Hobson Street

Hobson Street
Lower Hobson Street crossing Sturdee St, 2006
Map
Length1.4 km (0.87 mi)
LocationAuckland CBD, New Zealand
Postal code1010
North endQuay Street
South endAuckland Northern Motorway

Hobson Street is a major street in Auckland, New Zealand. It lies on the western side of Queen Street. It is a commercial and high-rise residential street, and provides access to the Auckland Northern Motorway going south, and the Northwest Motorway going west. For most of its length it is one-way. One block to the west is Nelson Street, which is one-way in the other direction and provides access to the central city for traffic exiting from the motorways. One block to the east is Albert Street, part of Mayoral Drive, and Vincent Street. The area encompassed by these streets is called Hobson Ridge by Statistics New Zealand.

History

Hobson Street existed by 1842[1] but it was not initially entirely urban, with the Auckland City Council being asked to prevent cattle from obstructing its footpaths in 1870.[2] The street was named after the first Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson.[3]

By 1884, the street was an important route for horse-drawn trams travelling south to Ponsonby and Karangahape Road, as the steep southern portion of Queen Street was unsuitable for horses. By the early 20th century, Hobson Street had become a busy thoroughfare to reach the western suburbs of central Auckland, such as Ponsonby and Grey Lynn.[3]

The Nelson Street-Hobson Street one-way system was in place in the early 1970s.[4]

Buses heading north from SkyCity cut across all four lanes of Hobson Street. In 2024 construction work was continuing on extension of the convention centre

Since 1996 SkyCity and its InterCity bus terminal have been accessed from Hobson Street.[5]

Demographics

The statistical areas centred on Hobson Street cover 0.37 km2 (0.14 sq mi)[6] and had an estimated population of 9,420 as of June 2024,[7] with a population density of 25,459 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20064,533—    
20137,098+6.62%
20188,190+2.90%
20236,483−4.57%
Source: [8][9]
Hobson Street in 1982

The Hobson Street statistical areas had a population of 6,483 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 1,707 people (−20.8%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 615 people (−8.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,465 males, 2,952 females and 69 people of other genders in 3,675 dwellings.[10] 10.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 393 people (6.1%) aged under 15 years, 2,640 (40.7%) aged 15 to 29, 3,171 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 273 (4.2%) aged 65 or older.[9]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 30.3% European (Pākehā); 9.3% Māori; 6.1% Pasifika; 55.7% Asian; 6.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 93.2%, Māori language by 2.6%, Samoan by 1.1%, and other languages by 46.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 68.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 24.8% Christian, 12.2% Hindu, 3.4% Islam, 0.7% Māori religious beliefs, 4.3% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, 0.3% Jewish, and 3.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 45.0%, and 5.9% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,631 (43.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,947 (32.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,521 (25.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 624 people (10.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,405 (55.9%) people were employed full-time, 798 (13.1%) were part-time, and 327 (5.4%) were unemployed.[9]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Dwellings Median age Median
income
Hobson Ridge North 0.15 2,304 15,360 1,428 31.3 years $46,700[11]
Hobson Ridge Central 0.06 2,616 43,600 1,449 30.1 years $33,800[12]
Hobson Ridge South 0.16 1,563 9,769 798 32.1 years $37,300[13]
New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500

Notable locations

St Matthew in the City

References

  1. ^ "Sales by Auction". New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette. 16 March 1842. p. 1.
  2. ^ Bush, G. W. A. (1971). Decently and in Order: The Centennial History of the Auckland City Council. Collins. p. 74.
  3. ^ a b Haworth, Jenny (2016). Auckland Then and Now. United Kingdom: Pavilion Books. p. 10-11. ISBN 978-1-910904-79-4. Wikidata Q116870435.
  4. ^ Bush, Graham W. A. (1991). Advance in Order: The Auckland City Council from Centenary to Reorganisation 1971-1989. Auckland City Council. p. 125. ISBN 0-908834-03-9.
  5. ^ L, Matt (3 May 2014). "Should the InterCity bus terminal move?". Greater Auckland. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Hobson Ridge North (132700), Hobson Ridge Central (133400) and Hobson Ridge South (133800).
  9. ^ a b c "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Hobson Ridge North (132700), Hobson Ridge Central (133400) and Hobson Ridge South (133800). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Hobson Ridge North. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Hobson Ridge Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Hobson Ridge South. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Auckland Harbour Board Workshops". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Tepid Baths". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  16. ^ "St Patrick's Presbytery (Catholic)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  17. ^ "St Matthew's-in-the-City Church (Anglican)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Higher Thought Temple". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Wesleyan Chapel (Former)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

36°51′00″S 174°45′40″E / 36.850°S 174.761°E / -36.850; 174.761