Greenwoods Corner facts for kids
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Greenwoods Corner is a cool neighbourhood in Auckland, New Zealand. It's part of the larger suburb called Epsom. You can find it south of Newmarket and north of Royal Oak, right where Pah Road and Manukau Road meet.
This area is nestled near the famous Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. It's a great starting point to explore many interesting places nearby. Greenwoods Corner has a small shopping area with lots of local businesses. You'll find restaurants, cafés, and different shops there.
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A Look Back: The History of Greenwoods Corner
Greenwoods Corner got its name from an early English landowner, Mr. William Greenwood. He bought six acres of land here in 1842 for about 43 pounds. That's a lot of money for land back then!
Mr. Greenwood built his family home, called a homestead, on a special triangular piece of land. In 1909, he sold the rest of his land to a group of people who wanted to divide it into smaller sections for building homes. The Greenwood family lived in their homestead for 110 years. That's a really long time, especially since Auckland is a fairly new city!
Early Days and Changes
When Greenwoods Corner was first developing, it was surrounded by Manukau Road to the east, Pah Road to the west, and Mount Albert Road to the south. Back then, southern Epsom was mostly countryside. It had green fields where cattle grazed.
Two tall Norfolk pines used to stand proudly, framing the Greenwood Homestead. They were important landmarks for the community. However, in 1954, the city decided to widen and improve the roads. So, both the pines and the homestead were taken down. Today, the Auckland Savings Bank stands where the old homestead used to be.
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill: A Local Landmark
The most famous landmark near Greenwoods Corner is Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. It's one of the many volcanic peaks found around Auckland. Maungakiekie is Auckland's third-largest volcanic peak. It stands 183 metres high and has three craters.
Long ago, before Europeans arrived, Maungakiekie was the biggest and most important Māori pā (a fortified village). It was famous for its huge kumara (sweet potato) gardens, which covered an area of 1,000 hectares.
Important People from the Area
Greenwoods Corner has connections to some very interesting people who helped shape Auckland.
Mr. William Greenwood (1806–1895)
William Greenwood was born in Brighton, England. He later moved to Wellington, New Zealand in 1840, but came to Auckland after an earthquake hit Wellington. Mr. Greenwood was a stonemason, which means he worked with stone.
The government hired him to build the old St Paul's Church, which was finished in 1844. A special tool, Greenwood's trowel, was used by Governor Hobson to lay the first foundation stone of the church. This trowel was later given to the city of Auckland and is now kept at the Auckland Art Gallery.
Sir John Logan Campbell (1817–1912)
John Logan Campbell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine, but decided not to become a doctor. Instead, he traveled to New South Wales in Australia and then to New Zealand. In 1853, Dr. John Logan Campbell bought a large farm of 1,000 acres at Maungakiekie. He renamed this farm One Tree Hill.
Dr. Campbell became very successful through his businesses and his work in politics. He was involved in more than 40 different committees, boards, and trusts over 50 years! He even served as Mayor of Auckland for three months in 1901. This was during a special visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (who would later become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra).
Because of this royal visit, Dr. Campbell decided to donate a large part of his land, 230 acres of One Tree Hill, to the country. He named this area Cornwall Park, in honour of the future king. The next year, in 1902, Dr. Campbell was made a Knight by the King.
Sir John Logan Campbell passed away on June 22, 1912. Auckland remembered him as one of the city's most important founding figures.
