Takapuna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Takapuna
Suburb
Takapuna Beach with Takapuna visible in the background
Takapuna Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Auckland
Electoral ward	North Shore ward
Local board	Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
Established	1847
Area
• Land	455 ha (1,124 acre)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	11,860
Postcode(s)	0622
Busway station(s)	Smales Farm busway station
Hospitals(s)	North Shore Hospital

	Takapuna

Takapuna is a cool suburb on the North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand. It's like a narrow strip of land, called an isthmus, between Shoal Bay (which is part of Waitematā Harbour) and the Hauraki Gulf. You'll also find Lake Pupuke here. This freshwater lake is a volcanic maar and one of the oldest features of the Auckland volcanic field.

People called Tāmaki Māori first settled in Takapuna around the 1200s or 1300s. They used the resources from Lake Pupuke. They also had a special place called Te Uru Tapu, a grove of pōhutukawa trees. This grove is still there today and was important for funeral ceremonies.

In 1847, the first European farmers arrived in Takapuna. The Crown gave land here to a Ngāpuhi chief named Eruera Maihi Patuone. This was meant to create a protective area for Auckland. In 1849, Jean-Baptiste Pompallier started St Mary's College in Takapuna.

In the 1880s, Takapuna became a popular holiday spot for rich families from Auckland. They built many big summer homes near Lake Pupuke. By the early 1900s, Takapuna Beach became even more important for tourists. The area grew a lot in the 1910s because of a private tramway. By the 1930s, Takapuna slowly became a main shopping area for the North Shore. After the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959, Takapuna grew even more. It became the main administrative center for the North Shore.

What's in a Name? The Story of Takapuna

Takapuna was originally the name of a spring on the southwestern slopes of Maungauika / North Head at Torpedo Bay (watercolour by Caroline Harriet Abraham in the 1850s).

The name Takapuna comes from a spring at Maungauika / North Head. This spring is near Torpedo Bay Navy Museum in Devonport. The name was given by Hoturoa from the Tainui canoe. When the Tainui stopped at Torpedo Bay, Hoturoa and his crew met the local people. They drank from the spring. Hoturoa named the spring to remember a spring from his homeland, Hawaiki (Mangaia).

In Māori, puna means "natural spring." The meaning of taka here is not fully known. People have suggested it could mean "Knoll Spring," "Rock Spring," "Cliff Spring," or "Falling Spring."

Over time, Tāmaki Māori started using Takapuna for the wider area. This included Maungauika / North Head and the North Shore. In 1833, Jules Dumont d'Urville, an early explorer, was the first European to use the name for the area north of North Head. Later, during the early colonial days of Auckland, the name was used for the Parish of Takapuna. Even Lake Pupuke was called Lake Takapuna from the 1860s to the 1940s.

From 1866 to 1882, the area was known as the Lake District. Then, in 1882, the name Takapuna was officially adopted. The name Takapuna slowly came to mean the settlement around the southern shores of Lake Pupuke. This happened over the 1800s. The areas to the south became known as Devonport. This meant Takapuna became separate from its original namesake spring.

Takapuna's Land: Volcanoes and Forests

Lake Pupuke is a volcanic maar located in Takapuna, and one of the oldest known features of the Auckland volcanic field

The most recent eruption of Lake Pupuke led to the creation of Takapuna Reef and the Takapuna Fossil Forest

The North Shore is mostly made of Waitemata Group sandstone. This rock formed on the sea floor about 22 to 16 million years ago. Takapuna is home to Lake Pupuke. This lake is a volcanic maar and is one of the oldest parts of the Auckland volcanic field. It erupted around 193,200 years ago. There used to be a small scoria cone (a type of volcanic hill) west of Lake Pupuke. It was quarried for rock when Europeans settled here.

When Lake Pupuke erupted, two lava flows moved east through the area. They burned plants and covered the bottom 1–2 meters of tree trunks in lava. The lava turned into hard basalt rock. This created the Takapuna Fossil Forest. This forest was uncovered about 7,000 years ago as the coast wore away.

Before people lived here, pōhutukawa trees grew along the coast of the North Shore. The inland areas had a mixed forest with kauri trees. To the west of Takapuna, you can find Smiths Bush in Onewa Domain. This is a small piece of native forest. It has many kahikatea and taraire trees. By the 1850s, Takapuna was mostly mānuka scrubland. Many coastal areas had harakeke (flax) plants.

Where is Takapuna?

Takapuna is a narrow strip of land, an isthmus, between the Hauraki Gulf and Shoal Bay. Shoal Bay is a long, narrow part of the Waitematā Harbour. Takapuna is surrounded by other suburbs. Hauraki is to the south-east. Northcote is to the south-west. Hillcrest and Wairau Valley are to the west. Milford is north of Lake Pupuke. The highest point in Takapuna is 34 meters above sea-level. It is located at Killarney Street and The Terrace.

