From the 1840s until the 1890s Greenlane was noted for its rich pasture land which supported both dairy herds and grain crops. Initially large country houses and farms dotted the landscape but from the 1890s onwards suburban development spread southwards from Newmarket across the fields of Epsom. Dr John Logan Campbell gifted part of his One Tree Hill farm to the city as a public park in 1901, coinciding with a visit from the Duke of Cornwall, after whom the park was named. Since the early 1990s there has been a considerable amount of property development, with clutches of townhouses built among the traditional tracts of villas and bungalows in some parts of Greenlane. The broad, flat pastureland here at the intersection of Green Lane and Manukau Roads was used for sporting events from the 1850s onwards but the Alexandra Park Raceway and ASB Showgrounds were only formally established around 1900. The Alexandra Park Raceway was named after the Duchess of Cornwall, and specialises in trotting races. The showgrounds have been the site of many trade exhibitions and agricultural shows, especially the annual Auckland Royal Easter Show. Adjacent to Alexandra Park was the Auckland Electric Tram Company tram depot. Established in 1902, the tram company had storage sheds and an administrative office block built here, as it was halfway between Auckland and Onehunga. The system was torn out in 1956 but the sheds remained here until the late 1970s when they were replaced by an office park. The administrative block survives as a restaurant. The Greenlane shops were developed in conjunction with the tram line in the early 20th century, servicing the needs of the local community and visitors to the raceway, showgrounds, hospital, and parks. The make up of local businesses has changed over the years. In the past it was dominated by horseracing and pharmacies, though today is a centre for the motor vehicle trades. There are also a number of restaurants in the area. The 1920s Lido Cinema still operates, one of the few stand alone suburban cinemas in Auckland to do so.
Greenlane Clinical Centre
Greenlane Clinical Centre is one of the major hospital facilities within the jurisdiction of the Auckland District Health Board. The centre is a complex of several buildings dating from as early as the 1870s. One of the buildings was donated by Edward Costley, an Auckland businessman who bequeathed money for many charitable works. The National Women's Hospital building dates from the late 1950s and was an icon of modernity in its day. During World War II large numbers of prefabricated buildings were constructed in the eastern part of Cornwall Park in readiness for wounded and sick American soldiers to be evacuated from Guadalcanal. The buildings were used during the 1950s and 60s as maternity wards until the adjacent National Women's Hospital was fully open. The buildings were progressively reduced in number in the 1960s although some remained standing empty until the mid 1970s. Now only the US flag pole and a plaque remain as a memorial to the wartime usage.
Politics
Greenlane falls across two parliamentary electorates:
Since the 2010 amalgamation of councils, Greenlane also falls across two wards for electing local boards of the Auckland Council, and as of the 2016 local elections, the representation is as follows:
