Hillpark, Auckland

Hillpark is 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 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 remaining of the former Nathan estate became David Nathan Park. In 1966, the Hillpark Shopping Centre was constructed. 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 and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. 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. ==Education==

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

Hillpark is a part of the Manurewa local board area. The residents of Manurewa elect a local board, and two councillors from the Manurewa-Papakura ward to sit on the Auckland Council. ==References==