Ōtāhuhu

Ōtāhuhu, comprising the statistical areas of Ōtāhuhu Industrial, Ōtāhuhu Central, Ōtāhuhu North, Ōtāhuhu East, Ōtāhuhu South West and Ōtāhuhu South, had a population of 15,165 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,599 people (11.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,262 people (17.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,921 households. There were 7,815 males and 7,353 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female, with 3,669 people (24.2%) aged under 15 years, 3,804 (25.1%) aged 15 to 29, 6,486 (42.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,194 (7.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 20.4% European/Pākehā, 15.3% Māori, 47.9% Pacific peoples, 28.8% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 46.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 21.0% had no religion, 51.2% were Christian, and 22.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,413 (12.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 2,574 (22.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,496 (47.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,323 (11.5%) were part-time, and 777 (6.8%) were unemployed.[3]

An assembler at the Fiats Assembly Works, Otahuhu (1966)

The suburb was established in 1847 as a fencible settlement, where soldiers were given land with the implied understanding that in wartime, they would be raised as units to defend it (however, the eventual fighting a decade later used professional soldiers instead). Most early features from this time have disappeared, however, such as a stone bridge built by the fencibles that had to make way to a widening of Great South Road.[4]

Otahuhu was home to the country's first supermarket, and Otahuhu College, to which several famous personalities went, including heavyweight boxing champion David Tua, former prime minister David Lange, and ex-Manukau City Mayor, Sir Barry Curtis.

Otahuhu had a local government just like other suburbs of Auckland at that time. The local government was called Otahuhu Borough Council, which started in 1912 and merged into Auckland City Council in 1985, eventually amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010.

Otahuhu College is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 940.[5]

Otahuhu Intermediate is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of 335.[6]

Otahuhu School and Fairburn School are contributing primary schools (years 1–6) with rolls of 518 and 531 students, respectively.[7][8]

McAuley High School is a state-integrated Catholic girls secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 803.[9] St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of 262.[10] The schools are across the street from each other.

King's College is a private Anglican secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 1108.[11] Years 9–11 are boys only, and years 12 and 13 are coeducational.

Mt Richmond School is a special school for students with intellectual disabilities. It has a roll of 175.[12]

All these schools except McAuley High School and King's College (as noted above) are coeducational. Rolls are as of March 2020.[13]

Otahuhu, in its position on a narrow section of the Auckland isthmus, is an important part of Auckland's southern transportation approaches for both road and rail, containing a combined bus interchange and Otahuhu railway station. The new bus-train interchange opened on 29 October 2016 as a joint Auckland Transport and New Zealand Transport Agency initiative costing NZ$28M.[14][15]

"The station is at the heart of the Southern New Network", said Auckland Transport’s Chief AT Metro Officer, Mark Lambert. "Auckland is moving towards a more connected network of local feeder services connecting with frequent bus and train services. Bus and train transport hubs like Otahuhu are at the heart of this transformation."[16]

The old bus interchange, which was badly neglected, and had received increased attention from early 2011 on for vandalism/graffiti prevention measures is now closed and a smaller bus stop has been installed on the main road near the town centre.[17]

The importance for transportation extended to pre-European times. The aptly named Portage Road runs across the isthmus in Otahuhu and was used by Māori to move their waka (canoes) between the Manukau and Waitemata harbours for raids and trading. In fact, the area, also known as Te Tō Waka, was considered the most important portage of all of New Zealand.[18][19]

Otahuhu nowadays is synonymous with industry and along with its neighbouring suburbs Favona, Māngere East, Mt Wellington, Penrose and Westfield forms an industrial conglomerate zone that spans much of the Mangere Inlet. The community and town centre flourishes as the crossroad to Central and South Auckland and is home to a sizable Pacific Island populace.

Otahuhu is home to the Otahuhu Rugby Football Club and the Otahuhu Leopards rugby league club.

• Photographs of Otahuhu held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections