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Howick, New Zealand
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Key Information
| Eastern Beach | (Hauraki Gulf) | Mellons Bay |
| Half Moon Bay |
|
Cockle Bay |
| Highland Park | Botany Downs | Shelly Park |
Howick is a suburb of East Auckland, New Zealand. The area was traditionally settled by Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, and in 1847 Howick was established as a defensive settlement for Auckland, by veteran fencible soldiers of the British Army. Howick was a small agricultural centre until the 1950s, when it developed into a suburban area of Auckland.
Geography
[edit]
Howick is located in the central peninsula of East Auckland, between the Tāmaki River and Tāmaki Strait of the Hauraki Gulf.[4] Waipaparoa / Howick Beach is located to the north-east of the suburb, adjacent to Mellons Bay in the west and Cockle Bay in the east. Waipaparoa / Howick Beach looks out towards the Tāmaki Strait, Waiheke Island, Motukaraka Island and Beachlands.[5] The soil around Howick is primarily clay and sandstone.[6]
Etymology
[edit]Howick was named after Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey, a name chosen by Governor George Grey in 1847.[7] The Earl was formerly known as Viscount Howick, and his family home in Alnwick, Northumberland. Earl Grey was the Secretary of State for the Colonies who decided to settle British Army veterans in settlements around Auckland.[8] The traditional Tāmaki Māori names for the coastal area were Paparoa and Waipaparoa, and Ōwairoa was used to describe the swampy inland area where the Howick village was established.[9][10][5] The names Howick, Owairoa and Paparoa were used interchangeably by European settlers until 1923, when the Howick Town Board was established.[10]
History
[edit]Māori history
[edit]
The Tāmaki Strait was visited by the Tainui migratory waka around the year 1300, and members of the crew settled around East Auckland and the Pōhutukawa Coast. These were the ancestors of the modern mana whenua of the area, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki.[9] The traditional names for the beach and surrounding bay are Paparoa and Waipaparoa, with Waipaparoa referring to the wider bay between modern-day Howick and Beachlands, including the Turanga Creek.[9] The Howick area was extensively cultivated, but as the area was relatively exposed, two fortified pā were constructed: Paparoa Pā at the south-eastern end of Waipaparoa / Howick Beach, and Tūwakamana Pā above Cockle Bay. In addition to agriculture, the Waipaparoa / Howick Beach area was known for pioke (shortspine spurdog sharks), which were caught in the near-by estuaries and dried at the beach.[9] In the 1600s, the warrior Kāwharu attacked and razed Paparoa Pā, without taking occupation of the lands. While the wider area was still cultivated, the site of Paparoa Pā became a wāhi tapu (sacred and restricted) site to Ngāi Tai.[9][11]
In 1836, English Missionary William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between Tāmaki Māori chiefs, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero and Turia of Ngāti Te Rau, covering the majority of modern-day South Auckland, East Auckland and the Pōhutukawa Coast.[12] The sale was envisioned by the church and the chiefs as a way to end hostilities in the area, but it is unclear what the chiefs understood or consented to. Māori continued to live in the area, unchanged by this sale.[13][14] Fairburn's Purchase was investigated by the New Zealand Land Commission found to be excessive and reduced in size. The disallowed parts of his purchase were not returned to Ngāi Tai, however in 1854 a reserve was created for Ngāi Tai around the Wairoa River and Umupuia.[15] As a part of this arrangement, Ngāi Tai agreed not to settle elsewhere in the region, which included Howick.[16]
Establishment of Howick
[edit]

Howick was established in 1847 as a defensive outpost for Auckland, by fencibles (retired British Army soldiers) and their families.[17] Governor George Grey, Bishop George Selwyn, Major Mathew Richmond and Felton Mathew chose the site in October 1847, at a location known to early colonists as Owairoa.[18] The decision to establish on site was controversial. It was allegedly chosen to protect Auckland against potential invasion from Marutūāhu tribes to the east, but the site was too far inland to serve this purpose. As the Crown owned the entirety of the land at Howick, the Government could directly profit from the land sales to fencible settlers.[19]
