Takapuna

Geography

Takapuna is located on the isthmus of a peninsula which extends south into the northern waters of the Waitemata at the harbour's eastern end. As such, the suburb has a coastline on Shoal Bay, an arm of the Waitemata to the southwest, as well as having a coast on the Hauraki Gulf to the northeast. The northern end of the suburb is dominated by the large volcanic crater of Lake Pupuke. Some points in Takapuna are less than 500 metres from all three of these bodies of water. The Hauraki coastline includes a kilometer long crescent shaped beach (Takapuna Beach) which is a popular recreation area for the local area.

To the southeast of Takapuna lies the six-kilometre-long peninsula which contains the suburbs of Belmont and Devonport. To the west lie the suburbs of Hillcrest and Northcote. The suburb of Milford lies to the north, on the far shore of Lake Pupuke.

History

The Māori place name Takapuna originally referred to a freshwater spring that flowed from the base of North Head into a swamp behind Cheltenham Beach. In 1841 the wife of Eruera Maihi Patuone sold 9500 acres of Auckland's North Shore to the Crown. Referred to as Takapuna Parish, the North Shore was surveyed and subdivided in 1844. In 1851 Governor Grey gifted back to Patuone 110 acres between the inlet beside Barry's Point Road and Takapuna Beach to use until his death (1872). This area included a Māori settlement known as Waiwharariki, on the small Shoal Bay headland now crossed by Esmonde Road.

The earliest subdivisions of farmland for suburban development were the "Hurstmere" estate in 1886 and the "Pupuke" Estate in 1889. The Takapuna and Milford Beach areas, as well as the land surrounding Lake Pupuke soon became popular spots for wealthy businessmen building summer homes to entertain in a rural surrounding, and eventually, many moved here permanently, commuting to work in Auckland via ferry.

A local history archive is maintained by the New Zealand Collection of Takapuna Public Library. It includes an index of the local newspapers, archives, photographs, oral histories, and historical material relating to Takapuna.

Today

The Takapuna Beach area is a nightlife hub and boutique shopping centre of the North Shore, having many bars, restaurants, cafes and retail shops.

The Block NZ's first season took place in Takapuna.

Shania Twain's 2003 music video for When You Kiss Me was also shot in Takapuna.

As a recognised area by council for future intensification, the beachfront will become the backyard for the estimated 15,000 residents and 15,000 employees who will inhabit Takapuna by 2040.

The area has potential in its central business area and wider precincts to further develop into the southern hub of the North Shore, and the council has recognised this potential in creating this forward-thinking planning framework for the area.

Association football

Takapuna is home to Takapuna AFC who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1A.

Rugby union

Onewa domain was the former home ground of North Harbour, but the team has since moved to QBE Stadium.

Education

Rosmini College is a boys' secondary (years 7-13) school with a roll of 978. St Joseph's School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of 341. They are state integrated Catholic schools located adjacent to each other. Rosmini College was founded in 1962, and St Joseph's in 1894.

Takapuna Normal Intermediate is a coeducational intermediate (years 7-8) school with a roll of 601. It was established in 1970. Takapuna School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of 434 (as of 1st July 2016). It celebrated its 125th jubilee in 2004. All these schools have a high decile rating (respectively of 9, and 8).

Takapuna Grammar School is in Belmont, to the southeast of Takapuna. It is the main public secondary school in the area (years 9-15) with a roll of 1691. Its funding decile is 10.