Onehunga
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Onehunga is a suburb of
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the
Manukau Harbour The Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and opens out into the Tasman Sea. Geography The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burnett ...
. It is south of the
city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...
, close to the
volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...
cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Onehunga is a residential and light-industrial suburb. There are almost 1,000 commercial and industrial businesses in the area. Onehunga stretches south from Royal Oak to the northern shore of the Manukau Harbour. To the east are the areas of Oranga and Te Papapa; to the west, Hillsborough. On the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour, and linked to Onehunga by two bridges, is the suburb of Māngere Bridge.


Geography

Onehunga lies on the Auckland isthmus, on the northern shore of Mangere Inlet, an arm of the
Manukau Harbour The Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and opens out into the Tasman Sea. Geography The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burnett ...
, and just south of the
volcanic cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and s ...
of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. The Port of Onehunga, on Manukau Harbour, is now much smaller than Auckland's east coast port on the
Waitematā Harbour The Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. 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 ...
, but in the 19th century it was the larger. The wharves are located on reclaimed land bordering a low volcanic crater called Te Hopua, once occupied by a tidal lagoon opening to the southwest, but which has also been reclaimed. Onehunga's southwestern side, near the Manukau Harbour, lost its direct waterfront access when the Southwest Motorway was built there in the 1970s. Only a tidal lagoon remains on the city side, though in 2008, there were proposals that the motorway (which was to be widened) could be sunk into a trench to provide direct access to the harbour again. In 2013, a project was underway to restore the Onehunga foreshore, to be connected to the city-side park by a pedestrian and cycle bridge over State Highway 20. A substantial
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
flows underground beneath Onehunga, fed by rainwater soaking through the lava flows around Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Up to 21 million litres of
potable water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
a day is pumped from the Onehunga aquifer and treated in a local plant before being supplied to Onehunga as part of the Auckland water supply network. While most of Auckland's potable water comes from reservoirs in the Hunua and Waitākere Ranges, or from the Waikato River, the Onehunga aquifer provides around 5%. In contrast, while the isthmus's other major aquifer, the Western Springs aquifer, is also fed by water seeping through lava fields, it is no longer used as a source of potable water.


History


Etymology

The name ''Onehunga'' is from the
Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
and means a "beach composed of mixed sand and mud" or "alluvial soil", according to Williams's ''Dictionary of the Maori Language''. Claims have been made for other names and meanings. Ethnographer George Graham was told by one Māori informant that the name was ''Ōnehunga'', with the etymology of ''ō'' (the place of) ''nehunga'' (burial), but Graham said that was later contradicted. He said that the name was actually ''Oneunga'' (''Oneūnga'' in modern orthography), meaning ''one'' (beach or sand) ''ūnga'' (landing), in reference to canoes being drawn up there. He also said that ''Onehunga'' meant "friable" or "pulverous soil" and that this was "a very correct name". The
New Zealand Geographic Board The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) is the authority over geographical and hydrographic names within New Zealand and its territorial waters. This includes the naming of small urban settlements, localities, mounta ...
approved ''Onehunga'' as the official name in 2019.


Māori origins

Onehunga was close to one of the richest areas of the Auckland isthmus, and saw many battles between Māori groups in pre-European times.Discover Onehunga
(from the 'onehunga.net.nz' website. Accessed 2008-02-10)
In the late 1830s, before Europeans arrived in larger numbers in the area, it was the main settlement for
Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa ...
, who had moved back to the northern shore of the Manukau Harbour after retreating to the Waikato during the
Musket Wars The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori people, Māori between 1806 and 1845, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an inte ...
.


