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100-461: New Zealand Sugar Company Limited is a long-established business and landmark in Birkenhead , New Zealand, located on the northern shore of Auckland 's Waitematā Harbour . The company is also known colloquially as "Chelsea Sugar", taking reference from the company's branded sugar "Chelsea", and the site is also colloquially known as the " Chelsea Sugar Refinery ", or "sugar works". The refinery

200-424: A privy inside the house was unhealthy. Cold water came from a stand pipe in the yard, and lighting was by candle or by gas mantles . Heating and cooking was done by coal, and hot water was boiled in kettles on the living room range . Kitchens were rare – the wet activities were done outside or in the scullery . Later, water was piped to the house, and some living room fires had a back boiler for heating. During

300-442: A scullery (for washing) and pantry (for storing food), and two bedrooms upstairs. The house would be of brick, stone if it occurred locally, or cob (soil and fibre) on a wooden frame. These houses were unsanitary, but the biggest problem was that there were simply too few of them. Population was increasing rapidly (see table), and after the inclosure acts labourers could not find spare land to build their own homes. Homebuilding

400-423: A suburban compromise between the terraced houses close to the city centre, and the detached " villas " further out, where land was cheaper. There are occasional examples of such houses in town centres going back to medieval times. Most early examples are in areas such as Blackheath , Chalk Farm and St John's Wood , then considered suburbs but now part of Inner London . Richard Gillow of Lancaster (1734–1811)

500-532: A building comprising two flats/apartments, one above the other; this is also referred to as a "two-flat'. Semi-detached houses are typically referred to as 'twins' or 'double-blocks' in the Mid-Atlantic region (particularly in Pennsylvania ). In Australia , a semi-detached house is also known as a "duplex". Townhouses may be apparently similar to semi-detached houses, but a semi-detached house sits on

600-617: A district feeder road. This tipped the balance away from short terraces towards pairs of semi-detached houses. The housing density was initially generous, but was reduced in 1923 after a change of government from the Liberal Party to the Conservative Party . After the Second World War, there was a chronic shortage of houses. In the short term this was relieved by the construction of prefabricated houses with

700-614: A major industry for Birkenhead from the 1860s, notably apples, pears, and two varieties of strawberry, Marguerite and Duke of Edinburgh, which flourished well in clay soils. Birkenhead was subdivided and promoted as a township from 1863, alongside other settlements such as Allandale and Balmain (neither of which eventuated). Residents of the village survived through subsistence farming, and profited from bountiful seasonal strawberry crops. In 1879, William Francis Hammond bought 30 acres (12 ha) at Birkenhead Point, establishing Raven Hill estate, followed by Charles E. Button who established

800-549: A new supermarket at Highbury, to counteract commercial decline. In 1989, Highbury became a part of North Shore City , and the new city council began planning the Strawberry Fields Shopping Centre from 1990, with Countdown as an anchor store. On 8 May 1995, the shopping centre formally opened, now named Highpoint Shopping Centre. In 1997 after expansions, the mall was renamed Birkenhead Shopping Centre, and later renamed to Highbury Shopping Centre in

900-492: A night raid around the year 1823. When Tāmaki Māori returned in greater numbers to the Auckland Region, Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau were occupied again, until the early 1840s. The shark fishery remained an important location for many decades onwards. In 1844, when Tāmaki Māori held the feast of Remuera, sharks were caught for the event at this fishery, and considerable numbers of Māori fishing boats fished

1000-447: A population density of 2,372 people per km . Before the 2023 census, Birkenhead had a larger boundary, covering 4.63 km (1.79 sq mi). Using that boundary, Birkenhead had a population of 10,536 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 894 people (9.3%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 1,230 people (13.2%) since the 2006 census . There were 3,780 households, comprising 5,022 males and 5,514 females, giving

1100-405: A rich industrial heritage. As work on the refinery began, the managers and company officers were able to adapt the existing farm cottages on the estate for their use, but the majority of workers lived in tents and temporary dwellings near the building site. This shanty town was replaced by Chelsea Village, which consisted of 35 cottages provided by the company within the grounds, some distance from

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1200-498: A second grand house at Birkenhead Point in 1883. Hammond, the son of a London auctioneer, was a keen promoter of Birkenhead, surveying the area and promoting Birkenhead subdivisions and estates at auctions, and constructing a bridge across Little Shoal Bay , better connecting the community to Northcote. Lake Road, connecting Northcote and Birkenhead, was significantly improved in the 1870s, helping development in Birkenhead. This

1300-479: A sex ratio of 0.91 males per female, with 1,836 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 2,037 (19.3%) aged 15 to 29, 5,010 (47.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,653 (15.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 75.7% European/ Pākehā , 6.7% Māori , 2.9% Pacific peoples , 20.0% Asian , and 3.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 39.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer

