Beach Haven is a northwestern suburb of the North Shore, located in Auckland, New Zealand. It was originally a small area of holiday baches in the larger suburb of Birkdale. The area has gentrified rapidly over recent years as young professionals moved into the area.[3]
Beach Haven is located on the western North Shore, on the eastern shores of the Upper Waitematā Harbour. Southern Beach Haven is a suburban area known as Kauri Park.
History
Prior to European settlement, the Beach Haven area was covered to the water’s edge by thick bush, pōhutukawa, ferns and giant kauri trees. Maori tribes inhabited the area, but were decimated by wars and finally succumbed to the newly acquired guns of Hongi Hika. In 1844 the area was sold to the Government and became deserted. One of the first settlers in the district established an orchard near Soldier’s Bay and as the kauri trees were gradually removed from the land, it was found to be an ideal place for fruit growing, especially grapes and strawberries. Most of the kauri trees taken out were used by boat builders for masts and spurs.[4]
The first European settlers arrived in the 1860s and by the 1880s the area was a popular summer resort, with many city dwellers making the trip across the harbour to Island Bay for excursions and holidays.[4]
Up until the 1950s the area was rural, largely made up of market gardens growing fruit (mostly strawberries) and vegetables for the growing city across the harbour. Most of this produce was transported by water. There were also sawmills in the area, the evidence of which could be seen for decades in the form of abandoned machinery and mounds of sawdust.[5] The area was always popular as a holiday destination, evidence of which can still be seen today in some of the remaining baches.[5]
In 1923, the Birkdale Land Company bought and surveyed the land around where the wharf is now and it was then marketed as the Beach Haven Estate, "the Gem of the Waitemata."[6]
After the construction of the Harbour Bridge in 1959, housing subdivisions completed the transformation into an urban area.
Demographics
Beach Haven covers 3.67km2 (1.42sqmi)[1] and had an estimated population of 10,730 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 2,924 people per km2.
Beach Haven had a population of 10,566 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 429 people (4.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 735 people (7.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,549 households, comprising 5,217 males and 5,349 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female, with 2,337 people (22.1%) aged under 15 years, 2,076 (19.6%) aged 15 to 29, 5,070 (48.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,080 (10.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 73.6% European/Pākehā, 14.6% Māori, 11.2% Pacific peoples, 13.7% Asian, and 3.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 33.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.8% had no religion, 34.4% were Christian, 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.3% were Hindu, 1.2% were Muslim, 1.3% were Buddhist and 2.4% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,463 (29.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 969 (11.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 2,016 people (24.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,659 (56.6%) people were employed full-time, 1,164 (14.1%) were part-time, and 354 (4.3%) were unemployed.[7]
Beach Haven forms part of the North Shore ward and Kaipatiki Local Board under the Auckland Council. Prior to 2010, the area had been administered as part of the Birkenhead Borough Council and then as part of North Shore City Council.
Under the voting district for elections to the Parliament of New Zealand it forms part of the Northcote electorate.
Facilities, services and amenities
Beach Haven has one main shopping area with a variety of shops, including a French cafe, two bakeries, a post office, a gym and a police community constable office. There are several preschools and one primary school that serve the area. Churches in the area include the Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Mormon and Assembly Of God.
Beach Haven is surrounded by many beaches which are suitable for swimming, including Charcoal Bay which is considered one of the most beautiful bays in the Waitematā Harbour.[11] The area also has a wharf which is a very popular feature of Beach Haven. The first wharf was built in 1887. It was known for decades as the Birkdale wharf and occasionally the Hellyers' Creek wharf. The biggest park in Beach Haven is Shepherds Park which has a 1.6km walk through native bush beside Oruamo or Hellyers Creek, as well as squash, bowling and tennis facilities. It also has rugby and soccer grounds and is home to Birkenhead United AFC.
