Grafton is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is named for the Duke of Grafton, a patron of the first Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson, and the grandfather of a subsequent Governor, Robert FitzRoy. Once known as 'Grafton Heights', denoting its history as a well-off suburb in Auckland's earliest decades.

Description

The suburb is characterised by its many historic buildings, many of them essentially unchanged from the early decades of the 20th century. While the extents of the suburb have shrunk with the motorway and arterial road construction of the middle 20th century, the remaining smaller suburb thus has a highly cohesive structure, which is recognised, for example, in the residential zoning which discourages demolition of existing buildings. Grafton has a local resident's association, abbreviated as the GRA. The menswear fashion brand and retail chain Barkers has its head office in Grafton.

Demographics

Grafton covers 0.62 km2 and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Grafton had a population of 1,686 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 192 people (−10.2%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 36 people (−2.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 558 households, comprising 849 males and 840 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 29.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 117 people (6.9%) aged under 15 years, 771 (45.7%) aged 15 to 29, 660 (39.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 135 (8.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 60.5% European/Pākehā, 7.7% Māori, 3.9% Pacific peoples, 34.2% Asian, and 4.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 48.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.0% had no religion, 31.5% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 3.4% were Hindu, 2.3% were Muslim, 2.5% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 720 (45.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (3.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 348 people (22.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 816 (52.0%) people were employed full-time, 279 (17.8%) were part-time, and 54 (3.4%) were unemployed.

Education

St Peter's College is a state-integrated Catholic boys' secondary (years 7–13) school with a roll of as of

Landmarks

Notable residents

During the late 1840s Chief Pōtatau Te Wherowhero resided in the Auckland Domain in a house provided for him by the Government, this house was located north of the Domain Ponds, between the Hospital and the southern entrance of what is now called Centennial Walk. Here he was visited by the then Governor, George Grey. Gustavus von Tempsky (1828–1868) lived on Grafton Road in the early 1860s. The early settler Outhwaite family resided in their Grafton house for nearly eighty five years. Noted aviator Jean Batten stayed with her brother when he lived in Seafield View road during the 1930s (house demolished around 2006). The painter Max Gimblett's family lived in Grafton in the 1940s and ran the shop on the corner of Carlton Gore and Seafield View Roads. In the 1990s the painter Don Binney rented the same shop as a studio space. Pauline Kumeroa Kingi CNZM is a notable current resident.