1400-469: A single property, owned in its entirety by the owner of the semi-detached house, whereas townhouses sit on a shared property. The type of real property title held is therefore different: a semi-detached home is generally held as a Torrens titled property, while a townhouse is a Strata titled unit. Semi-detached houses come only in pairs, whereas there may be more than two townhouses attached together. In Sydney , semi-detached houses were briefly popular at

1500-571: A ten-year life. The successor was the pre-cast reinforced concrete semi-detached house. Although the frame was concrete the exterior panels were often traditional brick, so the final building was visually indistinguishable from a traditionally built house. The recommendations of the Parker Morris Committee became mandatory for all public housing from 1967 till 1980. Initially the private sector adopted them too, but gradually lowered their standards. Although semi-detached housing

1600-487: A total of nine hectares. The port is located up-harbour from the Harbour Bridge , thus enforcing a large central span (243.8 m) and height (43.27 m at high tide). Chelsea is more than a landmark on the coast; it has been central to the development of the local community and remains active in preserving and encouraging interest in the local heritage and local events, sponsoring things as diverse as school trails and

1700-691: A wall along the frontage. An example is The Paragon in Blackheath, where a blank colonnade runs between the houses. Most early examples were relatively large houses with access at the rear. During the 19th century, a father and son architectural partnership, John Shaw Sr. and John Shaw Jr. , drew up designs for semi-detached housing in London. Examples of their work can be seen in Chalk Farm , North London. John Nash , better known for his Regency terraces , built some semi-detached villas either side of

1800-455: A year, supplying both retail and manufacturing markets. About 20% of Chelsea's total production is exported, mainly to Australia and the Pacific. New Zealand has a deregulated economy , hence it has no subsidies or import tariffs for sugar, so Chelsea operates entirely within the free market. Chelsea provide financial support and sponsorship for a variety of organisations and projects within

1900-682: Is built throughout the world, it is generally seen as particularly symbolic of the suburbanisation of the United Kingdom and Ireland , or post-war homes in Canada . In Toronto , the semi-detached house was a major building type during both the pre and post-war periods. In New England , some other parts of the United States, and occasionally in Canada, this style is colloquially called a " duplex " . Elsewhere, however, "duplex" refers to

2000-458: Is maintained, has become a public legacy. Among the other cultural impacts which the refinery has had on its surrounds is the origin of top local association football team Glenfield Rovers . The club, founded as Chelsea F.C. in 1960, was originally a social club for staff at the refinery. It later became more than just a social side, and has among the strongest teams in the Auckland region since

2100-703: Is unknown, but it possibly stems from the geographical similarities the area has to Birkenhead in North West England , which is on the opposite shore of the River Mersey to Liverpool . Similar locations can be found in Adelaide and Sydney in Australia. A common story explaining the origins of the suburb's name involves land developer Samuel Cochrane choosing the name in memory of his hometown, but this story appears to be apocryphal, as Cochrane

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2200-557: The 1918 flu pandemic . Highbury developed more commercial and residential housing in the 1920s, and was the location of the Birkenhead Borough Chambers. From 1959, the stores of Highbury began declining due to the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge , despite an explosion of population growth in the surrounding suburbs. A small state housing area was constructed at Hammond Place, and in

2300-690: The Ancient Order of Foresters built a hall on Hinemoa Street in Birkenhead. In the following year, theatre company manager Henry John Hayward , who lived at Birkenhead, began showing films at Foresters Hall in 1912. Birkenhead became the second suburb of Auckland to have a cinema, and by the 1920s the Foresters Hall had become a major attraction for people across Auckland to attend dances and film showings. By 1913, Birkenhead had grown to have 12 stores (compared to 42 in Devonport), including

2400-648: The Auckland Region began around the 13th or 14th centuries. The North Shore was settled by Tāmaki Māori , including people descended from the Tainui migratory canoe and ancestors of figures such as Taikehu and Peretū. Many of the early Tāmaki Māori people of the North Shore identified as Ngā Oho . Boat Rock ( Te Nihokiore , "The Rat's Tooth") in the Waitematā Harbour southwest of Birkenhead

2500-474: The Garden City movement . The middle class became an important and expanding group in the 19th century. With industrialisation came material gain to the capitalist entrepreneur. New professions came into existence to serve their needs: insurers, engineers, designers. The growth in the population required more architects, lawyers, teachers, doctors, dentists and shopkeepers. Hierarchical tiers emerged within

2600-519: The Regent's Canal . These were styled to appear as substantial single detached villas with the entrances to the side. Similarly, the landscape gardener John Claudius Loudon built a pair of semi-detached villas fashioned to appear as a single house in Porchester Terrace in 1825. In his 1838 book The Suburban Gardener and Villa Companion he gives advice on how to disguise the join between

