The formerly rural character of Hobsonville has disappeared with most of the land subdivisioned.
Hobsonville was named after the first Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson. After landing by sea at the site, Hobson thought it suitable as the seat of Government for New Zealand but later rejected this on the advice of the Surveyor-General of New Zealand, Felton Matthew.[4] After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Okiato (renamed Russell), was chosen as the capital instead. Hobsonville was acquired by The Crown in 1853 as part of the Waipareira block. An 1854 hydrographical chart refers to it as being fern land. By 1908 it had become a town district.[5]
Originally Hobsonville was mainly an agricultural and horticultural area.[3] The first European settler of the area, Rice Owen Clark, bought land in 1854. As the ground was too moist for farming Clark began focusing on developing the land for clay production.[6] During the early history of Auckland, large clay and brickworks operated in the area such as in Limeburners Bay and at the Clark's Brickworks, to the south-east of Hobsonville along the shores of the Waitematā Harbour.[3][7] Hobsonville was the centre for the heavy clay industry in Auckland between 1863 and 1929, specialising in glazed pottery, such as drain pipes, garden ornaments and household utensils.[7][6] The brickworks' clay piping production was used to reticulate much of the new Auckland city centre, bringing in much of Clark's wealth.
Clark's Brickworks was located on the shore to the southwest of Bannings Way, with Clark himself living in Clark House, currently occupied by the RNZAF Aviation Medicine Unit, on Clark Road. Servants' quarters were located adjacent to the Hobsonville shopping centre and are in a design similar to Clark House, but single storeyed. The servants' quarters have subsequently been used as a Plunket Society facility and Day Care Centre. There are stories that these two buildings are connected by a tunnel to facilitate normal service requirements of the day, including cooking and maid service.[citation needed]
Much of the land however was not built upon during this time. In 1929, the clayworks closed, as the cost of transporting the dwindling clay resources from the area became too high. During the Great Depression, the West Auckland clay industries amalgamated, and were centralised at New Lynn.[6] In 1920, the Royal New Zealand Air Force built RNZAF Station Hobsonville, covering a large part of what is now defined as the Hobsonville Corridor.[3] Northern Hobsonville features many historical buildings from the 1920s and 1930s relating to the airfield, including officers' residences, barracks, and hangars which were used to house seaplanes and helicopters.[8]
From September 1938 a register of potential tradesmen and groundstaff for any necessary expansion of the RNZAF was begun. "The Munich crisis made it appear that war might break out at any time, and the scheme was put into effect immediately.. [t]he expansion of the RNZAF immediately before the war was so rapid that the Technical Training School at Hobsonville could not train sufficient fitters and riggers for the service."[9]
The first 30 of an order of what was intended as over 100 North American P-51 Mustangs were delivered to New Zealand in August–September 1945. By this time, the Second World War was over, Japan having surrendered following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Mustangs were deemed to be surplus to requirements and the remainder of the order was cancelled. However, the aircraft already in New Zealand could not be returned. They were duly placed on the RNZAF inventory as NZ2401 to NZ2430, but put into storage at Hobsonville. Later, they were moved to the stores depot at Te Rapa and then onto Ardmore.[10] They were later issued in small numbers to the four regional fighter squadrons of the Territorial Air Force.
The station was administratively joined with the airfield at Whenuapai in 1965 to become RNZAF Base Auckland.[11] Since 2001, the operations based in Hobsonville began to be relocated to other bases.[8]
Redevelopment
Housing construction at Hobsonville
Near the end of the 20th century, residential areas sprang up at the fringes of the area, and rural farms became lifestyle blocks. The RNZAF sold the airfield back to the NZ Government (via Housing New Zealand) in 2002, although they retained a lease on much of the airfield. After that the Waitakere City Council, in cooperation with various stakeholders, planned the future of the area, and proceeded through the requisite steps (such as District Plan changes) to rezone the land. This process, which involved making a total of 4 square kilometres of land available for development, was expected to finish in 2007.[3] On the 1.67km2 of Crown land, about 3,000 homes were to be built (in addition to facilities such as parks and schools). Of the homes, 85% were to be privately owned, while around 15% were to be state housing social rentals financed by Housing New Zealand and dispersed throughout Hobsonville.[12]
However, the setting aside of a good portion of land for state housing was criticised as an economic mistake by Opposition leader and MP for Helensville (which included Hobsonville at the time) John Key, as this would lower land and house values in Hobsonville. After election as Prime Minister in 2008, Key removed the state housing requirements from Hobsonville Point and instead introduced a 'gateway housing' scheme to help first-time home buyers.{[13][14]
Work on housing began in 2011 with two schools and a marine industry cluster (boat & yacht building) also planned.[15]
Demographics
Hobsonville covers 6.42km2 (2.48sqmi)[1] and had an estimated population of 12,360 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 1,925 people per km2.
