Devonport, New Zealand
Devonport | |
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Navy Hospital |
(Ngataringa Bay) | Narrow Neck | (Rangitoto Channel) |
Stanley Point |
Devonport
|
(Rangitoto Channel) |
(Waitematā Harbour) | (Waitematā Harbour) | (Waitematā Harbour) |
Devonport (
The suburb hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the main facility for the country's naval vessels, but is also known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm. Devonport has been compared to Sausalito, California, US due to its setting and scenery.[4]
Etymology
Devonport is named after the English naval town of
Eastern Devonport is known as Cheltenham, named after the English town of Cheltenham.[6]
Geography
Devonport is a peninsula at the mouth of the Waitematā Harbour on the North Shore of Auckland. It is surrounded by Ngataringa Bay to the northwest, the Waitematā Harbour mouth to the south, and the Rangitoto Channel of the Hauraki Gulf to the east.[7]
The suburb of Stanley Point can be found to the west of Devonport, while the suburbs of Narrow Neck and Vauxhall are found to the north.[7] The northwestern section of Devonport is located at Duders Point, a peninsula within Ngataringa Bay.[7]
The suburb has three beaches: Devonport Beach and Duders Beach to the south,[8][9] and Cheltenham Beach to the northeast.[10]
Devonport is home to three volcanoes of the Auckland volcanic field: Takarunga / Mount Victoria, Maungauika / North Head and Takararo / Mount Cambria. Of these three volcanoes, Maungauika / North Head is the oldest, estimated to have last erupted around 87,500 years ago. Takaroro / Mount Cambria and Takarunga / Mount Victoria are estimated to have last erupted 42,300 and 34,800 years ago respectively.[11] Takarunga / Mount Victoria is the taller of the volcanoes, reaching a height of 81 metres (266 ft),[12] with Maungauika / North Head reaching a height of 65 metres (213 ft).[13] Takararo / Mount Cambria formerly stood at a height of 30 metres (98 ft), but was quarried in the 1870s. Another scoria cone, the 20 metres (66 ft) high Duders Hill, believed to be a section of Takarunga / Mount Victoria, was quarried in the early 20th century.[14]
History
Around 40,000 years ago Devonport consisted of three islands of volcanic origin,
The earliest evidence for
Jules Dumont d'Urville, a French explorer, is thought to have gone ashore in the area in 1827, possibly as the first European.[16] The first European building on the foreshore was a gunpowder magazine built in 1840.[20]
Devonport is one of the oldest colonial settlements in Auckland, and the first on the North Shore.[21] The Royal Navy survivors of HMS Buffalo settled at Devonport.[21] In 1841 a signal station for Auckland's shipping was erected on Mount Victoria (Takarunga), and the signal master, Robert Snow, and his family became the first Europeans to live in the area permanently.[20] From then until the 1860s, the settlement was called Flagstaff, because of the flagstaff at the signal station.[22] Flagstaff was subdivided for town sections and farms in the early 1850s.[20]
For the first half century or so of its existence Devonport was geographically isolated from the rest of the North Shore, and was sometimes called "the island" by the local inhabitants.
On the southern shore, to the west of the centre of Devonport, a nearby deep water anchorage suitable for
The main centre of the suburb slowly shifted west from Church Street and the original wharf at Torpedo Bay, to its current location around the ferry wharf. in 1989.