Early European town

The European village of Onehunga was founded as a Fencible settlement by Governor Grey. The Fencibles were former soldiers, many of them Irish, who were granted land to settle on, with the implied understanding that if Māori threatened the Auckland isthmus, they would defend it. Onehunga was the first village for Fencibles in New Zealand. Grey chose the site in 1846 and the Fencibles arrived in 1847. European settlement of the Manukau Harbour area was begun from and long focused on Onehunga. When the
New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...
later occurred, it was mostly fought with regular soldiers rather than Fencibles. Naval volunteers based at Onehunga raided Māori territories on the south side of the harbour during the wars. During the Invasion of the Waikato in 1863 many women and children from small European settlements arrived in Onehunga as refugees. The Onehunga Ladies' Benevolent Society was formed to care for the refugees. It was the oldest surviving women's organisation in New Zealand at the time of its deregistration in 2017. During the 19th century most shipping between New Zealand and Great Britain came to Onehunga, via South Africa and Australia. While some shipping entered the
Waitematā Harbour The Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. 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 ...
and docked at Auckland, much of it entered the Manukau Heads and docked at Onehunga, thus saving several days sailing around North Cape. The Manukau Harbour was treacherous however (as evidenced by the sinking of HMS ''Orpheus'' in 1863, killing 180 people) but the coastal steamship lines carried virtually all passenger and freight trade between Auckland and Wellington via Wanganui and Onehunga. Onehunga was also the main route to and from the south, as most shipping routes were shorter via the western coast of the North Island than around the east coast to the Waitematā Harbour. Until 1908 a steamer from Onehunga was the fastest means of travel from Auckland to
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, the capital of the colony (initially the sea journey went all the way, then later it connected to the New Plymouth Express instead).The era of steam – Saving time
(from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2008-03-10.)
In 1909 a typical coastal freight connection was a steamer from Onehunga to locations such as Raglan,
Kawhia Kawhia Harbour () is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southwest of Hamilton, Ne ...
and Waitara. Onehunga was the Northern Steamship's base for serving the west coast, including also Āwhitu,
Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long Estuary, estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Mā ...
and Waiuku. By the First World War Onehunga was no longer an important commercial port. This was partly because of a general increase in the size of ships, which meant the Waitematā Harbour was favoured, especially as it was wider and deeper. More significant however was the completion of the
North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...
railway in 1908 – this effectively made the coastal passenger and freight steamship trade on both coasts of the country largely unprofitable. Coastal shipping did continue at Onehunga until the 2010s. The port still serves some local fishing, and a cement and sand company maintains facilities there. In 1874, the town of Onehunga had 2,044 inhabitants, compared with Wellington's 10,547, reflecting the importance of the smaller port towns during an age when New Zealand was booming, but internal transport links were still rudimentary.''New Zealand Historical Atlas'' – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 53 In 1877, Onehunga was declared a borough with a mayor and 16 councillors. From 1883, until around 1903 when it was partially demolished, the Onehunga Ironworks was situated in the town. It operated until around 1895. The ironworks was located opposite the original Onehunga railway station. Its chimney and some structures survived into the late 1960s. From 1885, the town became known for its wool industry (several firms maintained factories here including one which produced blankets). This weaving industry saved the area from more serious decline when the shipping trade reduced after 1908. As the centre of the Auckland isthmus became covered by suburban developments the Onehunga foreshore became an attraction for families from Mount Eden, Epsom and One Tree Hill. The beach at Onehunga became popular after the electric tram route was completed in 1906 and the Tea Rooms situated at the tram terminus, overlooking the harbour were an attraction in their own right. After the Municipal Abattoir was relocated from Freeman's Bay to Westfield and Southdown, Onehunga started to suffer from the toxic discharges the freezing works pumped into the harbour. This effectively put an end to Onehunga's emerging role as a seaside resort and also made it a less attractive place to live. By the late 1930s the water quality of the harbour was poor, with a discernible downturn in fish and wildlife numbers. It became unsafe to eat any shellfish for example and fish numbers dwindled. The installation of a large sewerage treatment plant in the harbour in the 1960s only made things worse. Since the decommissioning of the freezing works at Westfield and Southdown and a redesign of the Manukau Sewerage Treatment Works, the quality of the water has increased significantly. In 1893, Elizabeth Yates became mayor of Onehunga. While she was defeated at the polls only one year later, she was the first woman in the British Empire to hold such a post.


