Morningside, Auckland
Morningside is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It lies four kilometres south-west of the city centre, close to Eden Park and Western Springs Reserve.
For the suburb of Whangārei, see Morningside, Whangārei.History[edit]
The broader area was originally swampland, and known to Tāmaki Māori as Ngā Anawai, referring to the water-filled lava-flow caves that formed in the area. The lava caves were created by Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Mount Albert over 30,000 years ago.[3][4]
On 29 June 1841, the Mount Albert area was sold to the Crown by Ngāti Whātua, as a part of a 12,000 acre section.[5] The terrain of the area was rough, meaning the area saw slower development compared to other parts of the Auckland isthmus.[6] In the 1860s, New North Road was established as road access for the area and as an alternative to the Great North Road to the north.[7] Allan Kerr Taylor, a major landowner in the Mount Albert area, auctioned off a section of his land in March 1865 to create a subdivision along the road. Kerr Taylor named the new village Morningside, referencing Morningside in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, which was the location of a mental asylum.[8] Kerr Taylor's original plan for the village included a church to be built on an island in the middle of New North Road.[9]
Morningside railway station opened in March 1880, connecting Morningside to Auckland city by rail.[10] Morningside saw slower growth compared to Kingsland, located closer to the city. In March 1910, the Shawville housing estate in Morningside was sold off.[11]
Morningside grew as a community after the tramline extended to the suburb along New North Road in 1912.[12]
The suburb is centred on the Morningside shops which are located on the New North Road, near the Morningside railway station. One of Morningside's largest buildings is the 1920s brick building which formerly housed the Mount Albert Borough Council until Mt Albert was amalgamated with Auckland City in the late 1980s.
Morningside was the setting of the animated TV show Bro'Town, and also the album title and hometown of Fazerdaze.
Education[edit]
Mount Albert School is a contributing primary school (years 1-6) with rolls of 413.[17] The local state intermediate school is Kōwhai Intermediate School, while the local secondary schools include Mount Albert Grammar School and Marist College.
Local government[edit]
In October 1866, the Mt Albert District Highway Board, the first local government in the area, was formed to administer New North Road and the surrounding areas.[7] In 1911, the board became the Mount Albert Borough, who elected a mayor.[18] In 1978, Mount Albert became a city,[19] and in 1989 it was absorbed into Auckland City.[20] In November 2010, all cities and districts of the Auckland Region were amalgamated into a single body, governed by the Auckland Council.[21]
Morningside is a part of the Albert-Eden local board area. The residents of Albert-Eden elect a local board, and two councillors from the Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward to sit on the Auckland Council.