Auckland

Auckland is the most populous city and region in New Zealand. The Auckland Region is one of sixteen regions in New Zealand as established by the Local Government Act 2002. Situated in the north of the North Island, the city of Auckland sits on an isthmus flanked by the Manukau Harbour and the Waitākere ranges in the west and the Waitematā Harbour on the east. The wider Auckland Region borders with Waikato to the south and Northland to the north, and features urban, suburban and rural areas. The islands in the Hauraki Gulf are also a part of the Auckland region. As of 2018, the region is divided into twenty-one local boards. Twenty-two national parliamentary electorates are within the boundaries of the Auckland region.

In te reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, the region is known as Tāmaki Makaurau, which means Tāmaki of One Thousand Lovers, referring to the abundance of natural resources in the region. Aucklanders are known as confident, ambitious people who come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.

Historical Perspective

Māori have inhabited the Auckland region since about the fourteenth century. The region’s abundance of natural resources meant that many iwi (tribes) such as Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Te Ata, Wai-o-Hua and Ngāti Whātua co-existed or engaged in conflict within the region.

The first governor of New Zealand, William Hobson, established the first permanent European settlement on the Tāmaki isthmus in 1840, naming it Auckland and making it the capital of New Zealand. The capital remained Auckland until 1865, when it was moved to Wellington.

In the nineteenth century, Auckland was a city of economy and finance. A mixture of local and international investment and speculation generated significant business activity. While many individuals and families made their fortunes in Auckland, economic depression in the mid-1860s and the 1880s was also the financial ruin of many settlers. As an important point of entry for British imperial soldiers, the city also benefited from imperial spending during the wars in Taranaki and Waikato in the 1850s and 1860s.

The early twentieth century was a period of development for Auckland. Farmland in the rural and semi-rural outskirts of the city prospered as dairy and meat replaced gold and kauri tree gum as the region’s key exports. Public infrastructure such as trams, trains and bridges made it easier and faster to go between the city centre and villages within the region. The options for leisure and arts expanded with the construction of theatres and cinemas. Auckland was the beneficiary of public relief programmes during the Great Depression under the First Labour Government, elected in 1935. This included the construction of public infrastructure and the first state housing development in Ōrākei.

After the Second World War, Auckland benefitted from New Zealand’s favourable economic position—economically, the 1950s and 1960s were “Golden Years” for New Zealand, and for Auckland. Residential suburbs and industrial areas sprawled into the outskirts of the city, particularly South Auckland. Motorways were constructed to connect the ever-expanding suburbs to the city centre, and to each other. The population expanded rapidly as Māori migrated into Auckland from the countryside in large numbers to take up the more readily available employment opportunities in the city. Similarly, workers from Pacific nations came to New Zealand for factory work, much of which was based in Auckland.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Auckland was a site of major activity in the movement for Māori sovereignty and land rights. Groups such as Nga Tamatoa at the University of Auckland and the members of the hapū (sub-tribe) Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, who occupied Takaparawhā/Bastion Point in East Auckland, communicated powerful messages about the historical and ongoing seizure of Māori land.

The economic policies of governments in the 1980s and 1990s loosened the legal conditions for doing business in New Zealand. Many national and international companies established their headquarters in Auckland. Although Auckland had been New Zealand’s most populous region for many decades, the population began to expand even more rapidly in the late twentieth century. In 2010, in order to address these infrastructural and administrative challenges more efficiently, the Auckland “Super City” was created. This decision saw the eight local governments of the Auckland metropolitan area combined into a single governmental entity, the Auckland Council. By 2013, a third of the people in New Zealand lived in the Auckland region. This created new challenges for the region’s infrastructure and housing.

Geography and Climate

Auckland sits on the Pacific Rim, a geological boundary that encircles the Pacific and is characterised by volcanic activity. Many of the hills and mountains, such as Rangitoto Island, Maungawhau/Mount Eden and Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill are active, dormant or extinct volcanoes. Auckland city is located on the Tāmaki isthmus, between Manukau and Waitematā Harbours. As the city has developed, it has come to encompass a far larger area than just this narrow band of land.

Motorways and public transit, primarily trains and buses but also passenger ferries, allow for travel throughout the city’s urban and suburban areas, as well as providing access to the wider region. The Auckland Harbour Bridge, completed in 1959, also provides access between the Central Business District and suburbs on the North Shore of the Waitematā Harbour.

Auckland is closer to Earth’s equator than all other regions of New Zealand, with the exception of Northland. As such, the region’s climate is subtropical, receiving a significant amount of rainfall each year—1240 mm on average, according to data from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). The region is hot during the summer months of December to February, with an average daily high temperature of 24 degrees C, according to NIWA data.

The natural vegetation of Auckland, prior to European settlement, was primarily forests of conifers, particularly kauri. While forests do not cover the same area they did prior to development, large kauri forests can still be found in the Waitākere and Hūnua ranges. A wide variety of introduced plant species thrive in Auckland’s subtropical climate, including Australian eucalyptus trees and hibiscus.

Auckland’s native animal life consists primarily of birds and reptiles, as there has historically been only a small handful of mammals native to New Zealand. The populations of these animals have been threatened by introduced mammals. A number of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf are sanctuaries intended to help to rebuild native populations.

Economy

According to the Auckland Council’s 2018 report on the region’s growth, in the 2016–2017 financial year, the Auckland economy was worth $101.4 billion and accounted for 38 per cent of New Zealand’s gross domestic product. Auckland is the commercial capital of New Zealand. Many large national and international businesses and banks have their main New Zealand headquarters in the city. Services relating to the carrying out of business, such as accounting, consulting and legal advice, form a significant contribution to the city’s economy.