Merging with Auckland

While in 1891 Onehunga was one of the "25 most populous urban areas/towns of New Zealand", with about 5,000 inhabitants,''New Zealand Historical Atlas'' – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 65 by the First World War it had ceased to be a port of importance. It gained a new role as a shopping and service centre as it was engulfed by the suburban development of Auckland, and was amalgamated with Auckland City in 1989. Onehunga had for a short time Auckland's first zoo. However, the zoological garden that John James Boyd created near today's Royal Oak did not meet with local approval – mainly due to concerns about the smells and crowds. Eleven years after its November 1911 opening, the animals were bought and transferred to the new Auckland Zoo at Western Springs. Although the area was a predominantly working-class suburb for much of the 20th century, it has undergone some
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
since the 1990s. In recent times, many of the bungalows of the 1920s (along with the earlier villas) have undergone restoration. Secondary schools located conveniently are Onehunga High School, One Tree Hill College and Marcellin College. Some boys also attend St Peter's College.


Local government

The first local government for the settlement was the Hundred of Onehunga, formed in 1848. This was replaced with the Township of Onehunga Highway District in 1868, which in turn was replaced with the Borough of Onehunga in 1877. The borough expanded northwards via annexation of part of the One Tree Hill Road District in 1911–1916 and 1925 as well as an annexation of part of the Mount Roskill Road District in 1936. The borough governed Onehunga until it was abolished as part of the
1989 local government reforms The 1989 New Zealand local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, on Regions of New Zealand, regional and Territo ...
.


Mayors of Onehunga Borough Council

* John Dickenson Jackson, 1877–1877 * James William Waller, 1877–1878 * Thomas George Blakey, 1878–1879 * George Codlin, 1879–1880 * Thomas George Blakey, 1880–1881 * George Codlin, 1881–1883 * Dr. William George Scott, 1883–1884 * John Dickenson Jackson, 1884–1885 * Dr. William George Scott, 1885–1886 * Dr. William Robert Close Erson, 1886–1887 * Charles Colville Fleming, 1887–1888 * Captain Michael Yates, 1888–1892 * Dr. William Robert Close Erson, 1892–1893 * Elizabeth Yates, 1893–1894 * Donald Alexander Sutherland, 1894–1897 * Frederick William Court, 1897–1898 * Dr. William Robert Close Erson, 1898–1901 * Donald Alexander Sutherland, 1901–1904 * Angus William Gordon, 1905–1905 * John Rowe, 1906–1917 * John James Boyd, 1917–1917 * John Stoupe, 1917–1919 * John Park, 1919–1923 * James Edward Cowell, 1923–1927 * William Charles Coldicutt, 1927–1929 * Edward Morton, 1929–1935 * John Park, 1935–1938 * Archer Garside, 1944–1959 * Leon Abraham Manning, 1959–1968 * Thomas Victor Gerrard Beeson, 1968–1974 * Leon Abraham Manning, 1974–1980 * John Lawrence Henderson, 1980–1986 * Graham Johnson Mountjoy, 1986–1989


Demographics

Onehunga comprises four statistical areas. Onehunga West, North and Central are primarily residential/commercial. Onehunga-Te Papapa Industrial is primarily industrial.


Residential area

The residential/commercial area of Onehunga covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Onehunga residential areas had a population of 10,077 in the
2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...
, a decrease of 369 people (−3.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 273 people (2.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 4,872 males, 5,157 females and 45 people of other genders in 3,870 dwellings. 4.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 1,716 people (17.0%) aged under 15 years, 1,896 (18.8%) aged 15 to 29, 5,250 (52.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,212 (12.0%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 56.2% European (
Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
); 11.3% Māori; 17.5% Pasifika; 26.9% Asian; 3.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 93.3%, Māori language by 2.1%, Samoan by 3.7%, and other languages by 25.9%. No language could be spoken by 2.6% (e.g. too young to talk).
New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...
was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 38.6, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 37.1%
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 3.8%
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 1.8%
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 0.6%
Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.4%
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, 0.4%
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
, 0.1%
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, and 1.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 47.5%, and 5.3% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 3,225 (38.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 3,228 (38.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,893 (22.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 1,518 people (18.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,944 (59.1%) people were employed full-time, 927 (11.1%) were part-time, and 219 (2.6%) were unemployed.


