Suburb symbolises diversity of a great City

Len Brown

Otahuhu has played a pivotal role in Auckland’s past and present, and it is a part of Auckland for which I have great fondness.

The town of course is named after the nearby volcano, Otahuhu Mt Richmond, which today is protected by our new Maunga Authority.

In pre-European times, a 1200-metre long portage route was used by Maori travelling by waka to link the Manukau Harbour and the Tamaki River.

This route, now marked by Portage Road, remains the narrowest stretch of land in New Zealand, separating the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

And since European settlement, there has been more than one suggestion of building a canal across that stretch of land, in earlier times for commercial reasons and more recently for recreation.

The importance of Otahuhu in transport terms does not just relate to east west links between the harbours.

It also has a strategic north-south position linking the isthmus and the north with the rest of the North Island.

Fencible Settlement

In the early European history of Auckland, Otahuhu was established in 1847 as a fencible settlement along with places like Onehunga, Panmure and Howick.

Retired British and Irish soldiers and their families were encouraged to live there in case they were ever required to protect Auckland’s pakeha settlers.

Otahuhu was also on the route of the Great South Road, built to transport soldiers from Auckland to Waikato to fight in the Land Wars of the 1860s.

Incidentally, the Great South Road and its place in Auckland’s past and present is the subject on the winning entry in the inaugural Auckland Mayoral Writers Grant awarded during the recent Auckland Writers Festival to Glen Eden resident Dr Scott Hamilton.

Complimenting Link

Since those early days, the Great South Road through Otahuhu has of course been complemented by the North Island Main Trunk Line, the Auckland section of which was built in the 1870s and the Southern Motorway, the first section of which was opened in the 1950s.

Those transport links and easy access to flat land meant by the 1900s, Otahuhu was perceived as an ideal base for heavy industry such as freezing works, breweries and railway workshops.

Otahuhu has always been seen as the gateway to South Auckland – many travelling on the Southern Motorway saw Tip Top Corner as the boundary between the two, and for many years Otahuhu was indeed the main town in South Auckland with many civic amenities as well as the main South Auckland police station and courthouse.

The Otahuhu Public Hall was opened in 1865 and remained in use until it burnt down in 1943. Otahuhu was the site of New Zealand’s first supermarket. The Otahuhu Foodtown was opened in 1958.

Borough Council

For many years, Otahuhu had its own borough council. It was established in 1912 and was a symbol of the town’s independent spirit for 74 years – it even had its own traffic officers.

In 1986, it merged with Mt Wellington to form Tamaki City, which three years later became part of an enlarged Auckland City.

Today some of its civic independence has been restored with the formation of the Mangere Otahuhu Local Board as part of Auckland Council.

Younger population

Otahuhu today represents the diversity that is makes Auckland the special place it is.

More than half of the residents in the local board area are of Pasifika descent, 20% European, 17% Maori and 14% Asian.

The population is younger than the Auckland average with higher than average numbers of people not in employment, education or training.

We know more is required to tap the potential of this special part of Auckland, and we are using projects such as the Southern Initiative to tackle that challenge.

Recreation Centre

One project I am particularly proud of is the Otahuhu Recreation Centre. This project suffered setbacks and delays for decades, but work finally began on the $31 million project two years ago and the centre is due to open very soon.

I was very proud to be there for the sod turning and I look forward to the official opening in the near future.

Lastly, I want to take my hat off to the area’s local board by Chair Lydia Sosene and Councillors Arthur Anae and Alf Filipaina, for their love and advocacy for the area.

Otahuhu and its people have a right to be proud of their past and their present. Towns like Otahuhu make Auckland a unique and wonderful City.

Len Brown is Mayor of Auckland. The above article is exclusive to Indian Newslink.

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