Herne Bay, New Zealand

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Suburb:	Herne Bay
City:	Auckland City
Island:	North Island
Surrounded by - to the north - to the east - to the south - to the west	Waitemata Harbour Saint Marys Bay Ponsonby, Grey Lynn Westmere, Waitemata Harbour

Herne Bay is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the southwestern shore of the Waitemata Harbour to the west of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Herne Bay is under the local governance of the Auckland City Council.

According to the 2001 census, Herne Bay has a population of 2841.

[edit] History

While not quite typical of Herne Bay, the two rounded skyscrapers rising from the suburb are local landmarks.

The suburb is named after Herne Bay, a respectable seaside resort in English county of Kent that was very popular during the second half of the 19th century.

From the 1850s onwards it became apparent that Auckland's Herne Bay was quite handy to the centre of town by a short boat trip. Herne Bay developed as an early commuter suburb and was the location of several large houses belonging to members of the professional classes. Most of these houses were readily accessible from the water.

Also located in this area on the shore of Ponsonby (between Argyle Street and the sea) was Kemp's Gardens. These were a popular pleasure resort for Auckland's people during the 1860s. The gardens were "complete with pavilion, gardens and illuminations": “A free hand was given, drinks were sold, music was provided and the least said the better”. Later renamed “Cremorne Gardens” after the fashionable pleasure gardens in London, Kemp’s gardens boasted a “Dancing Pavilion, ten acres of walks and sports grounds” It is remembered in the name “Cremorne Street”.

Herne Bay is a contender to become the first New Zealand "Million Dollar Suburb", meaning every property will be worth above, or around the million dollar mark.^[1]

The Sultan of Brunei purchased 11 properties in Herne Bay for his visit to the APEC Summit in Auckland in 1999, these were all extensively renovated, although the Sultan never actually lived in any of them. All 11 properties were sold to low profile businessman Gary Lane in 2005.^[2]