Beach Haven is well serviced by bus connections to Takapuna and the CBD. In August 2012 after years of delays, Auckland Transport announced that it would spend NZ$1.35m to upgrade the wharf at Beach Haven, allowing a ferry service to the city to begin at the start of 2013 to coincide with a new service to Hobsonville. It was expected that this new service will ease traffic congestion on Onewa Road and service the wider areas of Glenfield and Birkdale.[12] The ferry service opened with five sailings a day in February 2013. Beach Haven and Hobsonville wharves are the first new ferry services to be built in Auckland in 50 years.[13]
Beach Haven is known for House of Chocolate (formerly La Maison du Chocolat), a working chocolate factory that was established in 1999.[14][15]
Culture & community
Beach Haven is one of the most diverse areas of the North Shore.[16] There is a very strong sense of community which centres on the village shops at the intersection of Beach Haven and Rangatira Roads. The Beach Haven Placemaking Project has established a garden on the site of the former post office.[17] A complete garden project (funded by local council) began construction in April 2015 and was completed by the end of the year.[18]
In 2013, the community learned that the Beach Haven Methodist Church – which sits on a prominent site in the village – was to be demolished by the Lifewise trust to make way for accessible housing units. The church was built by the community in one day in 1939 using donated timber. "We are dismayed at the prospect of losing the old church building which was built in 1939 in one day by the Beach Haven community," said Lisbeth Alley of the Heart of Beach Haven group. The group and the trust have committed to working together to find a way of keeping the church.[19]
Methodist Mission Northern's property development arm, Airedale Property Trust, spent years discussing the church's future with the community. Bruce Stone, chief executive, said APT was approached by the church to put the land to better use for the community. "There is a shortage of purpose-built housing for people with disabilities," Stone said. "This [development] allows the church to use land in a new way. If [the church] could have been retained on site and used as a part of development, it would have been."[20]
Parts of the area are poorer than other North Shore suburbs, leaving it with something of an unfair reputation. In recent years, there has been a concerted community effort to improve both the reality and the reputation of the area. In 2013, the Kaipatiki Community Policing Project won a national award.[21] Kainga Ora have been building high density social housing complexes in the area since 2016.
The hip hop artist Sir T. grew up in Beach Haven and often raps about the area.[22] His single "Invincible" was filmed around Lysander Crescent.[23] Another local music legend is Jazz artist Nathan Haines.
Gentrification
Beach Haven is growing in popularity, driven by young professional families because of its new ferry service, access to the water, friendly community and laid-back lifestyle. Prices increased by an average of 44 per cent between 2011 and 2014, though the suburb is still considered to be underpriced compared to its neighbours.[24]
In October 2012, Metro magazine reported Beach Haven had shown one of the biggest increases in property prices in the city over the previous 10 years (admittedly off a lower base than other areas) and named it "One to watch". The magazine was particularly enthusiastic about Island Bay Road.[25] In 2014, Metro named Beach Haven one of Auckland's hottest suburbs, noting: "A new ferry service, a meandering coastline offering all sorts of delights and a growing sense of community make Beach Haven one of the new hot spots. Still pretty cheap, but we doubt it will stay that way."[26] Houses near the water are especially desirable, with the area around Beach Haven Wharf increasingly referred to as "Beach Haven Point".[27] In September 2015, The New Zealand Herald reported that Beach Haven was one of the city's "20 hottest suburbs" with a 31.5% rise in median price between February–July 2014 and February–July 2015.[28]
Houses are a mix of original character baches, 1950s and 1960s bungalows, apartments as well as architecturally designed homes near the water. Many houses have waterfront access and jetties.[5]
Education
Beach Haven School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of 438.[29] Kauri Park School is a coeducational primary with a roll of 331.[30] Rolls are as of February 2024.[31] Both schools pride themselves on their multi-cultural make-up.
The local college is Birkenhead College, situated between Beach Haven and Birkdale.
Related Research Articles
Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of the Devonport Peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. East of Devonport lies North Head, the northern promontory guarding the mouth of the harbour.
The North Shore is one of the major geographical regions of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. The area is defined as the northern shores of the Waitematā Harbour as far north as the Ōkura River.
Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour.
Northcote is a suburb of Auckland in northern New Zealand. It is situated on the North Shore, on the northern shores of Waitematā Harbour, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the Auckland City Centre. The suburb includes the peninsula of Northcote Point where the northern approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge are located, and Northcote Central, the commercial centre of Northcote. Northcote features two volcanic maars.
Birkenhead is a suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore of the Waitematā Harbour, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the Auckland City Centre. The area has been settled by Tāmaki Māori since at least the 14th century, and is the location of Te Matarae ō Mana, a fortified pā for Te Kawerau ā Maki that overlooked an important seasonal shark fishery. European settlement in Birkenhead began in late the 1840s, and by the late 19th century the area became renowned for strawberry crops. In 1884, the Chelsea Sugar Refinery was constructed in Birkenhead, becoming a major source of income for Birkenhead. The increased population growth led to Birkenhead becoming one of the first boroughs of Auckland in 1888. Birkenhead transitioned from a semi-rural community to suburban Auckland after the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959, becoming a city in 1978. In 1989, Birkenhead City was amalgamated with North Shore City.