Takapuna has two beaches on its eastern side. Takapuna Beach is in the south. From here, you can see Rangitoto Island across the Rangitoto Channel. Further north along the coast is Thorne Bay. This bay has a rock formation called Black Rock at its northern end.

Barrys Point is a piece of land that sticks out into Shoal Bay. It is south of Esmonde Road.

Takapuna's Past: A Journey Through Time

Māori History and Legends

Pohutukawa, near the landing place below Lake Pupuke, Takapuna, an 1876 watercolour by Alfred Sharpe, depicting Te Uru Tapu

Māori people started settling in the Auckland Region around the 1200s or 1300s. The Devonport-Takapuna area was one of the first places settled. An ancestor named Peretū was known to live here. Later, Toi-te-huatahi and his followers settled and married into these early groups.

Around 1350, the Tainui canoe visited the Takapuna area. They stopped at the freshwater spring southwest of Maungauika / North Head. Some crew members, like Taikehu, decided to stay. They married people from the North Shore. Villages (called kāinga) were all over the Takapuna area. They were protected by fortified villages (called pā) at Castor Bay (Te Rahopara o Peretū) to the north. There were also pā at Takarunga / Mount Victoria and Maungauika / North Head to the south. Over time, these people became known as Ngā Oho and Ngāi Tai.

In the 1600s, a warrior named Maki came to his family's home in the Auckland Region. He united many Tāmaki Māori tribes, forming Te Kawerau ā Maki. This included the people of the North Shore. After Maki died, his sons settled different parts of his lands. This created new family groups (called hapū). His younger son, Maraeariki, settled the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast. His daughter, Kahu, took over after him. The North Shore is named after her: Te Whenua Roa o Kahu ("The Greater Lands of Kahu"). Many tribes on the North Shore, like Ngāti Manuhiri and Ngāti Whātua, can trace their family lines back to Kahu.

In the 1600s, Ngāti Pāoa attacked settlements around the Waitematā Harbour. They later married into the Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāi Tai people. During wars with Ngāpuhi, the pā at Maungauika / North Head was attacked in 1793. This led Ngāti Pāoa to move their settlements to Waiheke Island until the 1830s. In the early 1820s, most Māori on the North Shore left. They went to the Waikato or Northland to escape fighting during the Musket Wars.

Lake Pupuke and the Wrath of Mataaho

Lake Pupuke was very important to the Tāmaki Māori of the North Shore. It was a source of fresh water. Its name, Pupuke Moana ("Overflowing Sea"), described how the fresh water would flow from the lake to the sea. People caught eels and mussels from the lake. Birds attracted to the lake were caught for food. Harakeke (flax) from the shores was used for making textiles. The northern shores of the lake had a grove of karaka trees. These were likely used for food and medicine.

Takapuna is part of a Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki traditional story called Te Riri a Mataaho ("The Wrath of Mataaho"). This story explains how Lake Pupuke and Ngā Mahanga "The Twins" (two rock formations on Takapuna Beach) were created.

The story tells of Matakamokamo and his wife Matakerepo, who were children of the Fire God Mataaho. They lived on a mountain at Lake Pupuke. They argued so much that their fire went out. Matakamokamo blamed Mahuika, the Fire Goddess. Mahuika was angry and asked Mataaho to punish them. Mataaho destroyed their mountain home, creating Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke). At the same time, he formed the mountain Rangitoto. The couple ran to the new island. Mataaho then made three peaks on Rangitoto so they could see their old home. The couple's twin children, Hinerei and Matamiha, were turned to stone. They are still seen as rock features on southern Takapuna Beach.

Te Uru Tapu: A Sacred Grove

North of Takapuna Beach is a wāhi tapu (sacred place) called Te Uru Tapu. This is a grove of pōhutukawa trees. It was used for burial ceremonies by Tāmaki Māori. As part of traditional burial practices (called Tangihanga), bodies were wrapped in flax mats. They were placed in a sitting position in the trees. Later, once the bodies had naturally decomposed, they were buried.

In the early 2000s, the North Shore City Council built a boardwalk through the grove. In June 2018, access was removed because of falling branches. Access to the grove was not returned after the Auckland Council talked with seven iwi (tribes). In 2021, some people damaged many trees in the grove. They poisoned and cut down trees like karo, karaka, nīkau palms, and tōtara. However, they did not target the pōhutukawa trees.

