Te Atatū is the name of two adjacent suburbs in western Auckland, New Zealand: Te Atatū Peninsula and Te Atatū South. They are located next to each other some 10 kilometres to the west of the Auckland city centre, and are separated by the Northwestern Motorway. Te Atatū Peninsula, formerly known as Te Atatū North, lies, as the name suggests, on a small peninsula. It is located at the western extremity of the Waitemata Harbour, and is formed by the Henderson Creek, an estuarial arm of the harbour that extends southwest from the harbour. The peninsula thus formed is four kilometres in length and two kilometres in width, and is joined to the main part of the North Island at its southern end. Te Atatū South is sited at the point where the peninsula meets the rest of the island, south of the motorway interchange, which bisects the formerly more closely linked areas. Both suburban areas are characterised by a well-established suburban neighbourhood, with two town centres providing shops, medical services and community facilities. Most inhabitants work in west Auckland or Auckland City.
The peninsula, is defined by Henderson Creek in the west, and the Whau River in the east. Mangroves and other estuarine epifauna dominate the boundaries, with the geology composed mostly of marine and stream sediments.
History
The original Maori name for the area was Orukuwai, meaning the place of Rukuwai. The remains of a large Māori settlement were found in many places on the suburb, and the remains of flax baskets, fishing nets, and old clothes were found in the land of a local resident and heaps of pipi shells have been found in farms. European settlement began between 1853 and 1873 when Thomas Henderson acquired land from the Ngati Whatua and eventually the Crown in 1855. He established the Henderson Timber Mill in what is now known as Henderson. The area was known as Henderson Point until 1907 when it was renamed Te Atatu by Reverend Jackson Bennett. The name was based upon his vision of the morning sun shimmering on the Waitemata. The two suburbs were relatively rural areas until the 1950s when the first stages of the Northwestern Motorway were opened along the coast of the Waitemata Harbour. This encouraged suburban settlements to the west of Auckland, and Te Atatū grew rapidly as a result. In the 2000s, the working-class suburb area became increasingly popular for luxury apartments and other higher-cost residential development.
Proposed port
In the 1950s, there were plans to build a new deepwater port at the Te Atatū Peninsula. Land was acquired under public works regulations, and later, the Auckland Harbour Bridge was built to a clear height sufficient to allow large ships to pass under it. However, the port idea was never realised. Homes stand on some of it, but most of it is a reserve with views to Auckland city. Walkways and Cycleways also run along both coasts along the Henderson Creek and Whau River. A regular bus service runs to the city along Great North Road, and another service runs along Te Atatū Rd. A ferry service to the city has also been proposed.
Te Atatū is home to several sports clubs. Perhaps the most successful is the Te Atatu Roostersrugby league team who were national champions in 1988. They are based at Jack Colvin Park. Other teams who play in the Te Atatū area are the Te Atatū Tennis Club, Waitakere Cricket Club, Waitakere rugby union club, Waitemata Football Club, Te Atatū Football Club, West City Baseball Club, Te Atatū softball club and Te Atatū Boating Club.