Devonport played a special role in the
In July 2007, Devonport was given permission to be excluded from a list of local Auckland growth node centres. The Auckland Regional Council accepted that while it was encouraging intensified growth (such as higher-density housing) around transport nodes such as Devonport, the character and historical nature of the Devonport Wharf area would make such a designation inappropriate in this case.[26]
In 2011 the Devonport community, led by parents and local publication the Devonport Flagstaff, launched a grassroots movement protesting the sale of the synthetic cannabis Kronic in local dairies. The battle was a success, and Kronic was banned from the area.[27]
Ferries
The first ferry services to Auckland city began in the 1840s. These were open sailing cutters operated by local seamen running passengers to the foot of
In 2002 the Kestrel was moved to Tauranga to serve as a floating restaurant. The Kestrel changed hands again in 2010 and moved back to Auckland.[28] On 8 March 2016 the Kestrel broke up and sank while tethered in its Wynyard Quarter berth.[29] She was refloated, but her future remains uncertain.[30]
Character
Devonport maintains many old villas some of which date back to the 19th century.[31]
The navy base at Devonport features strongly in the local character, with the North Shore City Council having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Navy which recognises the developing partnership between them.[32] The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum is also located in Devonport.[33]
Demographics
Devonport
Devonport covers 1.08 km2 (0.42 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 3,200 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 2,963 people per km2.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2006 | 3,417 | — |
2013 | 3,414 | −0.01% |
2018 | 3,348 | −0.39% |
Source: [34] |
Devonport had a population of 3,348 at the
Ethnicities were 92.2% European/Pākehā, 5.2% Māori, 2.2% Pacific peoples, 4.1% Asian, and 3.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 35.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.7% had no religion, 32.2% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,251 (45.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 189 (6.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $45,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 939 people (34.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,320 (48.3%) people were employed full-time, 513 (18.8%) were part-time, and 54 (2.0%) were unemployed.[34]
Cheltenham
Cheltenham covers 0.82 km2 (0.32 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 1,900 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 2,317 people per km2.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2006 | 2,082 | — |
2013 | 2,073 | −0.06% |
2018 | 2,013 | −0.59% |
Source: [35] |
Cheltenham had a population of 2,013 at the
Ethnicities were 93.9% European/Pākehā, 5.1% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 4.6% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 34.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 59.9% had no religion, 30.3% were Christian, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 1.2% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 819 (49.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 108 (6.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $46,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 567 people (34.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 753 (45.2%) people were employed full-time, 291 (17.5%) were part-time, and 33 (2.0%) were unemployed.[35]
Local government
From 1876 until 1886, Devonport was a part of the Takapuna Riding administered by the Waitemata County, a large rural county north and west of the city of Auckland.[36] In 1886, the area split from the council, forming the Devonport Borough Council. In 1989, the borough was merged into the North Shore City, and in 2010 incorporated into the single unitary council, run by Auckland Council.
Within the Auckland Council, Devonport is a part of the Devonport-Takapuna local government area governed by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. It is a part of the North Shore ward, which elects two councillors to the Auckland Council.
Mayors during Devonport Borough Council
During its existence from 1886 to 1989, Devonport Borough had 19 mayors. The following is a complete list:
Name | Portrait | Term of office | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Malcolm Niccol | 1886–1890 | |
2 | Ewen Alison | 1890–1895 | |
(1) | Malcolm Niccol | 1895–1896 | |
3 | Joseph Macky | 1896–1901 | |
(1) | Malcolm Niccol | 1901–1902 | |
(2) | Ewen Alison | 1902–1907 | |
4 | William Handley | 1907–1915 | |
5 | Alick Pickford | 1915–1916 | |
6 | John Henderson | 1916–1919 | |
7 | Horace King | 1919–1923 | |
8 | Thomas Lamont | 1923–1927 | |
9 | Ernest Aldridge | 1927–1930 | |
10 | John Hislop | 1930–1931 | |
11 | Hugh Ferry-Wheir Meikle | 1931–1941 | |
12 | Robert Gordon May | 1941–1944 | |
13 | John Raymond Miller | 1944–1950 | |
14 | Clem Woodall | 1950–1959 | |
15 | Fred Stevens | 1959–1965 | |
16 | Jack Seelye | 1965–1968 | |
17 | Ted Jackson | 1968–1973 | |
18 | Pat Sheehan | 1973–1980 | |
19 | Jim Titchener | 1980–1989 |
Features
Between the wharf and Mount Victoria are the Devonport shops and several landmarks:
- The Esplanade Hotel – this is an elegant example of an 1890s seaside hotel, reminiscent of many an English seaside resort of the period. A modern extension was added on in the 1950s which has now been replaced by an apartment complex. The Edwardian building was sold for $7 million in 2015.[37]
- Windsor Reserve – located just to the east of the Devonport Wharf; it is an area of open lawn notable for the 1980s toilet block [citation needed] and the Edwardian archway at the northern end.