The fencibles arrived between 1847 and 1852, with the first ships arriving at Waiapaparoa / Howick Beach.[20] Early settlers struggled to establish themselves on the land. Almost no trees were found in the district that could be used for construction, and the soil was primarily clay, compared to other fencible settlements such as Ōtāhuhu and Panmure that were established on volcanic soils more suitable for farming.[6] In 1849 when William Fox of the New Zealand Company visited Howick, he described the settlement as a costly failure.[21] The settlers were promised that houses would be constructed for their families, however this had not occurred by their arrival.[14] The first cottages were constructed from raupō with help from Ngāi Tai, and by December 1849 most of these had been replaced with wooden cottages.[22]
The fencible settlers were primarily poor, and were evenly split between Catholic and Protestant families.[14] All Saints Church was constructed in Howick in 1847, as the first Anglican parish church in Auckland.[23] The Government was widely criticised for not providing many employment opportunities for the fencible settlers. Early settlers often found work on Government projects such as road construction, drainage or clearing allotments, while others worked for farmers.[24] Many fencibles lived in Auckland for work, but were obliged to return to Howick on Sundays, otherwise they could be charged with mutiny under the Fencibles Act.[25]
Howick village developed around the Howick Domain, and grew overtime to become a service centre for the surrounding rural areas.[26] The settlers were dependent on water transport and ferry services, until the construction of the Panmure Bridge across the Tāmaki River in 1865.[27][28][29] Howick was developed into an English-style village by the settlers,[30] becoming known as an area where potatoes and butter were produced.[31] In the 1850s and 1860s the Howick District Acclimation Society worked to introduce English birds such as the thrush and blackbird to the area, to develop an English atmosphere and as a measure to combat caterpillars in the orchards of the area.[32]
By 1854, many of the fencibles had completed their required seven years of service. Most stayed in Howick, with some moving to Auckland, the gold mine towns of the Coromandel Peninsula, or new defensive settlements to the south, such as Hunua, Papakura and Pukekawa.[31]
In April 1861, news reached the village of the imminent Invasion of the Waikato. By July 1863, a defensive blockhouse was constructed in Howick,[33] and 101 fencibles and their sons served in the war.[14] In September 1863, the Ngāi Tai village of Ōtau near Clevedon was attacked by the British army, and the village was evacuated, with people moving to communities at the river's mouth. While Māori of South Auckland such as Te Ākitai Waiohua were forced to leave, Ngāi Tai were designated as a "friendly" people by the Crown, and remained neutral in the fighting.[34][35] After the Native Lands Act of 1865, the Native Land Court confiscated many Ngāi Tai lands. The remaining land was individuated, slowly sold on to European farmers.[34][9]
The first local government was established in the area in 1865, with the creation of the Howick Township Road Board.[36]
In 1865, the capital of New Zealand was moved from Auckland to Wellington. This caused major financial problems for the residents of Howick, as income from butter dropped and land prices plummeted.[37] By 1880, the population of the village had dropped to 220, down from 775 in 1848.[38] The Howick Town Hall was constructed in 1884,[39] and a number of social organisations such as the Howick Musical Association and Howick Cricket Club were established during this period.[40]
Suburban development
[edit]

Until the 1920s, Howick had the reputation of being a sleepy English-style village.[41] By 1921, the village had grown enough to become a town district within the Manukau County,[42] and became a town district the following year.[43] In the 1930s after a concrete road was constructed between Howick and Greenlane, Howick developed into a suburb for people working in Penrose, Westfield and Ōtāhuhu.[44] Howick village held fundraising carnivals from the 1930s to the 1950s known as Queens Carnivals, where beauty pageants were held to choose an annual queen from the community to represent Howick businesses.[44]
After World War II, many Dutch New Zealanders settled in Howick.[45] The population had slowly grown to 1,500 when the settlement celebrated its centenary in 1947.[1] In 1952, Howick split from the Manukau County to form its own borough.[46] Major suburban growth occurred in Howick in the 1960s and 1970s, including the development of new suburbs in the surrounding areas.[47] In the 1980s and 1990s, Howick developed as a location for Asian migrant communities. Entrepreneur Kit Wong established 100 shops at the Meadowlands shopping plaza, which included a number of businesses run by Chinese and Thai immigrants, such as restaurants.[48]
Government
[edit]Howick electorate
[edit]From 1993 and prior to the introduction of MMP in 1996, Howick had its own seat in Parliament, Howick; which had been created from part of the former Otara electorate.
