Papakura


Papakura is a suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, approximately 32 kilometres south of the Auckland CBD. It is under the authority of the Auckland Council.
Papakura is a Māori word believed to have originated from papa, meaning earth or flat and kura meaning red, reflecting the rich, fertile soil upon which the community was founded.

History

A village was established at Papakura in the late 1840s by a small group of settler families who sought to farm in the area. Among these early settlers was George Cole, a Welsh immigrant whose legacy in the town has been preserved through Coles Crescent, one of the major thoroughfares in the town centre. The tract of land that was initially purchased was subdivided in 1853, with the street layout that was built initially remaining largely in place today.
In 1862, construction of the Great South Road, from Auckland to the Waikato, commenced. The road passed through Papakura and was constructed during the New Zealand Wars to transport supplies to the colonial militias and British Army forces fighting in the Invasion of the Waikato. It was guarded by armed constabulary and was a designated military road. It remains the primary north-south thoroughfare through Papakura and part of the road forms the main street of the Papakura town centre.
In 1875, Papakura railway station opened, linking the town to Auckland to the north and Hamilton to the south.
In 1882, the Papakura Town District was established, for many years the only such district within what is now the southern portion of the Auckland urban area. In spite of this, the town was not particularly developed, and by 1914 had a population of just 700.
In 1911, the first controlled powered flight in New Zealand took place in Papakura. The flight took place inside a single paddock within the racecourse of the now-defunct Papakura Racing Club. The flight was piloted by Vivian Walsh and was carried out in a Howard Wright 1910 Biplane, the parts for which were imported from England in 1910 and assembled by members of the Auckland Aeroplane Syndicate.
The Papakura Military Camp was established on the outskirts of the town in 1939 and remains an important base for the New Zealand Army, being the home of the New Zealand Special Air Service. The camp was initially built by the Stevenson family construction business. In the early 2000s some land was set aside for new housing developments.
During the major reformation of local government in 1989, Papakura became a district. Prior to 1989, a smaller area was known as Papakura City. The new district included parts of the surrounding rural countryside that had previously been part of Manukau City. The newly amalgamated area was known as the Papakura District. Instead of being an independent city, as Papakura had been previously, the district became a part of the also newly-created Auckland Regional Council area.
From October 2010, after a review of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, the various cities and districts of the Auckland Region were amalgamated into a single unitary authority, governed by the Auckland Council. As well as the Papakura District, the other cities and districts within the Auckland Region, such as the neighbouring Manukau City, as well as the regional council itself, were abolished with the entire area merged into a single authority. Papakura and the other suburbs of the former Papakura District are now in the Papakura Local Board within the Manurewa-Papakura Ward of the Auckland Council. The entirety of Papakura and the former district is included as part of the Auckland urban area for statistical purposes, forming part of its southern boundary.

Education

The following schools are located in Papakura :

Primary schools

Government

In addition to the Local Council Chambers, Papakura is served by a large police station, a District Court, and a WINZ office. In the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004, the Papakura Courthouse was where the Pitcairn Supreme Court sat to hear the case.

Armed Forces

Papakura once served a large military population, but now only the SAS special forces are based at Papakura. Nearby houses were originally Army Homes, but are now in private hands.

Transport

and the North Island Main Trunk railway run through the Papakura District. State Highway 1 ran down Great South Road through central Papakura until 1965, when it was bypassed by the Auckland Southern Motorway.
Public transport is provided by train and bus services, with frequent trains on the Southern Line between Papakura and the CBD. Recent investment has focused on upgrading and refurbishing the region's trains and suburban railway stations, most recently with the opening of a modern station facility at the town centre. Papakura is the final stop for most southbound public transport in Auckland, and Papakura is the third busiest station on the rail network. Drawn by frequent services into and out of the city, rail commuters come from Papakura itself, Franklin County and the northern Waikato. Though the motorway and Great South Road flow relatively freely at peak times, road commuters are affected by the acute traffic congestion as they get closer to metropolitan Auckland.

Sport and Recreation

Some notable sports facilities include an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, an international-quality athletics track, a sports stadium, and venues for rugby, netball, cricket, golf, tennis, badminton, soccer, and many other sports. The council also operates a library and a theatre. Papakura also has a number of skate parks, and a skate bowl.
Papakura is home to association football club Papakura City, who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2, rugby union club Papakura RFC who are members of the Counties Manukau Rugby Union, rugby league club Papakura Sea Eagles, who compete in the Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition, and Papakura Cricket Club who compete in the Counties Manukau Cricket Assocation competition. Papakura and the surrounding area is represented by the Counties Manukau Steelers in first-class rugby union and Northern Districts in first-class cricket.

Notable people