- King Edward Parade Reserve – to the north of the Windsor Reserve on the other side of the road is the King Edward Parade Reserve; here are located the Public Library, the War Memorial (a bronze soldier figure by Moreton Bay Figtrees a 1950s styled bandstand.
- The former Post Office – an Art Deco building from the 1930s.
- The Left Bank – a 1920s neoclassical building now housing a cafe/bar/restaurant.
- The Victoria Theatre – built in 1912 and remodelled internally and externally in the 1930s in the then fashionable Art Deco style; this is apparently the oldest cinema in the Southern Hemisphere in continuous use. The cinema was purchased for $1.55 million in 2006 by the North Shore City Council on behalf of the city.[38]
- Devonport Museum, a museum on local history, opened in 1977.[39] Torpedo Bay Navy Museum, a military and maritime museum, opened to the public in 2010.[40][41]
The Cheltenham area also includes several landmarks:
- Cheltenham Beach, sandy public beach[42]
- Goldwater house, 26 Cheltenham Road, 1907, late villa-style family home owned by the Goldwater family until the mid 1980s.[43]
- Morrison house, 5 Jubilee Avenue, 1896, Two-storey Italianate-villa, owned by the Morrison family 1907-1967.[44]
- Watson houses, 15-17 Jubilee Avenue, 1899 and 1901, two villas, built and owned by the Watson family until 1917.[45][46]
Devonport Wharf
Today, ferry services to Devonport Wharf are more numerous again, and are subsidised by
The Devonport Wharf / Ferry Terminal received a variety of maintenance and repairs during 2011 in advance of the Rugby World Cup. Further structural works were carried out in 2012.[47]
In 2015 a $24 million redevelopment project to upgrade parts of Devonport including the wharf began. The renovation of the Devonport wharf is all but complete, with applications for retail services currently underway. The project includes an improved car park and an overall modernisation of the building itself, as well as structural improvements and refurbishments.[48]
Broadcast area | Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand |
---|---|
Ownership | |
Owner | North Harbour Community Radio Trust |
History | |
First air date | May 1999 |
Links | |
Website | theflea.co.nz |
Victoria Wharf
The 1929 wharf underwent significant repair in the 2010s[49] and is now home to the sculpture Flight Support for Albatross by Greer Twiss.[50]
Local media
The Flea 88.2 FM &107.1FM is a community radio station in Auckland, New Zealand.[51] The station founder, Mike Baker, died on 4 April 2009, at the age of 71.[52]
Education
Devonport Primary School is a contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 207[53] located on the side of Mount Victoria with the address of 18 Kerr Street. The school was established in 1870 on a plot of land given to them by the Trevarthen family for the purposes of a chapel, before it was later renegotiated to be used as a school.[54]
St Leo's School is a state-integrated Catholic primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 43.[55] It was founded in 1893.[56]
Both these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of February 2024.[57]
Religion
Places of worship in Devonport include:
- St Francis de Sales and All Souls Roman Catholic church
- Holy Trinity Anglican church
- Connect Interdenominational church
- Devonport Methodist church
- Naval Memorial Chapel of St Christopher’s
Sport
North Shore United AFC
North Shore RFC
North Shore Rugby Football Club is a Rugby Union club located in Devonport that play their games at Devonport Domain. Founded in 1873, it is one of the oldest clubs in New Zealand.
Notable people
- Finn Andrews & Sophia Burn – members of London-based band The Veils. Both grew up in Devonport and attended Takapuna Grammar School.
