# Hillpark, Auckland

Hillpark, also known as Hill Park, is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is bordered by suburbs of The Gardens on the east and Manurewa on the south. It was formerly part of Manukau City until the 2010 amalgamation of all of Auckland's councils, and is now under the governance of Auckland Council.

## Geography

Hillpark is a suburb in South Auckland, bordered by Puhinui Creek to the north and the Auckland Southern Motorway to the east. Hill Road is a major arterial route which bisects the suburb. During the 19th century, much of the area was an 150 acres (61 ha) block of native forest known as Ligar's Bush, named after Charles Whybrow Ligar. Areas of this forest block have been retained in some of the parks and reserves in the suburb.

## History

In 1910, David Laurence Nathan, son of prominent merchant David Nathan, and his wife Simone built their summer residence in Manurewa and named the property 'The Hill'. The estate was rebuilt in 1925, after a fire destroyed the original building.
In 1958, it was proposed that a portion of the Nathan family's estate would become a subdivision known as Hillpark Estate, referencing the Nathan family home. The suburb developed due to the construction of the Auckland Southern Motorway.
Construction on the suburb began in 1960, with the first sections of the Hillpark subdivision going on the market on 2 December 1961. The advertisement from South Auckland Courier in 1961 advertised Hillpark as a modern subdivision "developed in accordance with overseas practice in having all underground services, selected street lanterns, spacious proposed neighbourhood shopping area and extensive public reserves". Some houses in Hillpark were designed in the 1960s by renowned architect Ron Sang. The remaining 3.25 ha (8.0 acres) of the former Nathan estate became David Nathan Park.
The southern motorway extension between Redoubt Road and Takanini was formally opened on 30 May 1963. It included northern on and off ramps at Hill Road. In 1966, the Hillpark Shopping Centre was constructed. Construction of suburban housing in the suburb continues until 1973.
In 2016 Auckland Council recognised Hillpark as a Special Character Area. The key characteristics of the area include International Style modernist houses, mid-20th century brick and tile bungalows, Arts and Crafts influenced houses, and English Cottage style houses. The area features large open front yards and setbacks, large lots, wide roads, low densities of buildings, and an abundance of trees. Houses were generally constructed from the late 1950s to 1970s following the creation of a garden subdivision around significant stands of native forest. Hillpark suburb is a native sanctuary, which is home to large areas of native forest and parkland including Orford Park, David Park and Hillcrest Grove Reserve.
In August 2021 The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) officially assigned Hillpark with an official suburb status. The NZGB followed a Hillpark Residents' Association proposal to make official the suburb name at its meeting in July, 2020. The Association described its unique natural and heritage characteristics which have helped build a suburban identity and which should be recognised.

## Area landmarks
### The Nathan Homestead

The Nathan Homestead is a historic mansion built in 1925 and is situated on nine acres of lawn and gardens. This landmark is situated in Hill Rd, Hillpark. The original summer residence of Nathan family was built in 1910 but was destroyed by fire in 1923 and a new permanent residence was rebuilt on the same site in 1925. The former Manukau Borough Council acquired the homestead and surrounding gardens in 1961. It later served as Manukau City Council offices before being restored and reopened as a community and cultural centre in 1978.

### Orford Lodge

The Orford Lodge is situated on 8-10 Earls Court, Hillpark. The house was built in 1910 by a lawyer, Mr Edward Russell. It is listed as Grade II historical and architectural merit. The lodge itself shows the hallmarks of the architecture of its time, strongly influenced by Arts and Crafts architect James Chapman-Taylor. The house and 9ha of land were bought for £12,000 in 1928 by Robert Walpole, 5th Earl of Orford. During the Second World War, the lodge and grounds were used by the US Army. The lodge and land were bought by the Manurewa Borough Council in 1961. The lodge and some of the land was sold but the native bush surrounding the property was designated as a council Orford Park. The house is currently a privately owned residence.

### Hillpark Native Forest Remnants

Mature native forest is now very rare in urban Auckland. Some examples of mature totara, puriri, kahikatea, pukatea, and kanuka forest are found in a cluster of council reserves in Hillpark. These include the Hillcrest Grove Reserve (73 Hill Road, Hillpark), Orford Park (40 Hill Road, Hillpark), and David Nathan Park (68 Hill Road, Hillpark). Thenative forest parks of Hillpark along with the nearby Auckland Botanic Gardens are the home of native and introduced birds tūī, rosella, kererū, and ruru.

## Demographics

Hillpark covers 1.74 km$^2$ (0.67 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 6,500 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,736 people per km$^2$.
Hillpark had a population of 5,595 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 78 people (−1.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 579 people (11.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,769 males, 2,817 females and 9 people of other genders in 1,650 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 34.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,173 people (21.0%) aged under 15 years, 1,170 (20.9%) aged 15 to 29, 2,607 (46.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 645 (11.5%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 38.8% European (Pākehā); 18.3% Māori; 26.2% Pasifika; 33.5% Asian; 1.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 89.7%, Māori language by 3.6%, Samoan by 7.3%, and other languages by 29.3%. No language could be spoken by 3.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 39.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 39.2% Christian, 7.2% Hindu, 2.3% Islam, 1.4% Māori religious beliefs, 1.4% Buddhist, 0.3% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 10.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 30.7%, and 6.7% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 996 (22.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,046 (46.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,377 (31.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $44,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 465 people (10.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,469 (55.8%) people were employed full-time, 498 (11.3%) were part-time, and 144 (3.3%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Hillpark North | 0.66 | 2,472 | 3,745 | 702 | 34.3 years | $47,000 |
| Hillpark South | 1.08 | 3,126 | 2,894 | 948 | 34.0 years | $43,100 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 38.1 years | $41,500 |

## Education

Hillpark School is a coeducational contributing primary school (years 1–6) with a roll of 505 as of November 2024. The school was established in February 1967.