Manukau City was a territorial authority district in Auckland, New Zealand, that was governed by the Manukau City Council. The area is also referred to as "South Auckland", although this term never possessed official recognition and does not encompass areas such as East Auckland, which was within the city boundary. It was a relatively young city, both in terms of legal status and large-scale settlement – though in June 2010, it was the third largest in New Zealand, and the fastest growing. In the same year, the entire Auckland Region was amalgamated under a single city authority, Auckland Council. The name Manukau, originating from the Manukau Harbour west of the city, is of Māori origin, and means "wading birds", although it has been suggested that the original name of the harbour was Mānuka, meaning a marker post with which an early chief is said to have claimed the area.

History

Manukau City was formed by the amalgamation of Manukau County and Manurewa Borough in 1965. The council originally housed their offices at the Nathan Estate (now the Auckland Botanic Gardens, until permanent offices were constructed.

Manukau County

Manukau County was reduced in size on the 1st April, 1912, with the southern portion of the county forming the new Franklin County. In 1923, Manukau County covered 195 mi2 and had a population of 6,146, with 163 mi of gravel roads, 90 mi of mud roads and 115 mi of tracks.

Geography

The Manukau City area is concentrated immediately to the south of the Ōtāhuhu isthmus, the narrowest connection between Auckland City and the Northland region and the rest of the North Island. At its narrowest, between the Otahuhu Creek arm of the Tamaki River (itself an estuarial arm of the Hauraki Gulf) in the east and the Māngere Inlet (an arm of the Manukau Harbour) to the west, the isthmus is only some 1500 metres across. The area to the south of the isthmus contains the heart of Manukau, sprawled on either side of state highways 1 and 20, the latter of which approaches from the west after crossing Māngere Bridge. The area known as Manukau Central is located close to the junction of these two highways, some 20 kilometres southeast of the centre of Auckland city. Considerable rural and semi-rural land to the east of Manukau Central was within the city council district. This extended towards the Hunua Ranges close to the Firth of Thames, and took in such communities as Clevedon and Maraetai. Beyond Manukau City to the south is Papakura and the Franklin District, which are less urban, but still part of the Auckland Region, and to some extent regarded as an integral part of Auckland's urban area. Auckland Airport is located in Māngere, in the west of Manukau, close to the waters of the Manukau Harbour. Manukau City includes the theme park Rainbow's End, and one of the oldest shopping malls in the country, now called Westfield Manukau City.

Transport

In 2009, work started on the Manukau Branch passenger railway line from the North Island Main Trunk at Puhinui. The branch line opened on 15 April 2012 with Manukau railway station as the terminus for Eastern Line services. The Manukau Institute of Technology university campus building is built over the top of the station, which serves the Manukau city centre. On 7 April 2018, a 23-bay bus station (Manukau bus station) was opened on a lot adjacent to the train station to create a transport hub serving most of the southern Auckland Region.

Population

As of the late 2000s, slightly less than 50% of the city's population identified as European, with 17% as Māori, 27% as Pacific, and 15% as Asian, with the balance made up of other groups.

Schools

Administrative divisions

Prior to being merged into Auckland Council in November 2010, Manukau City was divided into seven wards; each of them consisting of the following populated places (i.e.: suburbs, towns, localities, settlements, communities, hamlets, etc.):

Currently in Manurewa and Manukau Wards (post-2010)

Currently in Howick Ward (post-2010)

Prominent people

Local government

The Manukau City Council was the elected local authority of the city from 1965 until November 2010 when the Auckland Council was created. Manukau City had an elected Youth Council which primarily acted as an advisory committee and advocate for youth in the city.

Coat of arms

Sister city