# Ōtāhuhu

Ōtāhuhu is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand – 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the southeast of the CBD, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tāmaki River estuary to the east. The Auckland isthmus is the narrowest connection between the North Auckland Peninsula and the rest of the North Island, being only some 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) wide at its narrowest point, between the Ōtāhuhu Creek and the Māngere Inlet. As the southernmost suburb of the former Auckland City, it is considered part of South Auckland.
The suburb's name is taken from the Māori-language name of the volcanic cone known as Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond. The name refers to "the place of Tāhuhu" — the eponymous ancestor, Tāhuhu-nui-a-Rangi, of Ngāi Tāhuhu.

## Demographics

Ōtāhuhu covers 6.68 km$^2$ (2.58 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 17,780 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,662 inhabitants per square kilometre (6,890/sq mi).
Ōtāhuhu had a population of 14,778 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 384 people (−2.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,212 people (8.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 7,719 males, 7,017 females and 45 people of other genders in 4,374 dwellings. 2.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 32.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 3,147 people (21.3%) aged under 15 years, 3,540 (24.0%) aged 15 to 29, 6,669 (45.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,419 (9.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 19.7% European (Pākehā); 16.7% Māori; 49.6% Pasifika; 27.6% Asian; 1.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 89.0%, Māori language by 4.6%, Samoan by 14.6%, and other languages by 30.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 45.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 51.1% Christian, 7.1% Hindu, 6.4% Islam, 1.9% Māori religious beliefs, 2.5% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 1.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 23.2%, and 6.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,680 (14.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 5,148 (44.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 4,803 (41.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $33,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 612 people (5.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,757 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 984 (8.5%) were part-time, and 606 (5.2%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Ōtāhuhu Industrial | 1.83 | 153 | 84 | — | 18.9 years | — |
| Ōtāhuhu Central | 1.25 | 1,209 | 967 | 369 | 37.3 years | $32,300 |
| Ōtāhuhu North West | 0.38 | 2,244 | 5,905 | 660 | 30.6 years | $30,100 |
| Ōtāhuhu North East | 0.36 | 1,902 | 5,283 | 588 | 31.0 years | $33,200 |
| Ōtāhuhu East | 0.79 | 2,304 | 2,916 | 654 | 32.8 years | $40,800 |
| Ōtāhuhu South West | 1.24 | 3,372 | 2,719 | 951 | 33.2 years | $34,800 |
| Ōtāhuhu South | 0.82 | 3,600 | 4,390 | 1,149 | 33.4 years | $33,700 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 38.1 years | $41,500 |

## History

The area is named after Tāhuhunui-o-te-rangi, captain of the Moekākara waka, and who settled on Ōtāhuhu and in Northland, his descendants becoming the Ngāi Tāhuhu iwi. Portage Road, which runs between the Manukau Harbour and Ōtāhuhu Creek, was originally Te Tō Waka, a portage for waka between the Manukau and Waitemata harbours. This portage is traditionally associated as the place where the Tainui waka was hauled between the Tamaki River and Manukau Harbour. In the early 1800s, the portage was used by Ngāpuhi during the Musket Wars, to attack Tainui tribes in the Waikato.
The suburb was established in 1847 as a fencible settlement, where soldiers were given land with the implied understanding that in wartime, they would be raised as units to defend it (however, the eventual fighting a decade later used professional soldiers instead). Most early features from this time have disappeared, however, such as the stone Tāmaki Bridge built by the fencibles that had to make way to a widening of Great South Road. By the 1870s, Ōtāhuhu became the largest agricultural town in the Auckland Province, facilitated by the trade of wheat and other agricultural products to the city of Auckland, trading along the Tāmaki River. In December 1873 the Southern Line opened, connecting the township of Auckland to Penrose. A year and a half later on 20 May 1875, the line was extended south and the Ōtāhuhu railway station was opened.
The first supermarket in the country was opened in Ōtāhuhu on 18 June 1958, when the first Foodtown was opened by Tom Ah Chee, who pooled his resources with two other Auckland produce shop owners, Norman Kent and John Brown. Many famous personalities went to Otahuhu College, including heavyweight boxing champion David Tua, former prime minister David Lange, and ex-Manukau City Mayor, Sir Barry Curtis.

## Local government

Ōtāhuhu had a local government just like other suburbs of Auckland at that time. The local government was called Ōtāhuhu Borough Council, which started in 1912 and merged into Auckland City Council in 1985, eventually amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010.

### Mayors during Ōtāhuhu Borough Council

* Alfred Sturges, 1912–1915
* James Atkinson, 1915–1917
* Alfred MacDonald, 1917–1921
* Robert Black Todd, 1921–1929
* Hubert Thomas Clements, 1929–1935
* Charles Robert Petrie, 1935–1944
* Albert Murdoch, 1944–1950
* James Deas, 1950–1954
* John "Jack" David Murdoch, 1954–1962
* Robert G. Ashby, 1962–1965
* Aubray Thayer Bedingfield, 1965–1970
* Claude H. D. Handisides, 1970–1977
* Niall Frederick Burgess, 1977–1985

## Education

Otahuhu College is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 1,109.
Otahuhu Intermediate is an intermediate school (years 7–8) with a roll of 354.
Otahuhu School and Fairburn School are contributing primary schools (years 1–6) with rolls of 604 and 490 students, respectively.
McAuley High School is a state-integrated Catholic girls secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 761. St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of 297. The schools are across the street from each other.
King's College is a private Anglican secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 1,191. Years 9–11 are boys only, and years 12 and 13 are coeducational.
Mt Richmond School is a special school for students with intellectual disabilities. It has a roll of 196.
All these schools except McAuley High School and King's College (as noted above) are coeducational. Rolls are as of November 2024.

## Community facilities

* Giac Nhien Temple, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple is located in the suburb.

## Transport

Ōtāhuhu, in its position on a narrow section of the Auckland isthmus, is an important part of Auckland's southern transportation approaches for both road and rail, containing a combined bus interchange and Ōtāhuhu railway station. The new bus-train interchange opened on 29 October 2016 as a joint Auckland Transport and NZ Transport Agency initiative costing NZ$28M.
"The station is at the heart of the Southern New Network", said Auckland Transport's Chief AT Metro Officer, Mark Lambert. "Auckland is moving towards a more connected network of local feeder services connecting with frequent bus and train services. Bus and train transport hubs like Ōtāhuhu are at the heart of this transformation."
The old bus interchange, which was badly neglected, and had received increased attention from early 2011 on for vandalism/graffiti prevention measures is now closed and a smaller bus stop has been installed on the main road near the town centre.

## Present day

Ōtāhuhu nowadays is synonymous with industry and along with its neighbouring suburbs Favona, Māngere East, Mt Wellington, Penrose and Westfield forms an industrial conglomerate zone that spans much of the Māngere Inlet. The community and town centre flourishes as the crossroad to Central and South Auckland and is home to a sizeable Pacific Island populace.

## Sport and recreation

Ōtāhuhu is home to the Ōtāhuhu Rugby Football Club and the Otahuhu Leopards rugby league club.