Manurewa

Manurewa is a suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand, located south of Manukau Central, and southeast of the Auckland City Centre. It is home to the Auckland Botanic Gardens, which receives over a million visitors a year. Manurewa has a high proportion of non-European ethnicities, making it one of the most multi-cultural suburbs in New Zealand. Employment for many is at the many companies of nearby Wiri, Papakura, and at the steel mill at Glenbrook.

The area has been inhabited since at least the 13th century, and has cultural significance for Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua. Manurewa developed as a rural community after the Manurewa railway station opened in 1875, becoming a borough in 1937. The area saw suburban growth in the 1950s and 1960s, and became a shopping hub when Southmall Manurewa opened in 1967.

Etymology

The name Manurewa is a variant of the Māori word for "kite", ''manu aute'', used by in local Waiohua dialect. The translation "soaring bird" gained popularity in the 1920s among English speakers. The name is a shortened form of Te Manurewa o Tamapahore ("The Drifted-away Kite of Tamapahore"), a name which recalls a story involving Waiohua ancestor Tamapahore. One day the men who lived at Matukutūruru and Matukutūreia decided to fly kites, and Tamapahore's was the kite that flew the highest. His brother Tamapahure caused the chord of Tamapahore's kite to break. Tamapahore left the area in search of his valuable kite, eventually finding it at Whenuakite on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Geography

Manurewa is located in South Auckland, inland from the south-eastern Manukau Harbour, north of the Pahurehure Inlet. Manurewa is south of the Puhinui Creek, and north of the Papakura Stream. Manurewa is at the southern border of the Auckland volcanic field. Two volcanoes are located to the north in Wiri: Matukutūreia (also known as McLaughlins Mountain), which erupted an estimated 48,000 years ago, and Matukutūruru (Wiri Mountain), which erupted an estimated 30,000 years ago. Matukutūruru was quarried, primarily by the New Zealand Railways Corporation.

History

Māori history

Manurewa has been inhabited since at least the 13th century. Matukutūreia and Matukutūruru were home to two hilltop pā, collectively known as Matukurua. The names of the mountains commemorate a story of two chiefs. The chief of Matukutūruru ("the bittern standing at ease") was captured while eel fishing. The chief of Matukutūreia ("the vigilant bittern") saved the pā and the people of Matukutūruru. Over 8,000 hectares of stonefield gardens were tended by Tāmaki Māori peoples on the lower slopes of the volcanoes, where crops such as kūmara and bracken fern root were grown.

The Manurewa area was settled by Ngā Riki, who were one of the three Tāmaki Māori groups who joined together to form the Waiohua in the 17th and 18th-centuries. During this time, the two pā were home to the Ngāi Huatau hapū of Waiohua, settled by Huatau, daughter of Huakaiwaka. The chief Huarangi was based at Matukutūruru with his wife Takawai of Ngāi Tahuhu. After her death, he married Kohe, a high ranking woman from Ngāti Pāoa, a union that was widely disapproved by the hapū. This dissent eventually led to a division in the family, with the children of Takawai settling at Matukutūruru, and Huarangi moving with Kohe to Matukutūreia.

Around the year 1740, a conflict between Ngāti Whātua and Waiohua led to the death of paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki, who became the main occupants of the Tāmaki isthmus and Māngere to the north. Ngāti Whātua was significantly smaller than the Waiohua confederation and chose to focus life at Onehunga, Māngere and Ōrākei, meaning that Waiohua were able to re-establish a presence in South Auckland.

The Manurewa area has significance for Waiohua iwi, especially Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, who descent from Te Ata i Rehia, the daughter of Huatau who was born on Matukutūreia, and Te Ākitai Waiohua.

Colonial era

In January 1836 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 between Ōtāhuhu and Papakura. The sale was envisioned 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 South Auckland, unchanged by this sale. Fairburn was criticised for the sheer size of the purchase, and in 1842 the Crown significantly reduced the size of his land holdings, and the Crown partitioned much of the land for European settlers. 10,000 acres of the Fairburn purchase was given to James Reddy Clendon in return for land at Russell where the new capital of New Zealand was established. Clendon never lived or visited the area, but sold 2,000 acres to the Martin brothers, who subdivided the land in the mid-1900s. Much of the Martin brothers' land became modern-day Manurewa.

