Goodwood Heights is the location of St Johns Redoubt, a military camp established in 1863 during the Invasion of the Waikato. The suburb developed in the late 1970s, with Everglade Primary School established in the suburb in 1988. In 2020, construction began on Auckland New Zealand Temple, the second The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple to be constructed in New Zealand.
Geography
Aerial view of Goodwood Heights in 1978 during the initial stages of suburb construction
Goodwood Heights is located near Manukau Central, east of the Auckland Southern Motorway and north of Totara Heights.[3] It is located on a hilly area adjacent to Manukau Central.[4] Redoubt Road, Goodwood Drive and Everglade Road are major roads that run through the suburb.[5][6][4]
Many streets in Goodwood Heights were named after ornamental tree species.[7] Some streets in the development are named after aircraft or aircraft manufacturers, due to their location on the flight path of planes arriving at Auckland Airport.[8]
History
Watercolour of St John's Redoubt in 1863
On 21 July 1863 during the Invasion of the Waikato, St John's Redoubt was constructed in modern-day Goodwood Heights. Constructed in order to secure the supply line for troops along Great South Road, the redoubt never saw active engagement, and by the following year troops were withdrawn from the redoubt. In 1960, the site of the redoubt became a historic reserve.[9][10]
The first suburban housing developments along Redoubt Road began from 1952, when farmer Cameron Matthews began selling 2 acres (0.81 ha) lots adjacent to Redoubt Road.[4] Dairy farmers Ransom and Ann Smyth began subdividing the Redoubt Road adjacent parts of their property in 1972.[4] In 1975, the Manukau City Council began developing Manurewa East, a wide greenfields development to the east of Manurewa, an area that later developed into the suburbs of Goodwood Heights, Totara Heights, The Gardens and Randwick Park.[11]
The name Goodwood Heights was first used as a name for an AGH Developments-constructed subdivision adjacent to Totara Park, which the company began work on shortly after completing work on the Totara Heights subdivision.[4][12] The origin of the name is not known.[4] The first subdivisions in Goodwood Heights were advertised for sale in April 1979.[12][13] In 1979, the Smyth family developed an area called Redoubt Park, in the vicinity of Everglade Drive.[4] During construction, both Goodwood Heights and Totara Heights preserved significantly more mature native bush relative to other suburban developments in South Auckland at the time.[12] By 1981, a Housing New Zealand housing project was developed in the area.[4] Over time, Goodwood Heights was adopted as a name to refer to the wider area.[4]
By 1984, Everglade Drive was extended south towards Totara Heights; the first time a road link was constructed between the two suburbs.[4] Everglade Primary School was established in the suburb on 2 February 1988.[14][15]
Goodwood Heights covers 1.28 km2 (0.49 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 4,700 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 3,672 people per km2.
Goodwood Heights had a population of 4,401 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 330 people (8.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 567 people (14.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,143 households, comprising 2,238 males and 2,166 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female. The median age was 34.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 843 people (19.2%) aged under 15 years, 1,035 (23.5%) aged 15 to 29, 2,082 (47.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 438 (10.0%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 25.2% European/Pākehā, 11.5% Māori, 19.0% Pacific peoples, 55.3% Asian, and 2.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 51.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 25.1% had no religion, 35.1% were Christian, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 18.0% were Hindu, 6.3% were Muslim, 3.5% were Buddhist and 6.3% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 816 (22.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 519 (14.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 576 people (16.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,980 (55.6%) people were employed full-time, 411 (11.6%) were part-time, and 144 (4.0%) were unemployed.[18]
Education
Everglade School is a coeducational contributing primary school (years 1–6) with a roll of 508 as of August 2024.[19][20]
Local government
Goodwood Heights was originally a part of Manukau City when the suburb was first established in the late 1970s.[21] In November 2010, all cities and districts of the Auckland Region were amalgamated into a single body, governed by the Auckland Council.[22]
Goodwood Heights is a part of the Manurewa local board area. The residents of Manurewa elect a local board, and two councillors from the Manurewa-Papakura ward to sit on the Auckland Council.
Amenities
Aronia Park is located in Goodwood Heights, and features a rainbow-coloured playground.[23]
St Johns Redoubt Historic Reserve. Established in 1960 at the site of the former St Johns Redoubt, the reserve became a historic reserve in 2000.[9][24] In 2021, Te Ākitai Waiohua gifted a Māori language name for the reserve, Tū-ngā-waka ("Standing Canoes"), a name chosen to evoke the deaths of those who died during the New Zealand Wars.[10]
^Bloomfield, G.T. (1973). The Evolution of Local Government Areas in Metropolitan Auckland, 1840–1971. Auckland University Press, Oxford University Press. pp. 56–57, 110, 122. ISBN0-19-647714-X.
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