Saint Heliers

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Saint Heliers

Saint Heliers beach looking east towards Achilles Point
Basic information
Local authority Auckland
Electoral ward Orākei
Population 6,339
Facilities
Surrounds
North Hauraki Gulf
East Bucklands Beach
Southeast Glendowie
South Glen Innes
Southwest Saint Johns
West Orakei
Northwest Kohimarama

Saint Heliers is a residential Auckland suburb, located at the eastern end of the city. The Tamaki estuary divides it from the former Manukau City. It is one of the more affluent Auckland suburbs.[1]

History

The area was originally called Glen Orchard after Lieutenant-Colonel William Taylor's farm. Under later owners it was a stud farm managed by a Major Walmsley who apparently suggested the name St Heliers Bay because of its resemblance to the Bay of Saint Heliers, a fashionable holiday resort on the Channel Island of Jersey.

The "St Heliers and Northcote Land Company" was formed in 1882. The purpose of this company was not only to sell land but to provide a horse tram service for Auckland. Land sales were poor and the scheme eventually failed but the company did build a 1,500-foot-long pier (460 m) at St Heliers before becoming insolvent.

St Heliers was usually reached by boat, the trip from Auckland taking only 30 minutes, whereas the eight mile land route via Newmarket, Remuera and Meadowbank was usually far too onerous. During this period St Heliers was a centre for local farmers and the location of the villas of a few rich business people. After Tamaki Drive was built in the late 1920s St Heliers became a commuter suburb and a destination for Sunday drives, altering its genteel image.

The wharf is long gone but there is periodically talk of rebuilding it, especially when Tamaki Drive is gridlocked with traffic. There have been temporary wharves put in place during the summer months in the past.

Geography

Looking westwards over St Heliers (foreground) and the other eastern beaches to the CBD in the distance

St Heliers has one relatively unknown volcano, a maar of unknown age. Its crater had formed a swamp by the time Europeans arrived, and was later converted into the sports fields of Glover Park. On the seaward side, a pā has once stood, and the landward side is marked by the water tower at its highest point.[2]

Transport

Buses are the only form of public transport available in Saint Heliers, so most residents rely on private cars.

Notable residents

  • Ted Webber, Seven time Auckland Golf Club Champion [3]

Climate

Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[4]

Gallery

  • St Heliers from the east

  • The suburb is relatively affluent, and so sometimes includes houses in styles rarely seen in New Zealand

References

  1. ↑ "St Heliers". Retrieved July 19, 2013. 
  2. ↑ St Heliers - City of Fire, insert magazine in The New Zealand Herald, Friday 15 February 2008
  3. ↑ "New Zealand Golf". 
  4. ↑ Climate Summary for Saint Heliers
  • The Heart of Colonial Auckland, 1865-1910 - Terence Hodgson. Random Century NZ Ltd, 1992.
  • Delving Into The Past Of Auckland's Eastern Suburbs: Section 6, St Heliers Bay - Elizabeth T. Jackson. Premier Print Services, 1976

Coordinates: 36°51′S 174°52′E / 36.850°S 174.867°E / -36.850; 174.867

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