Early European Settlement

Lake Pupuke and the Hauraki Gulf depicted in an 1873 watercolour

The first land was bought in Takapuna by Henry Taylor and Alexander Sparks in November 1839. These sales were later cancelled. Takapuna was then bought by the Crown on April 13, 1841. Farms were sold in 1844. The first European farmers arrived in Takapuna in 1847. These early settlers were mostly from England, Scotland, and Ireland. They set up farms around Lake Pupuke. They grew crops like wheat, maize, barley, potatoes, and kūmara. Their homes also had small orchards with plums, apples, and peaches.

In 1849, the Catholic Church bought land in Takapuna. Here, Jean-Baptiste Pompallier started St Mary's College. It was a school and later a seminary for both European and Māori students.

In 1852, the Crown gave land south of Lake Pupuke to Ngāpuhi chief Eruera Maihi Patuone. This was meant to protect Auckland from possible attacks from northern tribes. Patuone's people lived in the area until the 1880s. Patuone named his settlement Waiwharariki. This means "Waters of Wharariki," referring to a mat made of harakeke flax. Patuone's land had a peach orchard and a village with twenty huts. Many Ngāpuhi from the settlement worked on the farms at Lake Pupuke. They helped build fences for the properties.

In 1863, the first land divisions were made in Takapuna. Villas (large houses) were built on the eastern shores of Lake Pupuke. The streets were named after famous lakes around the world. A ferry service started from Barry's Point at Shoal Bay. The Takapuna Hotel opened in 1863 near the ferry. Even with an economic downturn in the 1880s, Takapuna grew. Sheep farming became important in northern Takapuna. Takapuna dairy farms supplied milk to Auckland. A post office opened in Takapuna in 1880, followed by St Peter's Church in 1883.

In the 1880s, people worried about a Russian invasion. So, Fort Takapuna was built southeast of the suburb. Lake Pupuke became the main source of fresh water for the North Shore. Devonport got fresh water in the 1890s, and Northcote in 1906. In 1913, a new pumphouse was built on the lake to supply Birkenhead with fresh water.

Takapuna: A Tourist Hotspot and Tram Town

Excursioners arriving at the Takapuna Wharf in 1890

A steam tram outside the Mon Desir Hotel in 1910

By the late 1880s, Takapuna became a popular place for tourists. Lake Pupuke was the main attraction. More tourists encouraged farmers to divide their land into smaller plots. The Lake Hotel was built, and large summer homes were constructed on the lake shores. The first farms divided for suburban homes were the Hurstmere estate in 1886 and the Pupuke Estate in 1889. The Takapuna and Milford Beach areas, and the land around Lake Pupuke, became popular. Wealthy business people built summer homes here to relax in a rural setting. Eventually, many moved here permanently. They traveled to work in Auckland by ferry.

By the late 1900s, Lake Pupuke became less important for tourists. Instead, Takapuna Beach became the main draw. In 1909, the Lake Hotel burned down. It was not replaced. Instead, the Mon Desir Hotel opened on the Takapuna beachfront in 1909.

In 1910, a private tramway was built in Takapuna. It took passengers to the ferry at Bayswater. A group of local business people suggested the tramway. They thought it would make property prices in Takapuna go up. The Auckland Electric Tramways company said no because there weren't enough people living there. So, the business people started their own company, the Takapuna Tramways and Ferry Company Limited. They ran both the tram and the ferry. This plan worked well, leading to fast growth in Takapuna. However, the tramway soon became unpopular. It closed 17 years later on April 26, 1927.

In 1914, a local cinema opened in Takapuna at the Forester's Hall on Anzac Street. In the 1920s, Chinese market gardeners started farms at Barrys Point.

By the 1930s, Takapuna changed from a tourist spot to a suburb of Auckland. Summer homes were slowly replaced by permanent houses. Takapuna became a shopping center on the North Shore. Several Takapuna buildings from this time still exist. These include Hall's Building, the Manona Building, and the Strand Buildings.

During World War II, coastal defenses were built around Takapuna. A light industrial area grew at Barry Point in the 1950s. The Takapuna War Memorial Hall opened in 1953. North Shore Hospital, the first major public hospital on the North Shore, opened on July 19, 1958.

The Harbour Bridge and Modern Growth

Mayor Wyn Hoadley opening the Takapuna City Council beach party in 1988

The Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959. This road bridge connected the North Shore to Auckland City. It caused a huge boom in suburban growth across the North Shore. After the bridge opened, Takapuna became the main office center for Takapuna City (started in 1961). Later, it became the center for North Shore City (started in 1989). This brought big stores to Takapuna's shopping area. Branches of Woolworths, Rendells Department Store, and Milne & Choyce opened. A modern shopping center, Shore City Shopping Centre, followed.

In 1962, Takapuna became the place where the COMPAC submarine communications cable connected Auckland to Suva, Fiji, and then to Vancouver, Canada. This system was used until December 7, 1984.

