Complex sentence: By 1853 there were approximately 8000 people living in the Auckland area with a wide range of skills among them and with about 17000 acres (69 km²) in crops Auckland-the unplanned settlement--was the closest in New Zealand to an agricultural settlement.
Split into simpler sentences: By 1853 there were approximately 8000 people living in the Auckland area with a wide range of skills among them and with about 17000 acres (69 km²) in crops. Auckland was the closest in New Zealand to an agricultural settlement.