2700-641: The Waitematā Harbour , and its proximity to a renowned tauranga mango , a shark fishery which brought seasonal visitors from across Tāmaki Makurau and the Hauraki Gulf in the summer, including important rangatira such as Kiwi Tāmaki and later Tarahawaiki. Manaoterangi was a close relative of Tuperiri of the Te Taoū / Ngāti Whātua ragatira Tuperiri, and was married to Waikahuia, the sister of Waiohua paramount chief Kiwi Tāmaki . Because of this,

2800-514: The permanent building society model was adopted. The Woolwich Equitable was founded in 1847, the Leeds Permanent in 1848 and Bradford Equitable in 1851. Artisans could invest and then borrow a sum for a mortgage on their own property. In the wool towns of Yorkshire, three factory-owning families built villages for their workers. In each, there was a hierarchy of houses: long terraces for the workers, larger houses in shorter terraces for

2900-552: The 14th century, and is the location of Te Matarae ō Mana , a fortified pā for Te Kawerau ā Maki that overlooked an important seasonal shark fishery. European settlement in Birkenhead began in late the 1840s, and by the late 19th century the area became renowned for strawberry crops. In 1884, the Chelsea Sugar Refinery was constructed in Birkenhead, becoming a major source of income for Birkenhead. The increased population growth led to Birkenhead becoming one of

3000-656: The 1880s, itinerant gum diggers roamed Birkenhead, searching for kauri gum . Birkenhead residents loathed the gum diggers, who would often destroy roads, orchards and farms in order to locate kauri gum. In response, the Waitemata County Council lobbied the Crown to allow the country more direct control over the gum digging industry. In 1881, the Australasian Colonial Sugar Refining Company chose Birkenhead for

3100-413: The 1910s, after becoming unprofitable. By the turn of the century, Birkenhead had developed into three centres: suburban Birkenhead, rural Birkdale and Chelsea, adjacent to the refinery. The factory provided steady work for the community, employing a third of the workforce of Birkenhead, and allowing farmers and orchardists stability in years with poorer crops. The ferry service brought new residents to

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3200-482: The 1913 Hellaby's butchery, the first building with a tiled ceiling constructed in Australasia. An increased population led to plans for a new school to open in 1914 on a portion of Edward Skeate's Highbury estate, but plans for a school were delayed until 1919, due to the outbreak of World War I . 261 men and boys from Birkenhead served in the war. This greatly affected the community, which was further impacted by

3300-871: The 1940s. In 1938 on the eve of World War II , the New Zealand Government established the Kauri Point Armament Depot at Birkenhead. 332 soldiers and one nurse from Birkenhead enlisted, of whom 29 died. Chelsea Sugar Refinery workers were protected from enlistment, and many residents serves as a part of the Home Guard . While never employed, the Home Guard dug anti-tank tranches on the Glenfield ridge, and practiced warfare at Eskdale Reserve. Many women of Birkenhead took up jobs traditionally held by men, including working at

3400-589: The 1970s, helped in part by the development of Wairau Valley as an industrial park. From the 1970s, Samoan New Zealander and Urban Māori communities developed around Birkenhead, many of whom worked at Wairau Valley and the Sugar Refinery. After the population exceeded 20,000 people, Birkenhead Borough became the City of Birkenhead in 1978. In the mid-1980s, the Borough Council planned to develop

3500-600: The 19th century, all sugar products in New Zealand had to be imported; wishing to improve New Zealand's self-sufficiency, in 1882 the government offered a bounty to the first company to produce sugar locally. Already interested in business prospects in New Zealand, the Australian Colonial Sugar Refining Company had investigated possible sites in New Zealand and purchased 160 acres (0.65 km) of farm land in Birkenhead. This

3600-636: The Auckland Council. Semi-detached Semi-detached houses are the most common property type in the United Kingdom (UK). They accounted for 32% of UK housing transactions and 32% of the English housing stock in 2008. Between 1945 and 1964, 41% of all properties built were semis. After 1980, the proportion of semis built fell to 15%. Housing for the farm labourer's family in 1815 typically had one downstairs room with an extension for

3700-695: The Dwellings of the Industrious Classes built Alexander Cottages at Beckenham in Kent, on land provided by the Duke of Westminster . The development initially comprised 16 pairs of semis. By 1868, they had built 164 semis. In Birmingham , Wolverhampton and the Potteries there was a tradition dating from the 1790s of artisans saving through mutual funds and friendly societies . In the 1840s,

3800-610: The First World War the Tudor Walters Report was published, setting standards for the accommodations needed for returning soldiers, dubbed " homes fit for heroes ". The Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1919 (Addison Act) incorporated those recommendations including one that allowed for housing based on the Radburn design . In this design, small clusters of up to 15 houses would circle small cul-de-sacs of