Before the 2023 census, the suburb had a smaller boundary, covering 5.71km2 (2.20sqmi).[1] Using that boundary, Hobsonville had a population of 4,938 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 3,348 people (210.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 3,330 people (207.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,812 households, comprising 2,367 males and 2,568 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 1,029 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 894 (18.1%) aged 15 to 29, 2,346 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 669 (13.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 69.3% European/Pākehā, 5.4% Māori, 2.9% Pacific peoples, 28.2% Asian, and 3.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 41.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.4% had no religion, 34.4% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.5% were Hindu, 0.8% were Muslim, 1.2% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,593 (40.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 339 (8.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,230 people (31.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,295 (58.7%) people were employed full-time, 459 (11.7%) were part-time, and 102 (2.6%) were unemployed.[16]
An area of 0.2km2 on Hobsonville Peninsula is to become a 'Marine Industry Cluster' for shipbuilding. A super yacht builder is already occupying part of the headland, and it is hoped that this will become the nucleus of a local industry to provide up to 3,000 jobs.[3] However, a later article in The New Zealand Herald stated that only 1,000 are expected to be created, though it also notes that in the meantime, three more boat building companies have already taken up residence in former aircraft hangars and old RNZAF buildings. The Marine Industry Association is pushing for the 'Marine Industry Cluster' zone change to safeguard these industries and allow further expansion.[19]
Education
Hobsonville has four schools, three primary and one secondary:
Hobsonville School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately 527 students.
Hobsonville Point Primary School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately 706 students. Opened in February 2013, it was the first school in New Zealand constructed under a public–private partnership, with the school buildings constructed and managed by a private consortium.
Scott Point School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school, which opened in temporary buildings in 2021, while the construction of the permanent school was still underway.[20]
Hobsonville Point Secondary School is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school with a roll of approximately 645 students. Opened in February 2014, the school initially served only Year 9, adding years as the 2014 Year 9 cohort moved through. Like its primary counterpart, the school was constructed under a public–private partnership.
All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as at February 2024.[21]
Transportation
The Upper Harbour Motorway, connecting the Greenhithe bridge to the end of the Northwestern Motorway, was completed in August 2011, thus taking a considerable amount of through traffic away from the main local road. As part of the Western Ring Route the motorway is intended to provide a faster link from the West to the North Auckland region.[22]
The suburb is served by three bus routes 112, 114, 120[23] and a ferry.[24] The ferry has 3 stops: Downtown Ferry Terminal, Hobsonville Point (Catalina Bay) and Beach Haven. Sailing from the Hobsonville Point to the Beach Haven takes approximately 5 minutes, sailing to the Downtown Ferry Terminal takes about 35 minutes.[25] New electric ferries are currently under construction and expected to be in service in 2025.[26]
Amenities
A public walkway connects much of the shore around Hobsonville.[27]
Tornadoes
In December 2012, a tornado swept through west Auckland, killing three people including two who died when concrete tilt slabs fell on a transport truck at a Hobsonville construction site. The tornado also damaged 150 homes. The centre of the tornado passed over a school being built at Hobsonville Point and tore off roofs in RNZAF housing.[28]
New Lynn is a residential suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand, located 10 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is located along the Whau River, one of the narrowest points of the North Island, and was the location of Te Tōanga Waka, a traditional waka portage between the Waitematā and Manukau harbours.
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.
Point Chevalier is a residential suburb and peninsula in the city of Auckland in the north of New Zealand. It is located five kilometres to the west of the city centre on the southern shore of the Waitematā Harbour. The suburb was originally a working-class area, with some state houses in the area, but over the past several decades the suburb has seen growth into becoming a middle-class suburb, with several redevelopment projects either completed or underway. Like most of the suburbs surrounding, Point Chevalier is known for its Californian style bungalows.
Whenuapai is a suburb and aerodrome located in northwestern Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the shore of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, 15 kilometres to the northwest of Auckland's city centre. It is one of the landing points for the Southern Cross telecommunications Cables.
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.