In the 1996 general election, due to the need to decrease the number of general electorates to ensure a sufficient number of seats were available for list MPs, the population centres formerly in the Howick seat were merged into the former separate seat of Pakuranga.
While making recommendations for the boundaries to apply in the 2008 general election, the Electoral Commission recently proposed to resurrect the Howick seat. The planned seat would have taken in the population centres of Howick and Botany Downs-Dannemora but would have had the effect of splitting Bucklands Beach and Highland Park across two electorates. Due to this, and the planned move to incorporate Panmure, Point England and Glen Innes into the neighbouring Pakuranga seat, the commission received a significant number of objections from Pakuranga residents. The Commission eventually adopted the recommendation of Objector N17/30 in keeping the Howick suburb in Pakuranga and renaming the new seat Botany, with a corresponding shift in centre of gravity to the new suburb of Flat Bush. [49][50]
Local government
[edit]
The first local government in the area was the Howick Township Road Board, which was established 3 March 1865 and in operation by 20 March.[36] By 1921, the village had grown enough to become a town district within the Manukau County,[42] becoming a borough in 1952.[46] In 1959 parts of Manukau County were annexed by Howick.[53] As a part of the 1989 New Zealand local government reforms, Howick Borough was incorporated into Manukau City.[54] In November 2010, all cities and districts of the Auckland Region were amalgamated into a single body, governed by the Auckland Council.[55]
Howick is part of the Howick local board area, who elects members of the Howick Local Board. Residents of Howick also elect two Howick ward councillors, who sits on the Auckland Council.
Mayors of Howick
[edit]During its existence from 1952 to 1989, the borough of Howick had six mayors:[56]
| Name | Term | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernie La Roche | 1952–1953 |
| 2 | William Stevenson | 1953–1962 |
| 3 | Walter Haddrell | 1962–1965 |
| 4 | Cecil Litten | 1965–1966 |
| 5 | Whitford Blundell | 1966–1974 |
| 6 | Morrin Cooper | 1974–1989 |
Notable places
[edit]Museums
[edit]
Howick Historical Village, a living history museum run by Howick & Districts Historical Society and located in Pakuranga, opened in 1980 to recreate the Fencible settlement of Howick.[57] The original historic buildings, sourced from around Howick and its environs, were saved from demolition between the mid 1960s and early 1980s and moved to Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga.[58][59]
The Polish Heritage Trust Museum has been operating in Howick in 2004.[60][61]
Emilia Maud Nixon Garden of Memories
[edit]Originally built in the mid-1930s, a small wharenui is located behind the village's library and arts centre. The 'Garden of Memories' was developed by Howick resident Emilia Maude Nixon to "promote understanding, harmony and goodwill between all people".[62] Nixon planted native trees and grew traditional food eaten by Maori. A waka was also located in the garden, with the wharenui named Torere – after the daughter of Hoturoa, the chief of the Tainui.[63] Kuia and kaumātua visited the garden for a dedication in 1936.[64]
After Nixon's death in 1962, the garden was managed by the Howick Borough Council while Torere was managed by the Howick and District Historical Society. In the following decades, the wharenui was occasionally vandalised and left largely unmaintained. The original structure was demolished and rebuilt by the Manukau City Council following the 1989 New Zealand local government reforms – though the wharenui's facade and carvings were maintained.[63][64] Following the rebuilding of Torere, the building was used for classes and activities organised by volunteers.[64]
An attempt to name the wharenui a "marae" by its managing trust prompted over 300 submissions by residents in 1997 – and signs bearing the name were gratified over.[65] The opposition and council response sparked a Race Relations Office investigation.[66] But Torere itself was damaged beyond repair following a fire in October 2004 – fire investigators found the incident was likely a result of an arson attack,[67][68][69] while some locals blamed the fire on an electrical fault.[63] The wharenui rebuild project was contested by some locals,[70] notably the Howick Ratepayers and Residents Association,[71][63] and was only completed in 2011.[68][72]
