Ellerslie, New Zealand

The Development of Ellerslie The suburb was named by early local politician and entrepreneur Robert Graham, after his father's home in Elderslie (sic) in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Graham arrived in Auckland in October 1842 as an assisted immigrant from Scotland. In 1848 Graham bought two blocks of land where, after his marriage to Sophia Swann in 1852, he built the ‘Ellerslie House’ as a family homestead. Adjacent to this home was a track along which Mrs Graham was in the habit of riding her horse every morning, now a street called Ladies Mile. Many of the local streets bear names of Graham family members. Ellerslie is now a desirable suburb with convenient access to the city centre for commuting (via rail and bus links) and ready access to the nearby Southern Motorway for road users. The town centre is pleasant with good services, while retaining a sense of community. Housing in the area is well planned and close to a number of attractive parks, such as Michaels Avenue Reserve and Waiatarua Reserve. Singing Caves Māori gave the name ‘Waiatarua’ to the site which later became the Ellerslie Racecourse. Translated as "two songs" the name refers to a waiata or song that emanated from caves. Thanks to the long-term strategy of the local business association, it is now increasingly oriented towards lunchtime shoppers and again has many prosperous smaller businesses. The Ellerslie Meteorite At 9.00 am on 12 June 2004 a meteorite crashed through the roof of the home of the Archer family in Ellerslie. The meteorite landed into the living room of the house, bouncing off the couch and hitting the ceiling. The home owners heard an explosion and saw dust everywhere, but nobody was hurt. This meteorite is officially named the Auckland Meteorite, despite tradition demanding that a meteorite is named after the nearest post office. However, an Ellerslie Meteorite had already fallen in Australia. The rock weighs 1.3 kg and is estimated to be around 4,600 million years old. It is the ninth meteorite found in New Zealand and the first to hit a home. According to Auckland University experts, a meteorite that crashes through a roof is a very rare event. In 2008 the Flower Show moved again, this time to Hagley Park in Christchurch. ==Demographics==

Ellerslie comprises four statistical areas. Ellerslie Central, East and South are primarily residential. Ellerslie West, which is separated from the rest of the suburb by the Auckland Southern Motorway, is commercial/industrial. Residential area The residential area of Ellerslie covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Ellerslie's residential area had a population of 8,688 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 384 people (−4.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 66 people (0.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 4,203 males, 4,440 females and 48 people of other genders in 3,246 dwellings. 4.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 1,581 people (18.2%) aged under 15 years, 1,785 (20.5%) aged 15 to 29, 4,323 (49.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,002 (11.5%) aged 65 or older. Commercial/Industrial area Ellerslie West covers 7.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 36.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 15 people (13.2%) aged under 15 years, 18 (15.8%) aged 15 to 29, 66 (57.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 12 (10.5%) aged 65 or older. ==Local government==

In 1908, the Ellerslie Town District was established. The town district became Ellerslie Borough in 1938. It started in 1938 and eventually merged into Auckland City Council in 1989 and then merged into Auckland Council in November 2010. Mayors during Ellerslie Borough Council • Horace James White, 1938–1956 • Lloyd Elsmore, 1956–1962 • Alan Trevor Bell, 1962–1974 • William Edgar Brewster, 1974–1980 • William "Bill" James Cann, 1980–1981 • Leon Clarence Leicester, 1981–1989 ==Landmarks and features==

The Ellerslie Race Course The Ellerslie area has been known as the centre for horseracing since New Zealand’s first race meeting was organised there in 1842. The property was first used as farmland by Robert Graham, who was a supporter of racing. He later developed both the Alexandra Park Racecourse and the Ellerslie Racecourse. The Auckland Jockey Club bought around 36 hectares (90 acres) in 1872. Today, the club owns around 72 hectares (180 acres) and race meetings are regularly held at the race course, including the New Zealand Derby and the Auckland Cup, the main races at the summer meeting. The Ellerslie Recreation Centre is located within the reserve, with a gymnasium which hosts various indoor sports. Celtic Crescent Reserve – This reserve focuses on children, who can play on the adventure playground. The wider community can enjoy both passive and active recreation. ==Sport and recreation==

Ellerslie is home to several sporting clubs, including Ellerslie AFC who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1 and the Ellerslie Eagles who compete in Auckland Rugby League competitions. Ellerslie is also the home of Ellerslie Bowling Club Established in 1911 Home to former British Empire Games Gold Medalist Robert Lang McDonald who attended the Ellerslie Primary School in early 1940s. ==Education==

The main primary school in the area is Ellerslie School, a primary and intermediate school (years 1–8), that was founded in 1877. It has a roll of . St Mary's School is a state-integrated Catholic contributing primary school (years 1–6) with a roll of . Michael Park School is a state-integrated Waldorf composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of . The above schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of Other secondary schools serving the local population are One Tree Hill College, St Peter’s College and Baradene College of the Sacred Heart. ==Libraries==

The residents and ratepayers of Ellerslie are entitled to free library membership at all of the library branches of Auckland City Libraries. There is no branch located in Ellerslie; the nearest are located in Remuera and Panmure. The Ellerslie Toy Library in Leicester Hall is a branch of the Toy Library Federation of New Zealand. The Ellerslie Toy Library relies on membership fees and donations to operate. ==See also==