3900-634: The Industrial Revolution changed drastically. At the same time as the huge increase in the population of the rural counties, there was an even greater shift in population from the impoverished land to the large towns and to cities ( urbanisation ). Society was restructuring, with the working classes dividing into artisans and labourers. In the cities, labourers were housed in overcrowded tenement blocks , rookeries and lodging houses , and philanthropic societies aimed to improve conditions. The rural Labourers' Friend Society expanded in 1844 and

4000-527: The Maori name for sugar). Renowned poet James K Baxter worked at Chelsea as a cleaner in 1969-a job found for him by Hone Tuwhare . Dismissed after three weeks, he wrote the satirical poem "Ballad of the Stonegut Sugar Works" which expressed his unhappiness at the working conditions. Baxter's impression of the factory was not shared by all workers; it was recognised as a place of hard work, but

4100-592: The North Shore by Tāmaki Māori. Oruamo or Hellyers Creek was an important transportation node for the North Shore area. In the latter 18th and early 19th centuries, members of Te Taoū/Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei resided seasonally at Te Mātārae a Mana . During the early 1820s, most Māori of the North Shore fled for the Waikato or Northland due to the threat of war parties during the Musket Wars . Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau were raided and destroyed in

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4200-567: The Tāmaki Māori tribes as Te Kawerau ā Maki , including those of the North Shore. After Maki's death, his sons settled different areas of his lands, creating new hapū . His younger son Maraeariki settled the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast , who based himself at the head of the Ōrewa River . Maraeariki's daughter Kahu succeeded him, and she is the namesake of the North Shore, Te Whenua Roa o Kahu ("The Greater Lands of Kahu"). Many of

4300-501: The Waitematā Harbour stopped being major transport nodes, and instead, areas with views of the Waitematā Harbour rose in importance for suburban housing. From 1960, the Birkenhead Borough Council encouraged construction of low-cost suburban houses in the borough, and a small state housing area was constructed at Hammond Place (near Highbury Pass). Birkenhead's population and commercial centre rapidly developed in

4400-480: The area as late as the 1860s. Outside of Te Mātārae ō Mana and Rongohau , other known locations of significance to Tāmaki Māori around Birkenhead include Maunganui or Mangonui was the name of a pā located inland on the Kauri Point ridge, and Ngutuwera , an inland pā where people would stay seasonally, to snare kākā in the wooded vallies of Tāwhiwhikareao . The traditional names for

4500-431: The area who commuted to Auckland for work, although fewer than neighbouring Devonport ; only three stores were located in Birkenhead in 1901. The Birkenhead ferry developed a café atmosphere for the commuters, which included string instrument players, and a smokers cabin, where man of Birkenhead discussed politics. Workers at the factory complained of poor conditions, such as 58-hour work weeks, and unsafe conditions in

4600-465: The bays of the area include Wararoa ( Chelsea ), Onetaunga (Onetaunga and Soldiers Bay), Wa Iti o Toroa (Island Bay), Kaiwhanake (Charcoal Bay) and Opaketai (the bay north of Charcoal Bay). Birkenhead was a part of the Mahurangi Block, an area purchased by the Crown on 13 April 1841. Land speculators purchased much of the isolated forests of Birkenhead in 1843, and

4700-582: The beginning of the 20th century and many examples may be found in inner suburbs such as Drummoyne . However, this style quickly gave way to the 'modern' style of detached housing which allowed better motor vehicle access, amongst other benefits. The semi-detached house was seen as a good fit for downtown Toronto 's narrow lots early in the city's history. In the late 19th century semis were built in areas such as The Annex and Cabbagetown in assorted styles: Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Second Empire, bay-and-gable . Semi-detached homes continued to be built in

4800-479: The census's question about religious affiliation, 53.4% had no religion, 33.6% were Christian , 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs , 1.8% were Hindu , 1.2% were Muslim , 1.9% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 3,495 (40.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 753 (8.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 2,487 people (28.6%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

4900-620: The city of Auckland. In 1884 the Birkenhead Road District split from the North Shore Highway District. On 12 April 1888, with only 330 ratepayers the Birkenhead Road District became the Borough of Birkenhead, one of the earliest boroughs of Auckland. The borough had a mayor and a local council, and was able to make more decisions on how to invest in the area. After 90 years due to major growth in

5000-533: The city, most of the development of the area was determined by local employment; thus, Chelsea was a leading proponent and determinant in the growth of Birkenhead and provided a focal point for the community. With Chelsea as the major employer, Birkenhead was considered by many to be a 'company town'. In 1900, when the borough's population was 1000, one-third of the men worked at the refinery; local farmers and orchardists relied on casual labour in their off-season. The bridge opening also meant that Auckland’s North Shore