Buildings
[edit]The McMillan Homestead is located on Bleakhouse Road and was built in the 1880s.[73]
All Saints' Church is a category I heritage listed Church located in Howick that was constructed in 1847.[23]
Sport and recreation
[edit]Howick is home to Fencibles United association football club, who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2, and the Howick Hornets rugby league club, who compete in Auckland Rugby League's top division, the Fox Memorial.
Demographics
[edit]Howick covers 3.16 km2 (1.22 sq mi)[2] and had an estimated population of 12,640 as of June 2025,[3] with a population density of 4,000 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 9,798 | — |
| 2013 | 10,512 | +1.01% |
| 2018 | 11,064 | +1.03% |
| 2023 | 11,523 | +0.82% |
| Source: [74] | ||
Howick had a population of 11,523 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 459 people (4.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,011 people (9.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 5,661 males, 5,829 females and 36 people of other genders in 4,011 dwellings.[75] 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 38.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 2,274 people (19.7%) aged under 15 years, 2,025 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 5,514 (47.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,707 (14.8%) aged 65 or older.[76]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 59.6% European (Pākehā); 7.8% Māori; 5.7% Pasifika; 33.5% Asian; 2.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 92.0%, Māori language by 1.1%, Samoan by 1.1%, and other languages by 31.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 48.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.[76]
Religious affiliations were 35.3% Christian, 3.2% Hindu, 1.5% Islam, 0.3% Māori religious beliefs, 2.4% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 2.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 48.2%, and 6.6% of people did not answer the census question.[76]
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,856 (30.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 4,125 (44.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,274 (24.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $46,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,443 people (15.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,031 (54.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,137 (12.3%) were part-time, and 222 (2.4%) were unemployed.[76]
| Name | Area (km2) |
Population | Density (per km2) |
Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howick West | 1.19 | 4,074 | 3,424 | 1,323 | 38.8 years | $44,300[77] |
| Howick Central | 0.86 | 3,681 | 4,280 | 1,281 | 37.5 years | $46,300[78] |
| Howick East | 1.11 | 3,768 | 3,395 | 1,407 | 38.8 years | $48,800[79] |
| New Zealand | 38.1 years | $41,500 |
Education
[edit]Howick Intermediate School is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of 615.[80] Howick Primary School and Owairoa Primary School are contributing primary schools (years 1–6) with rolls of 338 and 816 students, respectively[81][82]
All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of July 2025.[83]
Our Lady Star of the Sea School is a state-integrated coeducational Catholic contributing primary school (Year 1–6) with a roll of 297 as of July 2025.[83][84]
References
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- ^ a b La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 61.
- ^ la Roche, Alan (27 April 2018). "Paparoa, Owairoa or Howick name?". Times Online. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 44, 80.
- ^ a b c d e f Green, Nathew (2011). "From Hawaīki to Howick – A Ngāi Tai History". Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. By La Roche, Alan. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. pp. 16–33. ISBN 978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC 1135039710.
- ^ a b La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 80.
