Arch Hill, New Zealand

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For the record label, see Arch Hill Recordings

Arch Hill
Local Authority	Auckland City
Characteristics:
Population	1,248 (data: 2001)
Surrounded by:
North	Ponsonby
North-east	Newton
East	Newton
South-east	Eden Terrace
South	Kingsland
South-west	Kingsland
West	Grey Lynn
North-west	Grey Lynn

Arch Hill is a small suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand. Arch Hill is under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. According to the 2001 census, Arch Hill has a population of 1248. The reason the area is called Arch Hill is very unclear. It doesn’t seem to refer to any local structure or person. It was a common habit in the 19th century for placenames from Great Britain, from London in particular, to be transplanted to New Zealand, but this is not the case here.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

In 1730 this may have been the site of the "Broken Calabash [Attack]": Te Ipu Pakore. This battle between two warring Maori tribes probably happened along this ridge, possibly around the Arch Hill area.

For much of the 19th century this area was mostly farmland. Most of the houses date from around the turn of the 20th century and are small workers cottages or wooden villas; sections are often tiny and without off-street parking. As Arch Hill faces south away from the sun it is and always was a less desirable location than either neighbouring Grey Lynn or Kingsland. Some light industrial commercial premises have replaced parts of the housing stock with one & two storey commercial properties and more recently apartment complexes have been built.

Before the north-western motorway was cut through the bottom of the suburb, known as Arch Hill Gully, in the 1960s and 70s, many of the streets running down from Great North Road linked up with those in Kingsland. Now the only through road is Bond Street, the others have become quiet cul-de-sacs.

The Arch Hill Roads Board was formed after the Provincial abolition of the 1870s and was an independent municipality until it was incorporated into the City of Auckland in the 1910s following a referendum. The Arch Hill electorate was created for the 1946 elections, formed out of portions of the Auckland Central, Auckland West, and Grey Lynn electorates.

The Arch Hill Hotel was a landmark on the corner of Great North Road and Tuarangi Road at what is now the Surrey Crescent shops. Built in the 19th century it still stands on its original site although in a modified state.