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Flat Bush
Suburb
Cable-stayed bridge on Ormiston Road
Coordinates: 36°57′58″S 174°54′48″E / 36.9660°S 174.9132°E / -36.9660; 174.9132
Country	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	Howick ward
Local board	Howick Local Board
Board subdivision	Botany
Area
• Land	2,190 ha (5,410 acres)
Population
• Total	52,900

East Tāmaki	East Tāmaki Heights	Mission Heights
Ōtara	Flat Bush	Brookby
Clover Park	The Gardens	Ardmore

Flat Bush (also known as Ormiston or Flatbush) is a southeastern suburb in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. It has recently become one of the city's largest new planned towns after being developed as an urban area of Auckland for several decades. Located east of Ōtara, plans for substantial expansion began under the Manukau City Council — having bought 290 hectares in the area in 1996.

As of 2023, substantial residential development means the area has grown to over 45,000 people, a similar population to Nelson, and includes a large shopping centre: Ormiston Town Centre.

History

Early history

The Flat Bush area is part of the rohe of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, who descend from the crew of the Tainuikomanawa waka, who visited the area around the year 1300. The traditional name for the wider forested area was Te Hūnua, a name now essentially applied to the Hūnua Ranges. Ngāi Tai centred life along the coasts between the Tāmaki River and Wairo River, settling at locationsin an annual cycle of encampments based on what resources were seasonally available. Puke-i-Āki-Rangi was a defended Ngāi Tai pā site. The name literally means "The Hill That Way Propelled Skyward". Over time, Ngāi Tai formed unions with many Tāmaki Māori groups in the area, including Waiohua and Ngāti Pāoa. During the Musket Wars in the 1820s, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki sought temporary refuge in the Waikato.

In 1836, English missionary William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between Tāmaki Māori chiefs covering the majority of modern-day South Auckland and East Auckland. The sale was envisioned as a way to end hostilities in the area, but it is unclear what the chiefs understood or consented to. Māori continued to live in the area, unchanged by this sale. In 1854 when Fairburn's purchase was investigated by the New Zealand Land Commission, a Ngāi Tai reserve was created around the Wairoa River and Umupuia areas, and as a part of the agreement, members of Ngāi Tai agreed to leave their traditional settlements to the west.

In 1847, Howick was established as a defensive outpost for Auckland, by fencibles (retired British Army soldiers) and their families. During the 1850s, the area was generally referred to as the Howick Ranges. The first recorded references to the area being called Flat Bush are from 1859, the name coming from the kahikatea forests of the area, which looked especially flat when viewed from the surrounding hills. The name was well established by the 1860s.

The wider East Tāmaki area was settled primarily by Scottish and Irish Presbyterian settlers. Originally growing crops such as potatoes, oats and wheat, by the turn of the century, many of these farms were converted into dairy farms. Baverstock Road School, the first school in the area, was established in 1875, renamed East Tamaki School in 1884 and Flat Bush School in 1894. It was closed in 1937 when the Howick District High School was opened. In 1921, the East Tāmaki Co-operative Dairy Company was formed, producing milk and butter for the wider Auckland area.

Suburban development

The Manukau City Council identified Flat Bush as a crucial site for future urban development in the 1970. In 1997, the Manukau City Council drafted a development plan for Flat Bush, with the first construction beginning in 1998 in the Chapel Park subdivision. Swathes of new residential subdivisions were dubbed Ormiston in the mid-2000s, due to Botany Community Board concerns around associating with Ōtara (a socioeconomically deprived and ethnically diverse part of the city). The name Ormiston originated from Ormiston Road, which was named after Tom and Mary Ann Ormiston, who farmed in the area from 1915. By the mid-2000s, the population of Flat Bush was greatly increasing.

In 2007, Fo Guang Shan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in New Zealand, was officially opened In the following year, New Zealand's first cable-stayed bridge on Ormiston Road was constructed. The suburb contains the 94-hectare Barry Curtis Park, named in recognition of Manukau's longest standing mayor, Barry Curtis,

The suburb's new shopping centre, Ormiston Town Centre, was officially opened to the public on 25 March 2021. The Flat Bush area is expected to grow to 40,000 residents by 2025.

Demographics

Flat Bush covers 21.90 km (8.46 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 52,900 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,416 people per km.