- Tom Ashley – sailor, windsurfer. Gold Medal at 2008 Beijing Olympics in Men's Sail Boarding. Born 1984.
- Sir Peter Blake – international yachtsman, born 1948, died 2001.
- Angela Cullen born 5 August 1974
- A. R. D. Fairburn – poet, satirist, and critic. Born 1904
- Tim Finn – musician and singer, current residence in Devonport, born 1952.
- Debbie Harwood – musician and singer, notable as a member of When the Cat's Away.
- Lorde – pop artist born 1996. Attended Takapuna Grammar School.
- Eliza McCartney – NZ women's pole vault champion and women's pole vault World Junior Record holder. 2016 Olympics Pole Vault Bronze medal winner. Born 1996.
- Isabel Peacocke – teacher, novelist, broadcaster, born in Devonport in 1881.[58]
- Sir Auckland Mayor[59]born 1901, died 1989.
- Mary Taylor – artist, born 1948.[60]
- Gin Wigmore – singer-songwriter, born 1986.
See also
- William C Daldy, a historical steam tug currently berthed in Devonport
References
- ^ a b c "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ a b c "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-138-12566-7.
- ^ In Auckland, Life Is Alfresco – The New York Times, 5 October 1997
- ^ Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. Page 83
- ISBN 9780143204107.
- ^ Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- S2CID 216443777.
- Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
- ^ a b About Devonport 1 (from the devonpporttours.co.nz website)
- ^ a b c d e Set sail for adventure on dry land – The New Zealand Herald, Travel: NZ Special Issue, Tuesday 6 November 2007, Page D7
- ^ About Devonport 2 (from the devonpporttours.co.nz website)
- ^ Verran, David. "Maori and Pakeha on the North Shore, 1840 - 1926". Birkenhead Heritage Society. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ "Torpedo Bay Timeline". Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-927169-23-0. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ ISBN 9781927167038.
- ISBN 978-1-927169-23-0. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ Fullers Ferrieswebsite. Retrieved 2007-09-14.)
- ^ Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. Page 83
- ^ "Shore now a Peace City". North Shore Times. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ Development gets thumbs down – The New Zealand Herald, Tuesday 17 July 2007, Page A9
- ^ "Grassroots battle against Kronic proves a success | NATIONAL News". Archived from the original on 1 July 2011.
- ^ "The Kestrel Plans A Return To Devonport". The Devonport Speculator. 24 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
- ^ "Harbour ferry Kestrel and our waterfront in danger from bureaucratic group-think – Mike Lee". Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Devonport's Heritage Story". Devonport. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ Navy and North Shore City Council Join Forces (from the Royal New Zealand Navy website. Accessed 2008-05-11.)
- ^ "Visit us". Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Devonport (133000). 2018 Census place summary: Devonport
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Cheltenham (134000). 2018 Census place summary: Cheltenham
- ISBN 9781869790080.
- ^ "Grand old Devonport lady gets new owners". Stuff.co.nz. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ "Heritage status stymies plans for theatre". Stuff.co.nz. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ "Devonport Museum". Devonport Museum.
- ^ "Cheltenham Beach". Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Goldwater House (Former)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "House". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "House". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "House". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Devonport Wharf's makeover completed". Media release from Auckland Transport. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Transport, Auckland. "Devonport Wharf redevelopment". at.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Unsafe Victoria Wharf Shut". NZ Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Albatross Sculpture Soars Again". Our Auckland. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Battle of the Auckland airwaves". The New Zealand Herald. 12 December 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
- ^ "Dunedin radio identity dies", Otago Daily News, 6 April 2009, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Education Counts: Devonpost Primary School
- ^ "Archives". www.devonport.school.nz. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Education Counts: St Leo's School
- ^ "Our History". St Leo's School. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ Peacocke, Isabel Maude (entry in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography)
- ^ Robinson, Dove-Myer (entry in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography)
- ^ "Taylor, Mary". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
External links
- Devonport (New Zealand) travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Devonport School
- Photographs of Devonport held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.