Industrial area

Onehunga-Te Papapa Industrial covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Onehunga-Te Papapa Industrial had a population of 1,134 in the
2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...
, an increase of 264 people (30.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 294 people (35.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 570 males, 558 females and 9 people of other genders in 537 dwellings. 4.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 34.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 198 people (17.5%) aged under 15 years, 225 (19.8%) aged 15 to 29, 570 (50.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 141 (12.4%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 50.3% European (
Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
); 17.2% Māori; 23.3% Pasifika; 23.8% Asian; 3.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 92.1%, Māori language by 1.6%, Samoan by 6.3%, and other languages by 23.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.9% (e.g. too young to talk).
New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...
was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 38.1, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 40.5%
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 3.4%
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 2.4%
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 0.8%
Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.6%
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, 0.5%
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
, 0.5%
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, and 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 43.4%, and 5.8% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 345 (36.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 363 (38.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 219 (23.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $54,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 135 people (14.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 588 (62.8%) people were employed full-time, 66 (7.1%) were part-time, and 24 (2.6%) were unemployed.


Foreshore

Onehunga's shore is heavily modified by human use. The old volcanic basin that used to link to the Manukau Harbour was filled in, with shorelines reclaimed and straightened for human use ( Port of Onehunga, industrial uses and sports fields). The New Zealand State Highway 20 extension further disrupted Onehunga's connection to the shore in the 1970s. This loss of amenity and space was one of the major complaints of local groups during negotiations over further motorway widening connected to the Māngere Bridge duplication. Proponents of a restored beach eventually won a $18 million commitment from Transit New Zealand (now
NZ Transport Agency NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), superseded by is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, and administering the New Zealand st ...
), which was topped up by a further $10 million from Auckland City Council. The sum is to fund a large-scale new shoreline west of the motorway, connected to downtown Onehunga with new pedestrian/cyclebridges, and creating 11ha of new beach and headland landscape. Three designs out of seven initial competitors have been shortlisted for further work as of late 2009, and it is hoped to complete the restoration of the foreshore by mid-2014. In mid-2011, the plans for the restoration works were clarified further, and provided for public comment, setting out a reclamation area with sanded beaches, new green open space and several new headlands. The area is to receive a new boat ramp, and walk and cycleways including a new walking and cycling bridge over the motorway to Onehunga. Construction has started on 19 November 2012. The newly named Taumanu Reserve was officially opened to the public on 14 November 2015, in an event attended by over a thousand people.


Transport

Onehunga Line rail services carry passengers between Onehunga railway station and central Auckland's Britomart Transport Centre along the Onehunga Branch line to a junction with the main line at Penrose station. The Campaign for Better Transport campaigned to have the line extended south from Onehunga across the SH20 Manukau Harbour second crossing bridge to
Auckland Airport Auckland Airport is an international airport serving Auckland, the most populous city of New Zealand. It is the largest and busiest airport in the country, with over 18.7 million passengers served in the year ended December 2024. The airpor ...
. Former Auckland Mayor Len Brown also campaigned for this Auckland Airport Line, though it will likely only be developed after the City Rail Link is completed. Electric services began running between Britomart and Onehunga on 28 April 2014. Queen St, named after
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, led onto the 1920s Māngere Bridge and thence to the suburb of the same name. This was one of the main land routes south out of Auckland and the usual route to the airport until the motorway and regional road system in the 1970s diverted the through traffic away from the Onehunga and Mangere Bridge. In 1973, Queen St was closed to through traffic, and on 2 April 1973 was renamed Onehunga Mall and reopened as a pedestrian shopping precinct. In 1996, Onehunga Mall was reopened to traffic. Until 1956, a tram line ran all the way from the
Auckland CBD The Auckland Central Business District (CBD), or Auckland city centre, is the geographical and economic heart of the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area. It is the area in which Auckland was established in 1840, by William Hobson on land gifted ...
to Onehunga.