Work on the Great South Road began in 1843, reaching as far south as Drury in 1855. In the early 1860s, Great South Road was used as a military supply route between Auckland and the frontier of the Invasion of the Waikato. Manurewa was only sparsely populated in the 1860s and 1870s. The main stop on the Great South Road for coach services was the Raglan Hotel at Woodside (modern-day Wiri). The Manurewa Highway District was formed in 1867, and in 1875 the first Manurewa railway station opened. The station led to growth in the area; 81 people lived in Manurewa by 1879, and a post office opened in 1884. By the 1900s, much of Woodside village had moved to Manurewa, including the school that moved by 1906, and joined by the Methodist Church in 1909. Manurewa became a centre for the dairy industry in the early 20th century, with the first creamery opening in 1905.

Suburban development

By 1915, Manurewa had grown large enough to become a town district, created from parts of the former Manurewa and Papakura road districts. The area was promoted as a commuter suburb for Auckland in the early 1920s. Local farmer Charles Henry Lupton was instrumental in developing the Manurewa community, serving on the town board, school and church committees, and became known as "The Father of Manurewa". By 1937, the population of Manurewa had increased to over 1,500 people, allowing Manurewa to become a borough. In 1939, a fire destroyed the Manurewa Picture Theatre, and the adjoining shops and boarding house. During World War II, parts of Manurewa were used as military camps for United States Army soldiers bound for the Pacific.

Manurewa experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and early 1960s after the development of the Auckland Southern Motorway, developing from a semi-rural locality into a suburb of Auckland. Southmall Manurewa, the third American-style mall in Auckland, was opened in 1967. The mall was initially very successful, but struggled from October 1976 onwards after the opening of the Manukau Shopping Centre.

By the 1970s, Manurewa East and Weymouth had developed as suburban areas, and after the construction of Manukau Central in the 1980s, Manurewa became connected to the urban sprawl of Auckland. In 1982, the Auckland Botanic Gardens opened in Manurewa.

By the 2010s, Manurewa had developed a significant Pasifika population, and had the highest proportion of Māori residents in the city.

Demographics

Manurewa covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².

Manurewa had a population of 35,739 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,665 people (4.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 6,510 people (22.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 17,844 males, 17,793 females and 105 people of other genders in 9,111 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 29.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 9,264 people (25.9%) aged under 15 years, 9,225 (25.8%) aged 15 to 29, 14,544 (40.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,706 (7.6%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 18.6% European (Pākehā); 28.1% Māori; 46.3% Pasifika; 24.6% Asian; 1.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 90.0%, Māori language by 7.2%, Samoan by 16.1%, and other languages by 23.0%. No language could be spoken by 3.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 37.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 46.4% Christian, 7.8% Hindu, 2.9% Islam, 3.0% Māori religious beliefs, 1.4% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 4.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 27.4%, and 6.4% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 3,021 (11.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 12,621 (47.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 10,827 (40.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $35,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 894 people (3.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 13,032 (49.2%) people were employed full-time, 2,229 (8.4%) were part-time, and 1,617 (6.1%) were unemployed.

Sport and recreation

Rugby union

The Manurewa Rugby Football Club is based at Mountfort Park Manurewa. They were founded in 1921 and now play within the Counties Manukau Rugby Union Club competition and are one of the biggest and most successful Rugby clubs within the region. They have a large junior section plus and string Golden Oldies Section made up of many past players. They also have associated sports of AFL, Netball & Softball operating within the club. They were originally based at Jellicoe Park in Manurewa and had a club room affectionately known as the "Old Black Shed". They built the new clubrooms at Mountfort Park and moved to this site officially in 1978. Notable current Super 15 Chiefs players Tim Nanai-Williams, Viliami Taulani and Bundee Aki are former Manurewa Rugby Club players.

Association football

The football (soccer) club Manurewa AFC who play in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1A are based in Manurewa.

Rugby league

The Manurewa Marlins are based in Manurewa.

