Mount Albert, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Suburb: | Mount Albert |
| City: | Auckland City |
| Island: | North Island |
| Surrounded by - to the north |
Mount Albert is a volcanic peak and suburban area in the city of Auckland, New Zealand.
The peak, in parkland at the southern end of the suburb, is 135 metres in height, and is one of the many extinct cones which dot the city of Auckland, all of which are part of the Auckland Volcanic Field. It is one of Auckland's older cones, having been created some 50,000-60,000 years ago.
The suburb is located seven kilometres to the southwest of the city centre, and is surrounded by the neighbouring suburbs of Owairaka, Sandringham, Morningside, and Waterview. Unitec New Zealand (an Institute of Technology) is located towards the northern end of the suburb. The Mount Albert Research Centre (originally established by the DSIR) houses the Auckland centre of HortResearch and other Crown Research Institutes.
[edit] Notable features
Located near the Mt Albert shops on New North Road is Ferndale House. This wooden Gothic house was the home of the Garlick family who bequeathed it to the City, it is currently a community Centre. The family firm Tonson Garlick manufactured furniture. Across the road from the Garlick house is the local church and behind it the two storied Italian styled wooden residence of Mr Stone, a local landowner and said to be the first white child born in New Zealand.
On Mount Albert Road is Alberton, the residence of the Kerr-Taylor Family. This two storied wooden house has wrap-round verandahs and turrets in the anglo-indian style, possibly due to the family having spent time in India before coming to New Zealand. Originally this property commanded a view towards Auckland across a thousand acre (4 km²) farm, over the years the family sold off land for suburban development leaving only one acre around the house. Now the property of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Alberton is open to the public as a museum.
Allen Kerr-Taylor had three brothers who lived in Auckland over near the Tamaki river. Charles John Taylor at Glen Orchard (now St Heliers), William Innes Taylor at Glen Innes, & Richard James Taylor at Glen Dowie. The names of their properties later became the names of the suburbs.
[edit] Parliamentary representation
Mount Albert is represented by a seat in New Zealand's Parliament, which has been held by Labour MP and current Prime Minister Helen Clark since 1981.
