# Glen Innes, New Zealand

Glen Innes is a suburb in East Auckland, New Zealand, located nine kilometres to the east of the city centre, close to the waters of the Tāmaki River estuary.
Glen Innes was named after a large farm owned by William Innes Taylor in the area. There were four Taylor brothers in Auckland, the sons of a British man who had had a military career in India. Three of the brothers had farms in this area and built houses; William Innes Taylor at Glen Innes, Richard James Taylor at Glendowie and Charles John Taylor at Glen Orchard (now Saint Heliers). Their brother Allan Kerr Taylor had a farm estate in Mount Albert, whose house was called Alberton.
The main streets in Glen Innes are Taniwha Street and Apirana Avenue, which meet in the shopping centre of the suburb. Glen Innes has a train station on the Eastern Line of the Auckland rail network, and is a hub for eastern Auckland isthmus buses (Metrolink).
Glen Innes is a low-income, working class area with around 1,500 state houses. In an effort to improve the quality of state housing in Glen Innes, the government introduced "Talbot Park", an area of higher density housing, consisting of mostly apartment-style housing. The Tāmaki Regeneration Programme will also target 2500 public homes that will transform into 10,500 new private market, affordable and public homes across the area creating new vibrant and mixed-tenure neighbourhoods.

## European settlement

The first government sale of land in Tamaki was on 1 February 1842. Allotments were bought for farming by Charles Whybrow Lidgar, John Armitage Buttery, and Patrick Anderson. William Innes Taylor arrived in Auckland in November 1843 made his first purchase of land shortly after. Taylor named the farm the Glen Innes estate. He gradually added to his land holdings and by 1862, Taylor owned around 751 acres. The site Taylor chose for his homestead is now occupied by the Glen Taylor School on West Tamaki Road. Although the homestead is no longer in existence, a Morton Bay fig tree thought to have been planted by Taylor still stands at the entrance of the school. William Innes Taylor died on 7 March 1890. By 1913, 400 acres of the Glen Innes estate had been sold. The land was described as peerless seaside sections.

## Demographics

Glen Innes covers 2.76 km$^2$ (1.07 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 9,730 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,525 people per km$^2$.
Glen Innes-Wai O Taiki Bay had a population of 9,273 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,413 people (18.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,133 people (29.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 4,485 males, 4,764 females and 24 people of other genders in 2,715 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 31.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 2,232 people (24.1%) aged under 15 years, 2,181 (23.5%) aged 15 to 29, 4,149 (44.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 711 (7.7%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 42.2% European (Pākehā); 18.5% Māori; 36.8% Pasifika; 16.1% Asian; 3.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 92.0%, Māori language by 4.9%, Samoan by 6.7%, and other languages by 25.5%. No language could be spoken by 3.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 36.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 46.3% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 3.1% Islam, 1.7% Māori religious beliefs, 2.2% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, 0.4% Jewish, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 37.4%, and 6.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,040 (29.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 3,060 (43.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,947 (27.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,053 people (15.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,795 (53.9%) people were employed full-time, 789 (11.2%) were part-time, and 327 (4.6%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Glen Innes West | 1.37 | 4,284 | 3,127 | 1,272 | 31.9 years | $41,700 |
| Glen Innes East-Wai O Taiki Bay | 1.40 | 4,992 | 3,566 | 1,443 | 31.0 years | $41,400 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 38.1 years | $41,500 |

## Education

Tāmaki College is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of 705.
Glen Innes School is a full primary school (years 1–8) with a roll of 165.
St Pius X Catholic School is a state-integrated full primary school with a roll of 128.
Sacred Heart College is a state-integrated Catholic boys' school (years 7–13) with a roll of 1,264.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pūau Te Moananui-ā-Kiwa is a composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of 107. It teaches primarily in the Māori language.
All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of November 2024.

## Te Ara Rama Matariki Light Trail

Since 2013, the annual Te Ara Rama Matariki Light Trail has been hosted in Glen Innes in celebration of Matariki, the Māori new year. It is an outdoor public lighting festival that runs throughout Maybury Reserve, and typically takes place over nine nights, representing the nine stars of Matariki. On the final night, a large fireworks display takes place.

## Redevelopment conflict

There have been protests in Glen Innes over proposals to redevelop existing state-owned housing. Housing New Zealand plans to replace houses on large sections with more "intensive development", including many conversions to privately owned and sold housing with profits going to developers such as property mogul, Murdoch Dryden. This involves removing tenants from properties some have lived in for long periods. Many protests have resulted in arrests of demonstrators, including Mana Party MP Hone Harawira on one occasion, as well as a number of reported police brutality cases. Housing New Zealand argues that the development will "make better use of land" and enable the provision of higher quality homes to their tenants, however community members argue it is a gentrification process which is tearing apart their community.

## Notable people

* Dave Dobbyn
* George Moala

## Panmure-Glen Innes industrial area

The area to the southwest of Glen Innes is primarily industrial.
The statistical area called Panmure Glen Innes Industrial covers 2.01 km$^2$ (0.78 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 360 as of June 2024, with a population density of 179 people per km$^2$.
Panmure Glen Innes Industrial had a population of 264 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 57 people (−17.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 12 people (4.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 162 males and 102 females in 63 dwellings. 4.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 38.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 36 people (13.6%) aged under 15 years, 39 (14.8%) aged 15 to 29, 159 (60.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 27 (10.2%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 33.0% European (Pākehā); 26.1% Māori; 19.3% Pasifika; 33.0% Asian; and 4.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA). English was spoken by 87.5%, Māori language by 9.1%, and other languages by 36.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 47.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 34.1% Christian, 9.1% Hindu, 4.5% Islam, 3.4% Māori religious beliefs, 3.4% Buddhist, and 3.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 38.6%, and 3.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 51 (22.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 108 (47.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 75 (32.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $35,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 15 people (6.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 114 (50.0%) people were employed full-time, 18 (7.9%) were part-time, and 15 (6.6%) were unemployed.