- ^ Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and the Trustees of the Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki Trust and the Crown (7 November 2015). "Deed of settlement schedule documents" (PDF). NZ Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "13 June 1865". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_0760. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Moore, D; Rigby, B; Russell, M (July 1997). Rangahaua Whanui National Theme A: Old Land Claims (PDF) (Report). Waitangi Tribunal. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d Alexander, Gibson & la Roche 1997, pp. 51–60.
- ^ Clough, Tom; Apfel, Aaron; Clough, Rod (June 2020). 109 Beachlands Road, Beachlands, Auckland: Preliminary Archaeological Assessment (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Authority. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ Heritage Department of the Auckland Regional Council. "Duder Regional Park – Our History" (PDF). Auckland Council. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 48.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 47.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 60.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 54.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 62.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 63.
- ^ a b "Old All Saints Church (Anglican)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 76–79.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 84.
- ^ "History of Howick, Pakuranga and surrounding areas". Howick Welcome Guide. Howick and Pakuranga Times. 11 April 2005. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 234.
- ^ "Panmure Bridge Swing Span and Abutment". Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ La Roche 2011, pp. 171–174.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 82.
- ^ a b La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 90–91.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 86.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 95–96.
- ^ a b Green, Nat (2010). Ōtau: a Ngāi Tai Cultural Heritage Assessment of Clevedon Village, Wairoa Valley (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 94, 97.
- ^ a b Bloomfield 1973, pp. 124.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 99.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 101.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 119.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 102.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 109.
- ^ a b La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 312.
- ^ Bloomfield 1973, pp. 70.
- ^ a b La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 111.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 305.
- ^ a b "Previous Local Government Agencies". Auckland Council. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 114.
- ^ La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 307.
- ^ "Report of the Representation Commission 2007". Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
- ^ "Find my Electorate". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ "Footprints 06209". kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz. Auckland Council Libraries. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
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- ^ "1 November 1989". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_5842. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
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- ^ Staff (9 February 2021). "Miss Nixon and the Treaty of Waitangi". Times. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d Corbett, Jan (19 January 2008). "Fire and Loathing in Howick". Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "ENV-2007-AKL-000532" (PDF). New Zealand Environment Court.
- ^ "Marae word a canker in Garden of Memories". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Garden marae sparks a storm – New Zealand News". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Hidden history of Pakuranga – Kahu News". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ a b BOWEN, MATT (8 April 2011). "Landscape work delays opening of garden whare". Stuff. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Wharenui built in Howick is burnt down, TVNZ, 2010, retrieved 6 August 2022
- ^ "Whare debate rages on". 28 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 August 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Whare ruling out next year". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ "Howick whare rebuild goes to court". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Hall, Andrew (February 1980). Historic Buildings in Manukau City. Manukau City Council.
- ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Howick West (150400), Howick Central (152000) and Howick East (152400).
- ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Howick (51870). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Howick West. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Howick Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Howick East. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Education Counts: Howick Intermediate
- ^ Education Counts: Howick Primary School
- ^ Education Counts: Owairoa School
- ^ a b "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ Education Counts: Our Lady Star of the Sea School
Bibliography
[edit]- Alexander, Ruth; Gibson, Gail; la Roche, Alan (1997). The Royal New Zealand Fencibles, 1847–1852. New Zealand Fencible Society. ISBN 0473047160.
- La Roche, Alan (2011). Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. ISBN 978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC 1135039710. Wikidata Q118286377.
- La Roche, John (2011). "Tamaki River Bridge, Panmure". In La Roche, John (ed.). Evolving Auckland: The City's Engineering Heritage. Wily Publications. ISBN 9781927167038.
- Bloomfield, Gerald Taylor (1973). The Evolution of Local Government Areas in Metropolitan Auckland, 1840-1971. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 0-19-647714-X.