In 1996, the Bruce Mason Centre opened. It is an events venue for Takapuna. In the late 1990s, the old Smale family farm was turned into Smales Farm. This is a business complex next to the motorway. The Clear Communications Centre opened here in 1999.

Who Lives in Takapuna?

Takapuna covers 4.55 square kilometers. About 11,349 people live here as of 2023. This means there are about 2,494 people per square kilometer.

Takapuna's population was 11,349 in the 2023 New Zealand census. This was a small increase of 12 people (0.1%) since the 2018 census. It was an increase of 801 people (7.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 5,355 males, 5,958 females, and 33 people of other genders living in 4,707 homes.

• 13.5% of people were under 15 years old.
• 17.6% were aged 15 to 29.
• 44.6% were aged 30 to 64.
• 24.2% were aged 65 or older.

People could choose more than one ethnicity.

• 64.1% were European (Pākehā).
• 5.2% were Māori.
• 2.3% were Pasifika.
• 31.7% were Asian.
• 3.7% were Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African New Zealanders (MELAA).
• 1.7% were other ethnicities, including "New Zealander."

English was spoken by 93.7% of people. Māori language was spoken by 0.9%. Other languages were spoken by 31.7%. Some people (1.6%) could not speak any language (e.g., too young). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. About 46.7% of people were born overseas. The national average for people born overseas is 28.8%.

When it came to religion:

• 36.4% were Christian.
• 1.6% were Hindu.
• 1.7% were Muslim.
• 0.1% followed Māori religious beliefs.
• 1.6% were Buddhist.
• 0.3% were New Age.
• 0.5% were Jewish.
• 1.1% followed other religions.
• 50.9% said they had no religion.
• 5.9% did not answer the question.

Of those aged 15 or older:

• 42.7% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
• 38.1% had a post-high school certificate or diploma.
• 19.3% only had high school qualifications.
• 20.4% earned over $100,000. Nationally, this figure is 12.1%.

Regarding jobs for those aged 15 or older:

• 47.7% worked full-time.
• 13.1% worked part-time.
• 2.1% were unemployed.

Famous Faces from Takapuna

Playwright Frank Sargeson at his house on Esmonde Road, Takapuna in 1977

Takapuna has been home to many well-known people, including:

• Claire Ahuriri-Dunning – a writer for plays.
• Ewen Alison – a politician and the first mayor of Takapuna.
• William Blomfield – a cartoonist.
• Henry Brett – a journalist and former Mayor of Auckland City.
• Lisa Chappell – an actress and singer.
• David Goldie – a timber merchant and former Mayor of Auckland City.
• William John Hurst – a former Mayor of Auckland City.
• Lorde – a famous singer-songwriter.
• Bruce Mason – a writer for plays.
• Deborah Pullen – a footballer.
• Winston Reid – a footballer.
• Frank Sargeson – a writer for plays.
• Keith Sinclair – a historian.
• Harry Sinclair – a film director.
• Stephen Sinclair – a writer for plays and screenplays.
• Pamela Stephenson – a TV personality, psychologist, and comedian.

Things to Do and See in Takapuna

The Sentinel under construction.

• The Takapuna Beach area is a lively place with lots of nightlife. It also has many unique shops, bars, restaurants, and cafes.
• Shore City Shopping Centre opened in Takapuna in 1974. It has 14,900 square meters of space, 826 parking spots, and 63 shops. These include Farmers, New World Metro, and Les Mills.
• Takapuna Library started in 1874. Its current building opened in 1989. The library has a special section for local history. This includes old newspapers, photos, stories from people, and historical items about Takapuna.

Sports in Takapuna

Takapuna is home to Takapuna AFC, a football club that plays in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1A. The Takapuna Rugby Football Club has been located at Onewa Domain since 1974. This is in the nearby suburb of Northcote. Before that, the club was at Taharoto Park, which is on Taharoto Road in Takapuna.

Schools in Takapuna

• Westlake Boys High School and Westlake Girls High School are single-sex secondary schools (Years 9-13). They are state schools. Westlake High School opened in 1958. It became Westlake Girls High School in 1962 after Westlake Boys High School opened.
• Rosmini College is a boys' secondary school (Years 7–13). St Joseph's School is a coeducational primary school (Years 1–6). They are state-integrated Catholic schools located next to each other. Rosmini College was founded in 1962, and St Joseph's in 1894.
• Takapuna Normal Intermediate is a coeducational intermediate school (Years 7–8). It opened in 1970.
• Takapuna School is a coeducational primary school (Years 1–6). It celebrated its 125th birthday in 2004.
• Takapuna Grammar School is in Belmont, southeast of Takapuna. It is the main public secondary school for the area.