1,412 respectively.

Epsom Normal Primary School is a state primary school for years 1 to 6. It has 583 students. Kohia Terrace School is a state primary school for years 1 to 8. It has 351 students. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School is a state-integrated Catholic school for years 1 to 8. It has 175 students. All these primary schools teach both boys and girls.

Student numbers are as of February 2024. .

Many parents want to live in the "Grammar Zone." This means their homes are in the area that allows their children to attend Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls' Grammar. Because of this, houses in Epsom are very wanted and expensive. Homes inside the Grammar Zone can cost at least NZ$100,000 more than a similar house just outside the zone.

The University of Auckland Faculty of Education campus is also in this area. It used to be called the Auckland College of Education.

Epsom Library is a branch of Auckland Libraries. It is located on Manukau Road, one of Epsom's main roads.