Notable buildings


Onehunga Post Office (former)

The Onehunga Post Office was built in 1901–2, in an Edwardian Baroque post office style, during a boom in post office construction throughout New Zealand in the early 20th century. Designed by Government Architect John Campbell, it is one of the earliest examples of the work of this prolific architect. Construction was completed on 3 February 1902, opening officially on 14 February 1902 and attended by a number of members of Parliament including Sir Joseph Ward. The building hosted essential public services such as mail, banking, and telegraph facilities. The former Post Office is located on the corner of Princes Street & Onehunga Mall Road (formerly Queen Street). By the 1990s the building was neglected and set for demolition, this was until the local community rallied and the building was refurbished in 1994–5. Since, it has hosted multiple hospitality businesses. The Onehunga Post Office is the oldest surviving building in Onehunga's business district and was appointed a Heritage Place Category 2 in July 1993. File:Onehunga Post Office Opening.jpg, The opening of the new Onehunga Post Office, 1902 File:Stately Older Post Office Onehunga Mall.jpg, Former Onehunga Post Office, 2011


St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church is an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
church located on the corner of Onehunga Mall Road and Church Street. The Selwyn church built in 1848 has been relocated. The existing building dates from the 1980s and incorporates a gothic revival tower from the 1930s. The churchyard contains the graves of many of Onehunga's early settlers such as first woman Mayor of the British Empire, Elizabeth Yates and some of the dead from the Wreck of the HMS Orpheus. File:St. Peter's Church, Onehunga 1928.gif, St Peter's church, 1928 File:St Peter's Anglican Church, Onehunga 20240630 115846 01.jpg, St Peter's Church, 2024


Carnegie Free Library (former)

Located on Princes Street, the Carnegie Free Library was built in 1911-12 and funded by American industrialist,
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...
who supported the construction of free libraries throughout the world. It was one of eighteen in New Zealand built with his financial support. The building was designed by local Architect, John Park, who later served as Mayor of Onehunga. The classical Edwardian style building opened on 11 September 1912 and operated as a library for close to 60 years. In 1957, the name of the building was changed, with the word 'Free' being removed, it became known as the Onehunga Public Library. By 1967 the library moved to Church Street and the building was vacated. The building faced threats of demolition, with opposition from the local community. It was then purchased in 1988 and used as a community space until it was sold privately in 1998. Since then it has housed multiple restaurants and bars. In 1987 it was appointed a Historic Place Category 1 listing. File:Carnegie Library, Onehunga 1912.jpg, Carnegie Library, Onehunga 1912 File:NZ AK Carnegie Free Library (2).jpg, Carnegie Library building, 2023


Our Lady of the Assumption Church

Our Lady of the Assumption Church, located at the corner of Church & Galway Streets is a Roman Catholic church built between 1887 and 1889. It was designed by Architect Thomas Mahoney in Gothic Revival style and built by local bricklayer William Kemp. Next to the church building is a denominational cemetery which contains the graves of many of Onehunga's early settlers. In 1983 it was appointed a Historic Place Category 2 listing. File:Interior of the Church of the Assumption, Auckland 1896 (cropped).jpg, Interior of Our Lady of the Assumption in Onehunga, 1896 File:Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Catholic).jpg, Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, 2020


The Landing (formerly The Manukau Hotel)

The Landing building is located at 2 Onehunga Harbour Road. It was built in 1865 by George Hodge, to accommodate passengers arriving to the Onehunga Wharf. It was known as the Manukau Hotel and was owned by Captain Henry Hardington from 1874. In June 1879, the hotel burnt down. A new hotel designed by architect James Wrigley, opened in December 1879 on the same site. The building has seen significant alteration since its construction, both in 1892 by J. Huntley Allen and by Charles Arnold in 1906. It has been in continuous use as a hotel and public house since its reconstruction in 1879. It now operates as a restaurant and is widely recognised as a historical and social landmark of the area. File:Manukau Hotel, Onehunga.jpg, Manukau Hotel Onehunga, 1900s


Arch of Remembrance

The Arch of Remembrance, is located in Jellicoe Park on Quadrant Road & Grey Street. The park itself opened in 1923 by the Governor General, Lord Jellicoe, and is the site of Onehunga's Public Swimming Pools which opened in 1956. The Arch of Remembrance was officially unveiled on 20 October 1929 as a memorial for WWI and
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It is made from locally sourced
scoria Scoria or cinder is a pyroclastic, highly vesicular, dark-colored volcanic rock formed by ejection from a volcano as a molten blob and cooled in the air to form discrete grains called clasts.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A. Jackso ...
and its initial construction was overseen by John Park. Since its inception it has served as a commemorative site for the local community. File:Arch of Remembrance, Onehunga.jpg, The Arch of Remembrance at the entrance to Jellicoe Park in Onehunga.


