Epsom, New Zealand

Epsom is an exclusive, affluent suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located in the centre of the Auckland isthmus between Mount Eden and One Tree Hill, south of Newmarket, and five km south of the city centre. Epsom has many villas, flats and houses to offer with an average median price of NZD $900,000-$6,000,000 as per 2013. Rents in Epsom are also more expensive compared to other parts of Auckland making Epsom a "upmarket" area to live in.

Notable features

Named after the town in England noted for its horse-racing, Epsom also has a race track. The Alexandra Park Raceway lies in the eastern quarter of Epsom where it is located next to the Epsom Showgrounds. The broad, flat pastureland here at the intersection of Greenlane and Manukau Roads was used for sporting events from the 1850s onwards but the two venues were only formally established around 1900. The Alexandra Raceway was named after the then Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra). The Epsom Showgrounds are the location of the annual Auckland Royal Easter Show.

Epsom is also the location of historic house museum Highwic and the volcanic cone of Mount Saint John.

History

From the 1840s until the 1890s Epsom was noted for its rich pasture land which supported both dairy herds and grain crops. Towards Mt Eden is Windmill Road which was the site of the Bycroft Windmill.

Initially large country houses and farms dotted the landscape but from the 1890s onwards suburban development spread southwards from Newmarket across the fields of Epsom. Most of the housing in the area dates from 1900 to 1930, often large houses built solidly of wood, many in the Californian Bungalow or "Stockbroker Tudor" styles.

The area has been long noted for its tree-lined, well-ordered streets, parks and a great variety of architecture, with century-old villas competing with late 20th century modern housing. Following WWII increasing numbers of the larger properties were subivided and smaller houses appeared. Since the early 1990s there has been a considerable amount of "infill" housing with clutches of townhouses altering the streetscapes in some parts of Epsom.

Education

Epsom is noted for several schools including St Peter's College (the successor of Auckland's earliest school), Dilworth School, Diocesan School For Girls, St Cuthbert's College, Epsom Normal Primary School, Auckland Normal Intermediate, Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls' Grammar School.

Due to the phenomenon of the "Grammar zone", parents wishing to live in-zone for Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls' Grammar, housing in Epsom has become desirable and expensive. Houses within the Grammar Zone come with a premium of at least NZ$100,000 compared with an identical house just outside the Grammar Zone.^[1]

The University of Auckland Faculty of Education (formerly known as the Auckland College of Education) campus is also situated at this district.

Politics

Epsom is also the name of an electorate that includes Epsom, Remuera, Parnell, Broadway Park, and part of Balmoral. Former Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher, was elected as Member of Parliament for Epsom in 1996. This electorate as of 2005 is the wealthiest in the country, with an average income well above the national average.

The Epsom electorate has historically been a right wing seat and, up until 2005, was considered a 'safe' seat for the National party. In 2005 the electorate took a swing further to the right, electing the ACT candidate Rodney Hide.

The current MP for Epsom is John Banks, leader of the ACT party. The suburb of Epsom comprises roughly 20% of the population of the Epsom electorate. The local councillors for Epsom suburb are split across two council wards, the Eden-Albert Ward represented by a majority of centre-left leaning City Vision (Auckland political ticket) councillors, and Hobson Ward, which is served by centre-right leaning Citizens and Ratepayers Now councillors.

References

Coordinates: 36°53′21″S 174°45′59″E / 36.8892°S 174.7665°E / -36.8892; 174.7665

Further reading

• Graham W. A. Bush (ed), The History of Epsom, Epsom & Eden District Historical Society Inc, Auckland, 2006.