Ōtāhuhu

Ōtāhuhu is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand – to the southeast of the CBD, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east. The isthmus is the narrowest connection between the North Auckland Peninsula and the rest of the North Island, being only some wide at its narrowest point, between the Otahuhu Creek and the Mangere Inlet. As the southernmost suburb of the former Auckland City, it is considered part of South Auckland.

The suburb's name is taken from the Māori-language name of the volcanic cone known as Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond. The name refers to "the place of Tāhuhu" — the eponymous ancestor, Tāhuhu-nui-a-Rangi, of Ngāi Tāhuhu.

Demographics

Ōtāhuhu, comprising the statistical areas of Ōtāhuhu Industrial, Ōtāhuhu Central, Ōtāhuhu North, Ōtāhuhu East, Ōtāhuhu South West and Ōtāhuhu South, had a population of 15,165 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,599 people (11.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,262 people (17.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,921 households. There were 7,815 males and 7,353 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female, with 3,669 people (24.2%) aged under 15 years, 3,804 (25.1%) aged 15 to 29, 6,486 (42.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,194 (7.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 20.4% European/Pākehā, 15.3% Māori, 47.9% Pacific peoples, 28.8% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 46.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 21.0% had no religion, 51.2% were Christian, and 22.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,413 (12.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 2,574 (22.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,496 (47.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,323 (11.5%) were part-time, and 777 (6.8%) were unemployed.

History

The area is named after Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, captain of the ''Moekākara'' waka, and who settled on Mount Richmond and in Northland, his descendants becoming the Ngāi Tāhuhu iwi. Portage Road, which runs between the Manukau Harbour and Ōtāhuhu Creek, was originally a portage for waka between the Manukau and Waitemata harbours, known as Te Toangakiōtāhuhu or Te Tō Waka. This portage is traditionally associated as the place where the ''Tainui'' waka was hauled between the Tamaki River and Manukau Harbour. In the early 1800s, the portage was used by Ngāpuhi during the Musket Wars, to attack Tainui tribes in the Waikato.

The suburb was established in 1847 as a fencible settlement, where soldiers were given land with the implied understanding that in wartime, they would be raised as units to defend it (however, the eventual fighting a decade later used professional soldiers instead). Most early features from this time have disappeared, however, such as a stone bridge built by the fencibles that had to make way to a widening of Great South Road. By the 1870s, Ōtāhuhu became the largest agricultural town in the Auckland Province, facilitated by the trade of wheat and other agricultural products to the city of Auckland, trading along the Tāmaki River. In December 1873 the Southern Line opened, connecting the township of Auckland to Penrose. A year and a half later on 20 May 1875, the line was extended south and the Ōtāhuhu railway station was opened.

Otahuhu was home to the country's first supermarket, and Otahuhu College, to which several famous personalities went, including heavyweight boxing champion David Tua, former prime minister David Lange, and ex- Manukau City Mayor, Sir Barry Curtis.

Local government

Otahuhu had a local government just like other suburbs of Auckland at that time. The local government was called Otahuhu Borough Council, which started in 1912 and merged into Auckland City Council in 1985, eventually amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010.

Mayors during Otahuhu Borough Council

*Alfred Sturges, 1912–1915
*James Atkinson, 1915–1917
*Alfred MacDonald, 1917–1921
*Robert Black Todd, 1921–1929
*Hubert Thomas Clements, 1929–1935
* Charles Robert Petrie, 1935–1944
*Albert Murdoch, 1944–1950
*James Deas, 1950–1954
*John "Jack" David Murdoch, 1954–1962
*Robert G. Ashby, 1962–1965
*Aubray Thayer Bedingfield, 1965–1970
*Claude H. D. Handisides, 1970–1977
*Niall Frederick Burgess, 1977–1985

Education

Otahuhu College is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of .

Otahuhu Intermediate is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of .

Otahuhu School and Fairburn School are contributing primary schools (years 1–6) with rolls of and students, respectively.

McAuley High School is a state-integrated Catholic girls secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of . St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of . The schools are across the street from each other.

King's College is a private Anglican secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of . Years 9–11 are boys only, and years 12 and 13 are coeducational.

Mt Richmond School is a special school for students with intellectual disabilities. It has a roll of .

All these schools except McAuley High School and King's College (as noted above) are coeducational. Rolls are as of

Community facilities

*Giac Nhien Temple, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple is located in the suburb.

Transport

Ōtāhuhu, in its position on a narrow section of the Auckland isthmus, is an important part of Auckland's southern transportation approaches for both road and rail, containing a combined bus interchange and Otahuhu railway station. The new bus-train interchange opened on 29 October 2016 as a joint Auckland Transport and New Zealand Transport Agency initiative costing NZ$28M.

"The station is at the heart of the Southern New Network", said Auckland Transport’s Chief AT Metro Officer, Mark Lambert. "Auckland is moving towards a more connected network of local feeder services connecting with frequent bus and train services. Bus and train transport hubs like Ōtāhuhu are at the heart of this transformation."

The old bus interchange, which was badly neglected, and had received increased attention from early 2011 on for vandalism/graffiti prevention measures is now closed and a smaller bus stop has been installed on the main road near the town centre.

Present day

Otahuhu nowadays is synonymous with industry and along with its neighbouring suburbs Favona, Māngere East, Mt Wellington, Penrose and Westfield forms an industrial conglomerate zone that spans much of the Mangere Inlet. The community and town centre flourishes as the crossroad to Central and South Auckland and is home to a sizable Pacific Island populace.

Sport and recreation

Otahuhu is home to the Otahuhu Rugby Football Club and the Otahuhu Leopards rugby league club.

References

External links

Photographs of Otahuhu
held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections

{{Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board Area

Suburbs of Auckland
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board Area
Populated places around the Manukau Harbour
Populated places on the Tāmaki River