5100-409: The coastal margins of Birkenhead. Some kauri remnant forest remains in areas around Birkenhead, including Kauri Park, Le Roys Bush , Kauri Point Domain, Kauri Glen and Eskdale Reserve. Highbury is a suburb located within Birkenhead, which refers to the older shopping centre at the junction of Birkenhead Avenue and Mokoia Road. The name Highbury was the name of Thomas Forgham's family residence, that

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5200-470: The community spirit was high and the company provided many benefits for workers. The company housing loans and secure employment ensured long service, often complete generations from the same families all working at the refinery. In the 2000s, about 240 people were occupied at the refinery. Before the opening of Auckland's Harbour Bridge in 1959, access to the North Shore from the city was restricted to transport by ferry. While some residents commuted to

5300-417: The de Jersey Grut family members, and cattle would often wander off into the bush. The de Jersey Grut family left in 1865, and had their house shipped to Orewa . Henry James Hawkins, established a fruit orchard in the Birkenhead area in the 1850s. Despite the poor clay soil, Hawkins became a famed horticulturalist, winning prizes for crops such as apples, plums, peas, gooseberries, strawberries. Fruit became

5400-404: The existing Birkenhead village. Planned to be a model town , it provided gardens, a church, reading room, school, and shop. However, the village did not remain for many years; the lower houses suffered from dampness and were unoccupied by the early 1890s, and by 1900 it was known as the "barracks" and occupied mainly by single men. In 1905, the village was condemned by the health authorities and

5500-633: The factory and adjacent company village Chelsea , after his hometown in England. On 12 April 1888, with only 330 ratepayers living in the area, the Borough of Birkenhead was established as one of the earliest boroughs of Auckland. Birkenhead was one of the largest boroughs of New Zealand in area size, and tensions existed between the township at Highbury and more rural Birkdale . Highbury residents wanted more funding to be put aside for urban projects such as improved footpaths, frustrating rural Birkdale residents, who needed better rural roads, especially during

5600-401: The first boroughs of Auckland in 1888. Birkenhead transitioned from a semi-rural community to suburban Auckland after the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959, becoming a city in 1978. In 1989, Birkenhead City was amalgamated with North Shore City . The name Birkenhead first appears in relation to a land survey conducted by Charles Heaphy in the summer of 1862 and 1863. The origin

5700-496: The first permanent settlers arrived in 1849. Major Collings Ann de Jersey Grut emigrated to New Zealand in the 1850s from the Channel Islands , alongside her husband Major Collings de Jersey Grut and brother Charles D'Auvergne. The de Jersey Grut family established a farm and manor near Duck Creek in the 1850s, but struggled to establish a farm. The poor soil led to starvation, and the servants needing to share food with

5800-499: The following year, the firm moved to a factory on Nelson Street in the Auckland City Centre, growing to become Thompson & Hills, one of the largest canning factories and jam producers in New Zealand in the early 20th century. Growers struggled with poor apple and pear crops due to codling moths , so by 1900 turned to growing nectarines and plums. Commercial fruitgrowing increasingly disappeared from Birkenhead by

5900-399: The hill towards Chelsea Village, with a group of shops established at Highbury, between the two original villages. Most of the local shops were supported by business from Chelsea and its workers, and workers became involved in local community affairs, including the offices of mayor and councillor. The shift sirens could be heard throughout Birkenhead and served as a 'clock' for all. The site

6000-415: The houses by using false windows. The Public Health Act 1875 described the structure and required minimum size of terraced houses and the street pattern that towns had to adopt. This made it difficult to place a semi in a large garden. The law stated that the building lines should be 11m apart, and that there should be rear access to allow the removal of nightsoil . In 1875, it was thought that having

6100-412: The iwi of the North Shore, including Ngāti Manuhiri , Ngāti Maraeariki, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Poataniwha, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Ngāti Whātua , can trace their lineage to Kahu. The poor clay soils of the inland forest of the hindered development. Most Māori settlements of the Birkenhead area focused on fishing and harvesting food from the forests. The focal point of Te Kawerau ā Maki on the North Shore

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6200-528: The largest single site industrial facility on the North Shore. The establishment of Chelsea Sugar Refinery led to a population explosion in Birkenhead and the surrounding areas, and led to Birkenhead developing into a suburban township. In the mid-1880s, a factory village was constructed adjacent for workers at the factory. Mr Judd, the first customs officer, successfully convinced the Colonial Sugar Refining Company to call both

6300-614: The local community. They also provide funding for the Sugar Research Advisory Service, an independent organisation undertaking and reviewing research into sugar. Birkenhead, New Zealand Birkenhead is a suburb of Auckland , in northern New Zealand . It is located on the North Shore of the Waitematā Harbour , 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the Auckland City Centre . The area has been settled by Tāmaki Māori since at least