Takapuna is a suburb located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is an isthmus between Shoal Bay, arm of the Waitematā Harbour, and the Hauraki Gulf. Lake Pupuke, a volcanic maar and one of the oldest features of the Auckland volcanic field, is a freshwater lake located in the suburb.
Glenfield is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located on the North Shore. Established as a rural community in the 1850s, the area developed as a suburban part of Auckland after the completion of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959.
Albany is one of the northernmost suburbs of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, 15 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of the Auckland city centre. Albany is found at the headlands of Lucas Creek, and was the location of a portage used by Tāmaki Māori, where waka could be taken between the Upper Waitematā Harbour and the Okura River/Hauraki Gulf. During the 1840s, early European settlers established the village of Lucas Creek, which became by the 1880s had become a major fruit growing centre in Auckland. The town voted to change the name from Lucas Creek to Albany in 1890.
Milford is a suburb located on the North Shore, Auckland. It is located on northern side of Lake Pupuke. It also has a popular swimming beach, which runs some two kilometres from Black Rock in the south to Castor Bay in the north. The Wairau Creek reaches the sea at the Hauraki Gulf at the northern end of Milford Beach, and its lower tidal reaches host the Milford Marina.
Birkdale is a suburb of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area located in New Zealand. Originally called Parkview, comprising the area from Balmain Rd to the Birkdale wharf, it was renamed Birkdale at a meeting of the Birkenhead Borough Council in 1889 It now comprises statistical area units such as 'Birkdale North' and 'Birkdale South'. The suburb is located in the North Shore, and is under the governance of Auckland Council.
Chatswood is a suburb in the city of Auckland, New Zealand, in the middle-eastern side of North Shore. It contains a primary school and many parks. To the south of Chatswood is Kendall's Bay, a small bay of the Waitematā Harbour. The suburb is under the governance of Auckland Council. The Royal New Zealand Navy's Kauri Point Armament Depot is located in Chatswood. Chelsea Sugar Refinery is located in Chatswood.
Hillcrest is a suburb of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area located in New Zealand. Since 2010, it has been under the jurisdiction of the Auckland Council, and is located in the North Shore, surrounded by Glenfield, Wairau Valley, Northcote and Birkenhead. The Auckland Northern Motorway passes to the east.
Belmont is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located on the North Shore. The suburb is in the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland Council.
Riverhead is a small, historically predominantly working-class town located at the head of the Waitematā Harbour in the north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the northwestern shores of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, north-east of the towns of Kumeū and Huapai.
North Shore City was a territorial authority unit in the Auckland Region of New Zealand that was governed by the North Shore City Council. It existed from 1989 until November 2010, when the council was incorporated into Auckland Council. It had an estimated population of 229,000 at 30 June 2010, making it the fourth most populous city in New Zealand prior to the 2010 reorganisation. It was the country's fourth largest city in land, with an area of 129.81 square kilometres (50.12 sq mi) and a coastline of 141 kilometres (88 mi). It was the most densely populated city in the country, because most of its area was urban or suburban in nature, unlike other New Zealand cities.
Kaipātiki is a local government area in New Zealand's Auckland Region, governed by the Kaipātiki Local Board and Auckland Council. It currently aligns with the council's North Shore Ward.
West Auckland is one of the major geographical areas of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. Much of the area is dominated by the Waitākere Ranges, the eastern slopes of the Miocene era Waitākere volcano which was upraised from the ocean floor, and now one of the largest regional parks in New Zealand. The metropolitan area of West Auckland developed between the Waitākere Ranges to the west and the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour to the east. It covers areas such as Glen Eden, Henderson, Massey and New Lynn.
Shepherds Park, is a reserve and sports ground in the suburb of Beach Haven in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the home ground of New Zealand National League and Northern League side Birkenhead United, Beach Haven Bowling Club, Beach Haven Tennis Club, Shepherds Park Squash Club. It is also the home for Beach Haven Community House and Beach Haven Kauri Kids.
Oruamo or Hellyers Creek is a stream and tidal estuary of Upper Waitematā Harbour in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows through the western North Shore.
Little Shoal Bay is a bay of the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, separating Birkenhead from Northcote. The Birkenhead and Northcote wharves are located at opposite sides of the bay.
↑ Community Facilities Trust Birkenhead/Northcote (2006). Harbourside Explorer: A Guide to Exploring What's In and Around Birkenhead and Northcote (2nded.). North Shore City. pp.4–5.
↑ "Our Story". House of Chocolate. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
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Beach Haven