Further reading
[edit]- "Howick", The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, vol. 2: Auckland Provincial District, Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1902, pp. 656–657 – history of the town to 1900 and biographies of some local notable people during the latter half of the 19th century.
External links
[edit]- Howick Village
- Photographs of Howick held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
Howick, New Zealand
View on GrokipediaGeography
Location and topography
Howick occupies a coastal position in the eastern suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand, approximately 18 kilometres southeast of the central business district. The suburb lies within the Howick Local Board area, administered by Auckland Council, which encompasses adjacent locales such as Pakuranga to the southwest, Botany to the south, and extends eastward toward the Franklin district. This area borders the Tāmaki Estuary along its northwestern edge, providing access to tidal waters connected to the Waitematā Harbour, while its eastern perimeter approaches the Hauraki Gulf.[9][2] The Howick Local Board area spans approximately 99 square kilometres, encompassing a mix of urban, suburban, and semi-rural zones defined by council boundaries that facilitate local governance and planning.[9] Its strategic coastal and estuarine positioning has shaped land use patterns, with flat littoral zones transitioning inland to support varied development.[2] Topographically, Howick features undulating terrain from low-lying coastal plains near sea level to hilly elevations reaching up to 50 metres, characteristic of the broader Auckland isthmus. Soils are predominantly volcanic in origin, influenced by the regional Auckland Volcanic Field, yielding fertile, well-drained profiles suitable for historical agriculture and modern landscaping.[2][10][11] Key natural features include streams such as the Mangemangeroa, a tidal waterway forming part of the eastern boundary and supporting estuary habitats within reserves like Mangemangeroa Reserve. These waterways drain into the Tāmaki Estuary, with surrounding reserves preserving pockets of native bush amid urbanization, though development has led to habitat fragmentation and altered hydrology in stream corridors.[12][13][14]Climate
Howick features a temperate maritime climate (Köppen Cfb), moderated by its proximity to the Hauraki Gulf, which contributes to mild temperatures, high humidity, and reduced diurnal ranges compared to inland Auckland areas.[15] The mean annual temperature stands at approximately 15.5 °C, with January means reaching 20.5 °C and July means at 11.3 °C; daily maxima in summer average 24 °C, while winter minima seldom fall below 8 °C, and frost occurrences are minimal due to coastal warming effects. Average annual rainfall measures about 1,200 mm, with roughly 32% concentrated in the June–August winter quarter and occasional contributions from subtropical storms or ex-tropical cyclones; easterly aspects in Howick yield slightly lower totals than Auckland's westerly stations but higher consistency year-round.[15] Relative to New Zealand's national mean temperature of around 12.5 °C and variable rainfall (600–1,600 mm regionally), Howick's conditions are warmer and more humid, with infrequent extremes such as temperatures exceeding 30 °C or sub-zero events.[15][16] Urban expansion, including increased impervious surfaces, has heightened localized flood risks during intense precipitation, as evidenced by heightened overland flow and stream capacities in eastern suburbs, though overall extreme weather threats remain low.[17][18]History
Pre-colonial Māori occupation
The area of modern Howick formed part of the rohe of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, the tangata whenua iwi of east Tāmaki Makaurau, whose ancestors arrived with the Tainui waka around 1350 AD and established settlements between the Wairoa and Tāmaki estuaries.[19] Their hapū, including Ngāti Ruan gaingai and Ngāti Parahanga, maintained ahi kā through kainga and pā focused on coastal and riverine access.[19] Archaeological surveys reveal pre-European Māori sites concentrated along the Tamaki estuary and coastal margins near Howick, Pakuranga, and Beachlands, including the pā at R11/1619 with defensive ditches and terraces, as well as multiple shell middens (e.g., R11/344, R11/2523–2530) containing cockle and pipi remains indicative of shellfish processing.[20] These sites date primarily to the mid-15th to early 16th centuries, with some extending into the late 1600s, reflecting sustained but localized occupation tied to resource availability.[20] Notable pā such as Te Waiārohia at Musick Point served defensive purposes amid regional dynamics.