6400-533: The mid-1970s the Highbury Bypass was constructed, linking Mokoia Road to Onewa Road, without the need to drive through Highbury. In December 1926, electricity was first installed in Birkenhead, and in January 1934 water infrastructure was greatly improved. Having used water piped from Lake Pupuke until this time, the pipe pumped water from Western Springs to Birkenhead under the Waitematā Harbour, and

6500-479: The mid-1990s. The club reached the semifinals of the national Chatham Cup competition in 2008. Chelsea operates 24 hours a day, 5 days per week, and remains New Zealand's market leader in sugar products. Chelsea purchases bulk raw sugar globally, which is brought in by ship and processed and packaged at the Refinery. Sales offices and warehouses around the country aid in the distribution of 200,000 tonnes of sugar

6600-511: The mid-2000s. By the 2000s, Birkenhead Town Centre had developed a restaurant culture. In November 2010, the suburb was included into the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of the newly-formed Auckland Council . Under the council, Birkenhead is part of the Kaipātiki Local Board Area . Birkenhead covers 4.52 km (1.75 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 10,720 as of June 2024, with

6700-680: The mid-20th century, Birkenhead became a city on 15 March 1978, with a population of 20,000 people. In 1989, Birkenhead was merged into the North Shore City . North Shore City was amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010. Within the Auckland Council, Birkenhead is a part of the Kaipātiki local government area governed by the Kaipātiki Local Board . It is a part of the North Shore ward , which elects two councillors to

6800-480: The middle class, each watching each other's status. According to A New system of Practical Domestic Economy (1820–1840), being middle class required an income of £150 p.a. or more. In 1851, 3 million out of a total population of 18 million in the UK would have been considered to be middle class. Semi-detached houses for the middle class began to be planned systematically in late 18th-century Georgian architecture , as

6900-653: The offices and golden syrup room at Chelsea Sugar Refinery, and working at the Kauri Point Armament Depot. The arrival of American troops in Auckland helped Birkenhead flowers, due to the increased need for fresh food and flowers. In the 1950s, Birkenhead was a semi-rural area of Auckland, with only the areas close to the Birkenhead Wharf having a suburban atmosphere. In 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened, which rapidly brought Birkenhead closer to Auckland. The North Shore wharves of

7000-468: The old Chelsea Village. These houses remain in Chelsea's ownership, but are now rented to private individuals. For the remaining workers, the company offered inexpensive housing loans, which financed the building of over a third of Birkenhead's new houses between 1910 and 1926, mainly in the streets surrounding the refinery, including Colonial Road (named after the original sugar company) and Huka Road (after

7100-683: The overlookers (overseers), semi-detached houses for the junior managers, and detached houses for the elite. The first such village was built by Colonel Edward Ackroyd , at Copley, West Yorkshire , between 1849 and 1853, the second by Sir Titus Salt at Saltaire (1851–1861), and the third was the West Hill Park Estate in Halifax built by John Crossley . Model villages in Lancashire followed, with developments like Houldsworth Village . Semi-detached housing in colliery villages

7200-508: The port are recorded by the Ports of Auckland and subject to Customs and MAF regulations. As the ships generally exceed 500  gross register tons  (GRT), the ships require pilotage , managed by the Ports of Auckland's Harbour Control. Some of the land was in the ownership of the Ports of Auckland, and leased to Chelsea. In 1997, approval was granted for Chelsea to purchase the land,

7300-486: The present New Zealand Sugar Company was formed to allow local autonomy. Wilmar International currently own 75% of the New Zealand Sugar Company, and Mackay Sugar own 25%. Work began on the new refinery in 1883, when 150 workers levelled the ground, reclaimed a natural lagoon, built wharves (by blasting bedrock), and created dams using two-thirds of the 1.5 million bricks which were made on site;

7400-594: The publication of local histories. As part of the company's interest in preserving its early heritage for later generations, it has entrusted its archives to the Birkenhead Public Library . These Chelsea Archives contain company records, including wage books, legal files, and share registers from throughout its history. The architectural and social importance of the site is recognised by Heritage New Zealand . The early factory buildings, manager's house, and brick houses have Category II listings, and

7500-477: The pā and Mana's people were spared during the conflicts between Te Taoū and Waiohua in the mid-18th century, and at the end of his life, Manaoterangi entrusted his people to Tuperiri and the iwi that grew to become Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei . By the early 19th century, the eastern headlands the Upper Waitematā Harbour , including along Oruamo or Hellyers Creek were some of the most densely settled areas of

7600-584: The refinery. In 1910, the Wragge Institute and Museum and Waiata Tropical Gardens were established in Awanui Street. Run by British meteorologist and spiritualist Clement Lindley Wragge and his Anglo-Indian de facto partner Louisa "Edris" Emmeline Horne, the gardens featured a wide range of exotic edible plants and palm trees, becoming a well-known tourist spot. The centre promoted the planting of palm trees around Auckland. In 1911,

