Henderson, New Zealand

is a suburb of West Auckland, New Zealand. It is west of Auckland city centre, and west of the Whau River, a southwestern arm of the Waitematā Harbour.

Henderson initially developed around the mill of Thomas Henderson and was known as Henderson's Mill. As it expanded it became known as just Henderson and later it became an independent borough. As part of the 1989 local government reforms it became the centre of Waitakere City until Waitakere City was amalgamated to form the new Auckland Council.

Geography

Henderson is located between the Waitākere Ranges to the west, and the Te Atatū Peninsula in the east. The area is within the catchment of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, an estuarial arm of the Waitematā Harbour. The Ōpanuku, Oratia, Swanson, Momutu and Paremuka streams meet at Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, to the north of Henderson.

Between 3 and 5 million years ago, tectonic forces uplifted the Waitākere Ranges and central Auckland, while subsiding the Manukau and inner Waitematā harbours. The land at Henderson is formed from Waitemata Group sandstone, which was previously found at the bottom of a deep sedimentary basin. Land close to Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek and the Waitematā Harbour are formed from rhyolitic clays and peat, formed from eroding soil and interactions with the harbour. Prior to human contact, the Henderson area was home to broadleaf forests, dominated by pūriri, karaka, kohekohe and māhoe trees. The alluvial creek/harbour zone was favoured by kahikatea, pukatea and rātā, with tī kōuka (cabbage trees) flourishing in wetter sites.

History

Henderson is in the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, and the name Ōpanuku refers to the Ōpanuku Stream, traditionally known as Te Wai-ō-Panuku ("The Stream of Panuku"), Panuku being the name of one of the earliest Te Kawerau ā Maki ancestors.

Henderson is named after early colonial settler Thomas Henderson, a Scottish immigrant who purchased land from Ngati Whatua in 1844 and established a timber mill on the banks of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek ca. 1847 to process the logs of kauri trees which were cut from the Henderson Valley and further upstream, from the eastern flanks of the Waitākere Ranges. The community which developed around the mill was known as Henderson's Mill, and later the Henderson's Mill Settlement. The first European settlers in the community were mill workers, who were joined gum diggers, farm workers and brick makers. In 1855, George Pirrit and his son William Pirrit bought land at Henderson adjacent to the Oratia Stream, which they dammed in order to operate a water turbine, manufacturing iron heel and toe plates for boots. In the following year, a hotel was opened on the town's main street.

The mill closed in the latter 1860s, and in 1875 the area was hit by a major flood, damaging crops and bridges near the settlement. The area became more prosperous in the 1880s, after the North Auckland Railway opened between Auckland and Helensville. When the Henderson railway station was opened, the name was displayed as Henderson Mill, with the possessive dropped. Overtime, goods to the area sent by rail began adopting this name, and eventually the settlement was referred to as Henderson. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Henderson was the location of a number of brick and pottery yards adjacent to Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek. The major brick industries in West Auckland were located to the south, along the Whau River. In 1896, a community hall was built at Henderson, hosting concerts for the West Auckland area. This was destroyed by fire in 1924, and rebuilt in brick.

In 1907, Lebanese New Zealander Assid Abraham Corban developed a vineyard at Henderson. After the sale of alcohol was prohibited in Henderson during the temperance movement, Corban set up a depot at the border of the prohibition area on the eastern side of the railway tracks, in order to sell his projects.

By the 1920s, the Lincoln Road, Swanson Road and Sturgess Road areas had developed into orchards run primarily by Dalmatian families who immigrated to New Zealand, including the included Bilich (later White), Babich, Boric, Yelavich and Fredatovich families. During this time, the Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek at Tui Glen Reserve had become a popular waterway for leisure and a site for pleasure boating. The first modern brick block of shops were built in the area in 1932. In the early 1930s, a kauri gum refinery was constructed on Station Road, however this closed down in 1936 after a market slump.

Amenities and attractions

Henderson features a large shopping centre, WestCity Waitakere, with numerous other shops and large stores also located in the area. The West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre, owned by the Auckland Council, was built to host the Aquatics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

The Corban's Wine Estate and Corban Estate Arts Centre are both located in Henderson. The annual InterACT Disability Arts Festival is held at the gallery. At the northern end of Henderson, near the Lincoln Road motorway interchange, the Toroa, a historic ferry under restoration, is a well-known local landmark.

The Trusts Stadium attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, hosting a range of events, including concerts, sporting events and community gatherings. The Trusts Stadium was completed in August 2004 and was opened by then Prime Minister Helen Clark the following month. It cost $28 million to complete but opened debt-free, with The Trusts providing $5 million, Waitakere City Council contributing $12.5 million and ASB Charitable Trusts providing $4.5 million.

Falls Hotel is a historic hotel located in Falls Park along Alderman Drive. It currently hosts a café and restaurant.

Demographics

Henderson covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².