[19] Land use centered on mahinga kai, with estuary fishing targeting tāmure (snapper) and pioke (sharks), supplemented by shellfish gathering, kererū snaring, and horticulture; pollen and starch evidence from isthmus middens confirms introduction and cultivation of kūmara on fertile basaltic soils, alongside taro and tī pore, accompanied by deforestation via fire for land clearance from the 14th century onward.[19][21] Rua kūmara pits, such as S11/18 in Clevedon Scenic Reserve, underscore storage practices for these crops.[19] Oral traditions, corroborated by site distributions, document inter-iwi migrations and resource competitions, such as Marutūāhu movements in the late 16th–early 17th centuries, contributing to pā proliferation for defense; settlements typically comprised 100–300 people, with pressures evident in the strategic placement of sites near waterways rather than uniform inland density.[19]Colonial establishment as defensive outpost
In 1847, Governor George Grey established Howick as the largest of four fencible settlements—alongside Onehunga, Otahuhu, and Panmure—intended to form a defensive barrier across the southern approaches to Auckland following the Northern War of 1845–1846.[22] [3] This initiative responded to Grey's concerns over potential Māori incursions, as the war had involved raids by Ngāpuhi forces under Hōne Heke that threatened the young colonial capital, prompting a need for semi-permanent military reserves rather than transient regular troops.[23] The site, selected for its elevated position overlooking Tamaki Drive and the Hauraki Gulf, featured heavy clay soils unsuitable for easy agriculture but advantageous for fortification.[24] The Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps, comprising retired soldiers from the British Army—typically aged under 48 with at least 15 years of service—provided the core settlers, with three companies totaling around 804 individuals, including wives and children, arriving by ship from Gravesend, England, starting in December 1847.[3] [25] These "pensioners" received one-acre town sections and ten-acre rural allotments in exchange for seven years of militia service, emphasizing a self-reliant pioneer model where families cleared bush, constructed sod or timber cottages, and established small farms while maintaining readiness for defense.[26] Infrastructure developed rapidly under military oversight: by 1848, a grid layout of streets emerged, flanked by a stockade perimeter with blockhouses at key points for surveillance and repelling attacks, supplemented by earthen redoubts and musket-proof barracks.[27] The settlement's name derived from Viscount Howick (later Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey), British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, who had authorized the fencible scheme as a cost-effective means to bolster imperial defenses without straining regular army resources.[1] This approach reflected broader colonial priorities of population security and land development, with fencibles required to drill periodically and respond to alarms, fostering a martial ethos amid the era's frontier uncertainties.[23]Conflicts and post-war settlement
During the Waikato War of 1863–1864, Howick served as a key defensive outpost on Auckland's eastern flank, with local fencibles and militia mobilized to counter potential Māori incursions from the south amid the Kīngitanga movement's challenge to Crown authority. The Stockade Hill redoubt was constructed in 1863 specifically to fortify the settlement against anticipated attacks by Waikato Māori forces, reflecting broader colonial fears heightened by earlier conflicts such as the Taranaki War, where Māori raids on settlers had demonstrated the vulnerability of frontier areas. These measures were not responses to unprovoked aggression but to documented escalations, including Māori crossings of the Mangatāwhiri boundary in defiance of government ultimatums, which prompted the invasion of Waikato as a security operation to neutralize threats to Auckland.[28][29][30] Post-1860s, local Māori iwi imposed tapu on the Howick area as a precautionary measure to restrict contact with European settlers and quarantine against introduced diseases, particularly measles, which caused disproportionately high mortality rates among Māori populations lacking prior exposure—reaching up to 10% of deaths in some epidemics due to limited immunity. This self-imposed restriction, rather than a punitive colonial policy, aimed to preserve iwi health amid ongoing interactions, as Māori continued limited trade and labor in the district despite the tapu. The New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 facilitated land confiscations in adjacent Waikato regions to establish buffer zones for settler security, but Howick's allotments, already granted to fencibles since 1847, remained focused on defensive agriculture rather than direct raupatu.