7700-479: The remainder were used in the buildings. By 1884, the refinery was operating, and has not ceased its 24-hour operation since. Of the 150 workers who built the refinery, 100 remained to work in it once it was complete; most had migrated from Auckland and settled in the area. Some of the early machinery and equipment was imported from Greenock in Scotland ; much of this historic equipment remains on site, providing

7800-537: The science of life than they can in a back-to-back slum. At Bournville in 1879 the Cadbury development started with a detached house for the manager and six pairs of semis with large gardens for key workers. By 1895 the village was made up of semis and short terraces, showing that a low density layout could be a practical possibility even for the working classes. The examples of Bournville and Port Sunlight were seized on by Ebenezer Howard , and they became key models for

7900-478: The site as a whole is recognised for its industrial heritage. As one of the largest complexes in New Zealand, and one of the few refineries in the South Pacific , it helped to established New Zealand as an economic force. Throughout its history, Chelsea has allowed the public open access to its significant grounds, which comprise wetlands, lakes, open space, and bush. To ensure the parkland -and its access-

8000-463: The site of a new sugar refining factory, after founder Edward Knox visited Auckland. The refinery was chosen due to Auckland's relative proximity to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji , and south-eastern Birkenhead was chosen as it was one of the few deep water anchorages of the Waitematā Harbour, and due to its proximity to the fresh water Duck Creek. The factory opened in 1884, and by 1888 had greatly increased production. The factory continues to be

8100-531: The strawberry harvesting season. In 1885, the Zion Hill Methodist Church was constructed, becoming a major focal point for social life in Birkenhead. The church visually dominated Birkenhead due to its position on the hill, and was a strong voice for the temperance movement , lobbying against hotels from being established in Birkenhead. The church and Chelsea Sugar Refinery were the two largest influences on life for Birkenhead residents at

8200-428: The turn of the 20th century. By the 1890s, Birkenhead became so well-known for strawberry farms that daytrippers and picknickers would travel to Birkenhead for the growing season. Growers were increasingly frustrated with the high cost of transporting fruit, and many began establishing canning and jam production operations. One of these operations was Thompson's, which began as a home operation in Birkenhead in 1898. By

8300-594: The wash house, where employers would be dismissed if they stopped working due to heat exhaustion. In 1901, the Sugar Workers Union was formed, pushing for safer conditions and a reduction to a 48-hour work week. In 1905, the Chelsea workers village was condemned. Following this, Chelsea factory management established the HAWE (Housing Assistance for Wage Earners) Scheme in 1910, where workers were provided with low-interest loans to construct or buy houses close to

8400-410: The worst of the houses were demolished; the rest were sold and shifted from the site. Some of the relocated cottages can still be seen in the older streets around Birkenhead, and the church, now known as St Peters, was moved to Verrans Corner (a local suburb). Desiring its core tradesmen to remain on site, in case of emergencies, the company built four semi-detached brick houses in 1909 on the site of

8500-428: Was Te Mātārae ō Mana ("The Brow of Mana"), a headland pā at Kauri Point in modern-day Chatswood , and Rongohau ("Wind Shelter"), the kāinga below the cliffs at Kendall Bay. Te Mātārae ō Mana was named after the ancestor Manaoterangi, who was the rangatira of the pā in the mid-18th century, and was likely constructed in the 17th century. The pā was of strategic importance due to its commanding view of

8600-593: Was a Londoner and did not have ties to Liverpool. The first mentions in press of Birkenhead were real estate advertisements placed by Samuel Cochrane in June 1863. The Birkenhead area is primarily uplifted Waitemata Group sandstone, that was deposited on the sea floor during the Early Miocene , between 22 and 16 million years ago. Prior to human settlement, the inland North Shore was a mixed podocarp-broadleaf forest dominated by kauri . Pōhutukawa trees dominated

8700-584: Was a location of great significance to Tāmaki Māori. The rock was the location where Te Arawa chief Kahumatamomoe placed a mauri stone (a stone of religious significance), naming the Waitematā ("The Waters of the Stone") after the mauri stone. The warrior Maki migrated from the Kāwhia Harbour to his ancestral home in the Auckland Region , likely sometime in the 17th century. Maki conquered and unified many

8800-487: Was aided further by the Auckland Harbour Board constructed a wharf in 1882, which was followed by a post office in 1884. The new wharf allowed orchardists in Birkenhead to better transport produce to the Auckland market, further helped by larger orchardists building their own jetties on Oruamo or Hellyers Creek in the north. In 1886, the Birkenhead and Northcote Fruitgrowing Association was formed. By

