Massey, New Zealand

Massey is a northern suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand. It was formerly a northern suburb of Waitakere City, which existed from 1989 to 2010 before the city was amalgamated into Auckland Council. The suburb was named after former Prime Minister of New Zealand William Massey. Massey is a relatively large suburb and can be divided into three reasonably distinctive areas, Massey West, Massey East (separated by the north-western motorway) and Massey North (situated to the north of Royal Road). Parts of Massey East are also known as 'Royal Heights', which is home to the Royal Heights shopping centre.

The suburb features the Massey YMCA Leisure Centre, Library. The Westgate Shopping Centre on Hobsonville Road next to the north-western motorway and NorthWest Shopping Centre (which opened in October, 2015) to the north of Hobsonville Road are north of Massey.

History

The area is within the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, and is the location of Pukewhakataratara, a mountain known as Redhill to European settlers. The literal translation of the name is "hill that poses a challenge or obstacle", and is one of Ngā Rau Pou a Maki, the hills in the upper Waitākere Ranges area that reference Maki, the eponymous ancestor of Te Kawerau ā Maki. In pre-European times, the bush-covered hill was a natural obstacle for people attempting to access the Waitākere Ranges from the Waitematā Harbour. The area was a part of the walking routes connecting the settlements of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, Waitākere River Valley to other areas of West Auckland and the Tāmaki isthmus.

European settlement of the area dates to the 1840s with timber milling, farming, and gum digging being the main sources of income.

The area was purchased by the Crown for European settlers in August 1853, as a part of the Mangatoetoe Block. The first known settlers on record were the Nicolas family, who were awarded a government land grant in 1882. The area was originally named Lawsonville, and was the site of the Birdwood Estate. From the 1890s until the early 1910s, the south-west Massey area was known for the camp of Don Buck, a Portuguese immigrant to New Zealand who employed ex-convicts in the gum digging trade. The area was renamed Massey circa 1915, in honour of Prime Minister William Massey.

The area experienced growth in the 1960s, after the Poultrymen's Association opened a branch in Massey in June 1960. Most of Massey was developed during the 1970s and 1980s.

Demographics

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

Massey had a population of 19,851 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 2,028 people (11.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 3,720 people (23.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 10,002 males, 9,771 females and 75 people of other genders in 5,919 dwellings. 3.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 4,335 people (21.8%) aged under 15 years, 4,560 (23.0%) aged 15 to 29, 9,270 (46.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,695 (8.5%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 40.9% European (Pākehā); 19.1% Māori; 23.7% Pasifika; 32.6% Asian; 2.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 90.8%, Māori language by 4.1%, Samoan by 5.6%, and other languages by 29.2%. No language could be spoken by 3.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 40.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 37.2% Christian, 6.3% Hindu, 3.3% Islam, 1.3% Māori religious beliefs, 1.6% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 42.0%, and 6.1% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,946 (19.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 7,161 (46.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 4,734 (30.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 1,428 people (9.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 8,754 (56.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,632 (10.5%) were part-time, and 666 (4.3%) were unemployed.

Education

Massey is home to one secondary school, Massey High School, where the principal is former Tall Blacks captain Glen Denham as well as several primary schools, including Lincoln Heights School, Royal Road Primary School, Massey Primary School and Don Buck Primary School. Massey Primary School was the first school in the district, opening in 1925. Massey is not home to Massey University, which is based in Palmerston North with its Auckland campus at Albany.

Governance

In New Zealand's national Parliament, Massey is represented by Member for Upper Harbour, National MP Paula Bennett who won the electorate in 2014 and 2017. As of the 2017 election no other MP who contested the Upper Harbour electorate has been represented in parliament as a list MP. Prior to changes in electorate boundaries, Massey fell within the Te Atatū electorate and was represented in 2011 by Member for Te Atatū, Labour MP Phil Twyford.

In terms of regional governance, Massey falls within the Waitākere ward and subsequently under the Henderson-Massey Local Board area of the Auckland City council. The Henderson-Massey local board area covers the suburbs of West Harbour, Massey, Ranui, Te Atatū Peninsula, Te Atatū South, Lincoln, Henderson, Western Heights, Glendene, and Sunnyvale and contained a population of 107,685 in the 2013 census. Previously Massey fell under the Massey Ward which contained the suburbs of Whenuapai, Hobsonville, Herald Island, West Harbour, Massey, Ranui, and Henderson North.

Sport

The local rugby club is a member of the North Harbour Rugby Union and won the championship 6 times (1993, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2015 and 2016). Former All Black Jonah Lomu signed to play for Massey in 2005, but due to an injury was unable to play for them that season. He did however eventually make his debut for the club in 2006.

Notable people

Massey is home to rugby players George Pisi and Tusi Pisi (North Harbour, Samoa and New Zealand 7's) as well as the musicians Blindspott.

Parks

Moire Park is a park that is bounded on the east by Lawsons Creek, the Manutewhau Stream to the north, and its namesake Moire Road to the west. It is one of the main sporting areas for the Waitakere City area with club facilities and several fields. Part of the park is covered in bush and this area is a protected natural area. The name Moire comes from the Colwill family, who settled the nearby area in 1907.

References

External links

Photographs of Massey
held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
Massey's changing landscape
Historypin collection.

{{Henderson-Massey Local Board Area
Suburbs of Auckland
Henderson-Massey Local Board Area
Populated places around the Waitematā Harbour
West Auckland, New Zealand