[31][32][33] Following the conclusion of major hostilities around 1872, Howick's fencible veterans transitioned to full civilian farming, leveraging their military pensions—typically £10–£15 annually for 20+ years of service—to invest in livestock and infrastructure without immediate subsistence pressures. This stability enabled the district's shift toward dairy production by the 1870s, with smallholder farms supplying milk to Auckland markets as refrigeration and rail improved viability, supplanting earlier mixed cropping amid fertile volcanic soils. Pensions and land tenure under the fencible scheme, combined with post-war demobilization, fostered economic continuity, though challenges like market fluctuations persisted until cooperative dairies emerged in the 1880s.[3][2][34]Suburban development and urbanization
Following the Second World War, Howick began transitioning from a predominantly rural settlement with farmland and orchards to a residential suburb, driven by rising housing demand in the expanding Auckland region. The population reached approximately 1,500 by 1947, but accelerated growth commenced after Howick's separation from Manukau County to form its own borough in 1952, allowing localized management of development.[35][36] Major expansion occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, as private developers subdivided agricultural land into housing estates to meet commuter needs, establishing Howick as an affluent dormitory for Auckland workers.[2][36] Auckland's developing motorway network, initiated in the 1950s with sections opening progressively through the following decades, enhanced connectivity to the central business district about 20 kilometers west, reducing travel times and incentivizing residential investment in eastern suburbs like Howick.[37] This infrastructure, combined with proximity to employment centers, fueled market-led urbanization rather than centralized state directives, as families sought affordable homes outside the congested core while maintaining access for daily commutes.[2] Food processing and light industries provided some local jobs, but the suburb's appeal rested on its role in accommodating Auckland's outward population shift.[2] The 1989 local government reforms amalgamated Howick Borough into Manukau City, streamlining administration for larger-scale infrastructure and zoning decisions amid continued sprawl.[38] Further integration into the Auckland super-city in 2010 under a unified council facilitated coordinated responses to intensification pressures, including approvals for townhouses and apartments in areas like Stockade View Lane and Oaken Residences, responding to housing shortages without overriding private market signals.[39][40][41] These developments reflect ongoing demand from commuters valuing Howick's established amenities and transport links, sustaining its evolution into a mature urban fringe.[2]Demographics
Population growth and trends
The population of the Howick Local Board area originated with approximately 804 settlers in 1848, established as the largest Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps outpost.[1] By the 2018 census, this had expanded to around 141,000 usual residents, increasing to 153,570 by the 2023 census—a rise of 12,600 people or 8.9%.[42] Estimated resident population figures indicate continued expansion, reaching 170,000 in 2024 with 3.0% annual growth, exceeding the national rate of 1.7%.[43] This recent uptick stems primarily from natural increase (births exceeding deaths) and positive net international migration, partially offset by net internal migration losses to other New Zealand regions.[44] Stats NZ subnational medium-variant projections, aligned with Auckland Council planning scenarios, forecast the population approaching 190,000 by 2048, driven by sustained but decelerating migration and demographic trends.[45] The area's median age stood at 38.1 years in the 2023 census, marginally higher than the national median of 37.9 years, consistent with patterns of family settlement and aging-in-place in suburban locales.[42][46]| Year | Population (usual residents or estimate) | Growth driver notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1848 | 804 | Initial fencible settlement [1] |
| 2018 Census | ~141,000 | Base for recent census comparisons [42] |
| 2023 Census | 153,570 | +8.9% from 2018 [42] |
| 2024 Est. | 170,000 | +3.0% annual, migration-led [43] |
| 2048 Proj. (medium) | ~190,000 | Stats NZ/Auckland Council variant [45] |