8900-521: Was chosen due to the deepwater access, allowing a port to be built in 1884. Raw sugar came from Fiji , Cuba , Australia , Indonesia , and Peru for refining, and until the building of the Auckland Harbour Bridge , the finished products were shipped out from the wharf. All other commodities, such as coal, food, and mail, were also handled by Chelsea Wharf. This port continues to accept ships, generally handysize bulk carriers , delivering up to 30,000 tons of raw sugar. It remains private, but arrivals at

9000-485: Was constructed in early colonial Birkenhead. The name of the house was chosen by English immigrant William Francis Hammond, Forgham's son-in-law, in memory of Highbury, Hammond's parents' townhouse in Highgate , London. The highest point in the suburb is the hill in eastern Eskdale Reserve, which reaches a height of 98 metres (322 ft) above sea-level in the neighbouring suburb of Hillcrest . Māori settlement of

9100-622: Was designing 'semis' or pairs of houses in that town as early as 1757, in Moor Lane. The earliest identifiable surviving pair is that built in 1759 on Cable Street (now facing the bus station and partly demolished) for Captain Henry Fell and Samuel Simpson. The specification for this building still survives in the Gillow archives. In these early years a common style was a row of houses in which several pairs of semi-detached houses are linked by

9200-449: Was established in 1884, and remains New Zealand's main source of sugar products (for both home use and for the food and beverage industry). This position remained even after New Zealand's deregulation opened the markets in the 1980s to foreign competition, and products are also exported overseas. The refinery also has one of Auckland's deepwater ports , with handysize ships importing raw sugar globally every six weeks. Throughout most of

9300-532: Was formed in June 1883 by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, the Victorian Sugar Company, and a number of prominent Auckland businessmen, including Sir Frederick Whitaker , Allan Kerr Taylor , LD Nathan (of Lion Nathan ), and AG Horton and JL Wilson (of Wilson & Horton ). However, a collapse in the world sugar market in the 1880s led the New Zealand Sugar Company to be re-amalgamated into its parent company Colonial Sugar in 1888. In 1959,

9400-553: Was later expanded to 450 acres (1.8 km). The site was ideal for a refinery: the Waitemata offered deep water close to shore for a port, and fresh water from Duck Creek, which ran through the estate, and land and timber for building purposes were plentiful. The name "Chelsea" was bestowed on the site by the refinery's first customs officer, who named it after Chelsea in England , his hometown. The "New Zealand Sugar Company"

9500-502: Was now a convenient place to live, so Chelsea sold more than 100 hectares of land for subdivision. This is the suburb now known as Chatswood and includes the Chelsea Sugar Refinery. Before the establishment of the sugar works, the area consisted of farms and orchards, with a small village beside Birkenhead Wharf; within four years of the refinery's opening, Birkenhead had become a borough . The burgeoning town grew up

9600-502: Was rare; status here was determined by the length of the terrace. The development of Port Sunlight and Bournville was important. The Port Sunlight model village was begun in 1887. William Lever used architects William Owen and his son Segar Owen and stated in 1888 that: It is my and my brother's hope, some day, to build houses in which our work-people will be able to live and be comfortable – semi-detached houses with gardens back and front, in which they will be able to know more about

9700-667: Was reconstituted as the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes . In their 1850 publication The Dwellings of the Labouring Classes , written by Henry Roberts , the society laid out plans for model 'semi-detached' cottages for workers in towns and the city. However, the first properties they built were tenements and lodging houses. In 1866 the Metropolitan Association for Improving

9800-485: Was that 4,755 (54.7%) people were employed full-time, 1,281 (14.7%) were part-time, and 216 (2.5%) were unemployed. The first local government in the area was the North Shore Highway District, which began operating in 1868 and administered roading and similar projects across the North Shore. From 1876, Birkenhead was also a part of the Takapuna Riding of Waitemata County ; a large rural county north and west of

9900-736: Was the longest pipe of its kind when installed. Farms in Birkenhead offered increasingly poor harvests through the 1920s, due to the soil being overworked. Farmers turned away from strawberries, growing crops such as pumpkins and tomatoes instead. By the 1930s during the Great Depression , many farms had become unprofitable. During these times, the Birkenhead Borough operated an unemployment loan scheme for residents, and relief workers worked on infrastructure projects including drain digging, clearing scrubland and improving roads. The last commercial strawberry fields were removed in

10000-682: Was thus the responsibility of a landowner or speculative builder. In the late 18th century, estate villages followed local architectural styles. This later changed as landowners adopted model designs from pattern books . By the early 19th century, landowners were typically using a "picturesque" style, and building double cottages as a way to reduce cost. In 1834, Edinburgh architect George Smith wrote "this species of cottage can be built cheaper than two single ones, and, in general, these double cottages are found to be warmer and fully as comfortable as single ones". Life in Great Britain during

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