Local government

The first local government in the area was the Manurewa Highway District, which formed in 1867. It dissolved either 1916 or 1917. By 1915, Manurewa had grown large enough to become a town district within the Manukau County, and by 1937 it became a borough. On 3 September 1965, the Manukau County and Manurewa Borough merged to form Manukau City. In November 2010, all cities and districts of the Auckland Region were amalgamated into a single body, governed by the Auckland Council.

Manurewa is a part of the Manurewa local board area. The residents of Manurewa elect a local board, and two councillors from the Manurewa-Papakura ward to sit on the Auckland Council.

Chairmen of the Manurewa Town Board

Below is a list of the six people who served as the chairman of the Manurewa Town Board.

*1916–1918 Thomas James Corin
*1918–1920 Charles Henry Lupton
*1920–1922 Thomas James Corin
*1922–1928 Arthur Clifton Axford Sexton
*1928–1930 George Gallaher
*1930–1932 William Johnston Ferguson
*1932–1937 William Thomas Cox

Mayors during Manurewa Borough Council

Below is a list of the six people who served as the mayor of the Manurewa Borough Council.

*1937–1944 William Johnston Ferguson
*1944–1946 Frederick Herny Barnard
*1946–1948 John Augusta Kelly
*1948–1953 Reginald Frank Judson
*1953–1956 Cecil Millington Crawford
*1956–1965 Harry Beaumont

Notable places

* Auckland Botanic Gardens
*Jellicoe Park, home to Manurewa Amateur Athletics & Harriers Club and Jellicoe Park Tennis Club
*Gallaher Park, home to the Manurewa Scout Hall, Gallaher Park Touch and Alfriston Road Playcentre
*Manurewa Pool and Leisure Centre
*Manurewa Marae in Clendon Park
* Nathan Homestead is a historic homestead constructed in 1924. The building was designed by Daniel B Patterson with Basque influences. The homestead served as the offices for the Manurewa Borough Council after purchasing the property in 1964. The home's garden has been a park since 1974. The building has served a community centre following the vacation of the building by the Borough Council and in 2024 it started a $6.3 million renovation for earthquake strengthening.
* Southmall Manurewa, and the surrounding Manurewa town centre.
*Te Pae Maumahara / Manurewa War Memorial Park, home to Manurewa AFC and the Homai Bowling Club

Religion

* Baitul Muqeet Mosque, an Ahmadi Muslim mosque that was built in 2013.
*Manurewa Methodist Church, which moved from Witi to Manurewa in 1909.
*The Manurewa Nanaksar gurdwara, a large Sikh temple.
*St Andrews Presbyterian Church, established in 1927.
*St Anne's Catholic Church, established in 1927.
*St Lukes Anglican Church, which was established in 1910.
*Wat Khemaraphirataram, a Cambodian Buddhist temple that opened in 2018.

Education

The first school in Manurewa was the Manurewa Central School, which began as the Woodhill School in Wiri, and was moved in 1906.

Manurewa High School was opened in 1960, as the first high school located in the Manurewa area. James Cook High School is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of . Manurewa Intermediate is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of . Greenmeadows Intermediate is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of .

Finlayson Park School, Leabank School, Manurewa Central School, Manurewa East School, Manurewa South School, Manurewa West School and Rowandale School are contributing primary schools (years 1–6) with rolls of , , , , , and students, respectively. In 2020 Finlayson Park School in Auckland became the first school in New Zealand to set up a Kiribati language unit, where Erika Taeang was employed as the teacher.

St Anne's Catholic School is a state-integrated full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of . Notable alumni includes libertarian politician Stephen Berry.

Manukau Christian School is a private composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of .

All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of

Notable people

* Decepticonz, hip hop group
* Stephen Berry (born 1983), politician and political commentator
* Jawsh 685 (born 2002), musician
* Erika Taeang, teacher

References

Bibliography

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External links

Photographs of Manurewa
held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
Photographs of Manurewa
held in Auckland War Memorial Museum heritage collections.

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1860s establishments in New Zealand
Suburbs of Auckland
Manurewa Local Board Area
Populated places established in the 1860s