Auckland is also a major port city for the importing and exporting of goods in New Zealand. Ports of Auckland, a corporation owned by the Auckland Council, makes a significant contribution to the region’s economy. In the 2017–2018 financial year, 23 per cent of New Zealand’s export goods went through Auckland’s ports.

A number of other smaller but substantial industries contribute to Auckland’s economy. In 2017, 30,000 people were employed in restaurants, bars and cafes. The tourism industry was worth $3.34 billion in 2017. A thriving film industry worth $1 billion in 2017 has developed in Auckland since the early twenty-first century. To meet the need for houses in Auckland, the construction industry has grown significantly since the beginning of the 2010s.

The Auckland region is generally prosperous. In 2018, the region had a low unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent. However, Auckland suffers from a high level of economic inequality between its wealthiest and poorest residents. A collaborative investigation from media outlets Stuff and NewsHub conducted in 2018 demonstrated that households in the wealthiest local board of Ōrākei were more than ten times more prosperous than the poorest board of Ōtara-Papatoetoe.

Demographics

Auckland is the most populous region in New Zealand, with about 35 per cent of the entire country’s population. According to Stats New Zealand estimates for June 2018, the population of Auckland was 1,695,900 out of a national population of 4,885,500. In terms of population density throughout the region, Auckland’s residential population is primarily urban and suburban. A report prepared by the Auckland Council in 2014 revealed that the population is densest in the Central Business District and the suburbs of the Tāmaki isthmus, such as Mount Eden, Mount Roskill, Epsom and Onehunga. South Auckland’s suburbs, including Māngere, Manurewa, Otara and Papatoe, also feature high residential population density. Only a small proportion of the Auckland region’s population lives in rural areas or on the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.

Over 150 languages are spoken in Auckland. Census information for 2013 showed that 51 per cent of Auckland residents were multilingual. After English, Chinese languages such as Mandarin were the highest as a collective linguistic group, followed by Samoan, Hindi, te reo Māori and Tongan, respectively. At the 2013 census, 59.3 per cent of Auckland’s population identified as “European”, the majority identifying as New Zealand European, or Pākehā. 23.1 per cent of the population identified as Asian, 14.6 per cent identified as Pasifika, and 10.7 per cent identified as Māori.

Despite this large demographic diversity, Samoan academic Damon Salesa has questioned whether this implies a high level of interaction and equality between ethnic groups in Auckland. He notes, for example, that due to economic deprivation, Auckland’s Pasifika and Māori populations are clustered in low-income suburbs such as Māngere, Ōtāhuhu and Manurewa. Few Pākehā/Palagi (white) Auckland residents live in these suburbs. Likewise, few Pasifika people live in predominantly Pākehā/Palagi suburbs, such as the North Shore or Epsom.

Auckland’s population has been steadily rising for decades. This trend is projected to continue into the future. In 2017, Stats NZ estimated that Auckland’s population would sit between 2 million and 2.6 million by 2048, depending on patterns of migration.

Landmarks

Many international flights enter New Zealand via Auckland International Airport. As such, Auckland is often the first stop for tourists. The Central Business District features opportunities for high-end shopping, fine dining and a vibrant nightlife. The Auckland skyline is dominated by the iconic Sky Tower, a skyscraper completed in 1997. It is possible to visit the top of the Sky Tower and appreciate the views of Auckland it affords.

The major regional museum for Auckland is the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. The museum is housed in a neo-classical building constructed in 1929, in the Auckland Domain, a major public park and garden in the suburb of Parnell. Auckland is also home to other important national and regional museums, including the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the Museum of Transport and Technology and the New Zealand Maritime Museum. Historic locations such as the Alberton mansion, Howick Historical Village and the Symonds Street Cemetery provide a glimpse into the lives of European settlers in Auckland in the nineteenth century.

Auckland boasts a vast number of public parks throughout the city and region. Some of the most notable among these are Albert Park in the city centre, the Auckland Domain in Parnell and Cornwall Park in Epsom. The Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manurewa feature a wide array of native and introduced plant species. Auckland is connected to Rangitoto Island and Waiheke Island by passenger ferries. Both islands are popular with tourists and locals. Rangitoto is a scenic nature reserve, while Waiheke Island is famous for its vineyards and fine-dining.

Auckland has two major outdoor sports stadiums: Eden Park and Mount Smart Stadium. Spark Arena is also used for basketball and netball games, as well as being a major venue for large music concerts.

Bibliography

“2013 Census QuickStats about a Place: Auckland.” Stats New Zealand. http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-about-a-place.aspx?request‗value=13170&tabname=. Accessed 21 Nov 2018.

Auckland Tourism, Tourism, Events and Economic Development. Auckland Growth Monitor. Auckland Council, 2018. https://www.aucklandnz.com/sites/build‗auckland/files/media-library/documents/auckland-growth-monitor-2018-HR‗2308.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2019.

Fredrickson, Craig. Measuring Auckland’s Population Density. Auckland Council, 2014. http://knowledgeauckland.org.nz/assets/publications/Measuring-Aucklands-Population-Density-26052014-Complete.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2019.

McClure, Margaret, “Auckland Region.” Te Ara — the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 5 August 2016, https://teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-region. Accessed 13 December 2018.

“Responding to Language Diversity in Auckland.” Education Review Office, April 2018. https://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/ALD-report2.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2019.

Salesa, Damon. Island Time: New Zealand’s Pacific Futures. Bridget Williams Books, 2018.

Stone, Russell. Logan Campbell’s Auckland: Tales from the Early Years. Auckland University Press, 2007.

“Subnational population estimates (TA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006–18 (2017 boundaries).” Stats New Zealand, 2018. http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE7501. Accessed 5 February 2019.