Onehunga Blockhouse

Onehunga Blockhouse is a brick building relocated from Princes St, built in 1860 as a defense strongpost during the
New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...
, it is currently owned by the Onehunga Fencible and Historical Society. File:Sketches near Onehunga, 1892 (cropped).jpg, Sketch of Onehunga Blockhouse, 1892 File:Onehunga Blockhouse Front 2024.jpg, Front of the Onehunga Blockhouse, 2024


Journey's End (replica)

Journeys End is a replica of a 1850 wooden Fencible cottage, opened in 1959 and moved to its current site in 1969. File:Journeys End.jpg, Journey's End, 2024


Laishley House

Laishley House was built in 1859–60 as a
manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...
for the congregational church, at 44 Princes Street and later relocated to Jellicoe Park in 1985. The first minister was Rev. Richard Laishley, in which the house is named after. File:Laishley House.jpg, Laishley House, 2024


Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club (formerly)

Located on Onehunga Harbour Road, the now, Aotea Sea Scout Den, was built in 1911 by John Park for the Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club. The building was taken over by the Aotea Sea Scouts in 1977. It is noted to be one of the oldest remaining yacht clubs in New Zealand. File:Aotea Sea Scouts' Ship.png, Aotea Sea Scouts Den, 2016


Onehunga Primary School (formerly)

The former Onehunga Primary School was opened on 20 November 1901. The building was constructed by G M Hancock and designed by architects to the Auckland Education Board, John Mitchell and Robert Watt. Made from native
kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...
, in a Queen Anne Revival style, the building served as a school for 80 years and from 1981 used as a community space. It is listed as a Historic Place Category 1. File:Photos 173805 extralarge.jpg, The opening of the new school in Onehunga, November 20, 1901 File:NZ AK Onehunga Primary School (2).jpg, Onehunga Primary School (Former), 2023


Onehunga Railway Station

The former Onehunga railway station building, is now relocated to 38 Alfred Street serves as headquarters of the
Railway Enthusiasts Society The Railway Enthusiasts Society Incorporated (known by its acronym RES) is a New Zealand railway enthusiast society formed on 17 July 1958. RES formed the Glenbrook Vintage Railway (GVR) in 1968, with GVR now forming a separate charitable tru ...
Inc. It was built in 1873. As one of the first train stations to be built under the Vogel Railway Acts of 1870s New Zealand. File:Onehunga Train Station 19th Century.jpg, The train station at Onehunga, sometime in the second half of the 19th Century.


Commerce

Dress Smart Auckland opened in Onehunga in 1995, and expanded in 2005. It now covers an area of 13,217 m2, with up to 101 tenancies and 735 carparks.


Education

Onehunga High School is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of students. Onehunga Primary School is a contributing primary school (years 1–6) with a roll of students. St Joseph's Catholic School is a state-integrated full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of students. Golden Grove School is a private Montessori full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of students. All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of


Sport

Waikaraka Park Speedway is a
motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...
venue in Waikaraka Park, on 175-243 Neilson Street. The venue has hosted important events, including the North Island final round of the Speedway World Championship in 1992.


Notable people

* Margaret Beveridge Stevenson (1865–1941), a New Zealand Baháʼí * Annie Christina Morrison, first headmistress of
Epsom Girls' Grammar School Epsom Girls Grammar School (often simplified to Epsom Girls, or EGGS) is a state secondary school for girls ranging from years 9 to 13 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has a roll of 2,200 as of 2025, making it one of the largest schools in New Zeala ...
. * Elizabeth Yates, New Zealand politician


References

*''The Lively Capital, Auckland 1840–1865''. Una Platts. Avon Fine Prints Limited New Zealand 1971. *''Onehunga Art & Heritage Walks'', Onehunga Mainstreet Programme 2003.


External links


Discover Onehunga – all about Onehunga
(site maintained by Onehunga Business Association)

held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections. {{Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board Area Suburbs of Auckland Port cities in New Zealand Populated places around the Manukau Harbour *