RNZAF Base Auckland is a Royal New Zealand Air Force base located near the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. The base formerly comprised two separate airfields, Whenuapai and RNZAF Station Hobsonville. Hobsonville was established as a seaplane station in 1928 and was the RNZAF's primary flying boat base in New Zealand until 1967.
Greenhithe is a northwestern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located on the North Shore. Greenhithe was the location of Tauhinu, a fortified Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāti Whātua pā which overlooked the entrance to Oruamo or Hellyers Creek, that was settled until the 1820s. In the 1860s, the Forgham family established a community at Greenhithe, which by the 1880s had become a major fruit producer for Auckland. Boat repair and construction became major industries in Greenhithe in the 1960s.
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.
West Harbour is an affluent suburb of Auckland, located to the west of the Auckland isthmus and CBD. It is named for its location on the western side of the Waitematā Harbour. West Harbour is under the governance of Auckland Council after the amalgamation of district councils in 2010.
Te Atatū Peninsula is a waterfront suburb of West Auckland surrounded by the Waitematā Harbour. The area was home to brickworks and farmland until the Northwestern Motorway was constructed in the 1950s, after which Te Atatū developed a low and medium-cost suburb. The area south of the motorway became known as Te Atatū South. The Auckland Harbour Board intended to develop a port on the peninsula for much of the 20th century. After plans for this were abandoned, the land was redeveloped into Footrot Flats Fun Park, an amusement park which operated in the 1980s. During the late 2010s, large-scale housing intensification led to the population of Te Atatū greatly expanding.
Massey is a northern suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand. It was formerly a northern suburb of Waitakere City, which existed from 1989 to 2010 before the city was amalgamated into Auckland Council. The suburb was named after former Prime Minister of New Zealand William Massey. Massey is a relatively large suburb and can be divided into three reasonably distinctive areas, Massey West, Massey East and Massey North. Parts of Massey East are also known as 'Royal Heights', which is home to the Royal Heights shopping centre.
Transport in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is defined by factors that include the shape of the Auckland isthmus, the suburban character of much of the urban area, a history of focusing investment on roading projects rather than public transport, and high car-ownership rates.
The Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitematā Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand.
The Auckland Central Business District (CBD), or Auckland city centre, is the geographical and economic heart of the Auckland metropolitan area. It is the area in which Auckland was established in 1840, by William Hobson on land gifted by mana whenuahapū Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. It is New Zealand's leading financial hub, and the centre of the country's economy; the GDP of the Auckland Region was NZD$139 billion in the year ending September 2023.
Auckland is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about 1,478,800. It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, and which has a total population of 1,739,300 as of June 2023. It is the most populous city of New Zealand and the fifth largest city in Oceania. While Europeans continue to make up the plurality of Auckland's population, the city became multicultural and cosmopolitan in the late-20th century, with Asians accounting for 31% of the city's population in 2018. Auckland has the fourth largest foreign-born population in the world, with 39% of its residents born overseas. With its large population of Pasifika New Zealanders, the city is also home to the biggest ethnic Polynesian population in the world. The Māori-language name for Auckland is Tāmaki Makaurau, meaning "Tāmaki desired by many", in reference to the desirability of its natural resources and geography. Tāmaki means "omen".
Rosebank is a peninsula and industrial suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the westernmost point of the Auckland isthmus. The peninsula runs from the southeast in a northerly direction, with the Whau River on its west. Pollen Island and Traherne Island lie nearby in the Waitematā Harbour to the north-eastern side of the peninsula. Traherne Island is connected to the peninsula by a causeway that is part of the Northwestern Motorway.
Hobsonville Point Secondary School is a state coeducational secondary school located in the Auckland, New Zealand suburb of Hobsonville. Opened in February 2014, it is the second school in New Zealand to be built under a public-private partnership, whereby the school buildings are constructed, maintained and managed separate from the school management by a private consortium. The school has a roll of 645 as of February 2024.
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.
Clark House is an early 20th century Italianate home in Hobsonville listed as a Category I building by Heritage New Zealand. The house was constructed in the late 1890s as the family home for Rice Owen Clark II, a wealthy owner of a nearby pottery business.
1 2 Diamond, John T. (1992). "The Brick and Pottery Industry in the Western Districts". In Northcote-Bade, James (ed.). West Auckland Remembers, Volume 2. West Auckland Historical Society. pp.47, 52. ISBN0-473-01587-0.
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Hobsonville