Before the 2023 census, Flat Bush had a smaller boundary, covering 19.58 km (7.56 sq mi). Using that boundary, Flat Bush had a population of 26,040 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 7,803 people (42.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 13,830 people (113.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 6,513 households, comprising 13,005 males and 13,035 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 5,535 people (21.3%) aged under 15 years, 6,264 (24.1%) aged 15 to 29, 12,087 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,160 (8.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 20.6% European/Pākehā, 6.1% Māori, 10.9% Pacific peoples, 65.9% Asian, and 4.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 61.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 30.1% had no religion, 33.2% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 14.4% were Hindu, 5.0% were Muslim, 5.6% were Buddhist and 7.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 6,015 (29.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,691 (13.1%) people had no formal qualifications. 3,402 people (16.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 11,214 (54.7%) people were employed full-time, 2,439 (11.9%) were part-time, and 825 (4.0%) were unemployed.

Education

A strategy to build schools in the area was developed by the Ministry of Education in 2007.

Ormiston Senior College is a senior secondary school for years 11–13 with a roll of 1400. Ormiston Junior College covers years 7–10 and has a roll of 1328 students. Ormiston Primary School is a contributing primary school (years 1–6) with 1202 students. The three schools are spread over two blocks. The Senior College opened in 2011, the Junior College in 2017, and the primary school in 2015.

Baverstock Oaks School is a primary school while Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School is a full primary school (years 1–8) with rolls of 676 and 561 students, respectively. Baverstock Oaks opened in 2005 and Te Uho o te Nikau in 2019.

Sancta Maria College is a state-integrated Catholic secondary school (years 7–13) with a roll of 1043. Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School is a state-integrated contributing primary school (years 1–6) with 393 students. The two schools are on the same site. The college opened in 2004 and the primary school in 2010.

Tyndale Park Christian School is a private composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of 150. The school was founded in 1981.

All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of August 2024.

Amenities

Murphy's Bush is a nature reserve in Flat Bush, that features a historic precinct and the largest remnant forest in Auckland.

References

1. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
2. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
3. Daley, Nic. Flat Bush deal signed, Howick and Botany Times, 10 October 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2009. Archived 14 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Green, Nathew (2011). "From Hawaīki to Howick – A Ngāi Tai History". Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. By La Roche, Alan. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. pp. 16–33. ISBN 978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC 1135039710.
5. "Puke-i-Āki-Rangi". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
6. Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki; The Trustees of the Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust; The Crown (7 November 2015). "Deed of Settlement of Historical Claims" (PDF). New Zealand Government. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
7. ^ Reynolds & Associates (August 2010). Flat Bush Built Heritage Review (PDF) (Report). Manukau City Council. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
8. Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and the Trustees of the Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki Trust and the Crown (7 November 2015). "Deed of settlement schedule documents" (PDF). NZ Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
9. "Te Naupata / Musick Point". Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
10. "13 June 1865". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_0760. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
11. Moore, D; Rigby, B; Russell, M (July 1997). Rangahaua Whanui National Theme A: Old Land Claims (PDF) (Report). Waitangi Tribunal. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
12. Clough, Tom; Apfel, Aaron; Clough, Rod (June 2020). 109 Beachlands Road, Beachlands, Auckland: Preliminary Archaeological Assessment (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Authority. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
13. Heritage Department of the Auckland Regional Council. "Duder Regional Park – Our History" (PDF). Auckland Council. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
14. La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 48.
15. Clark, Jennifer A. 2002, pp. 128.
16. ^ "27 August 1859". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_0397. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
17. Reed, A. W. (2010). Place names of New Zealand. Raupo. ISBN 978-0-14-320410-7. OCLC 973643984.
18. ^ La Roche, Alan (2011). A History of Botany (Report). Auckland City Council. pp. 8–9.
19. Hudson, Beatrice (2012). Archaeological Investigations at Stancombe Road Cottage (R11/2554), Flat Bush, Auckland (PDF) (Report). CFG Heritage. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
20. La Roche, Alan 2011, pp. 218–219.
21. "Flat Bush (Ormiston)". East Auckland Tourism. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
22. "December 1970". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_4493. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
23. "28 October 1997". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_6459. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
24. "February 1998". Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. MJ_6558. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
25. "Flat Bush insulted by 'Ormiston' bid". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
26. "New town goes flat on 'Bush' name". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
27. McDermott Consultants (31 March 2010). Anticipating Flat Bush: Part 1: Building a Demographic Profile for Flat Bush 2 (PDF) (Report). Manukau City Council. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
28. Tan, Lincoln (1 October 2007). "Above and beyond religion". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
29. "Funding approved for Flat Bush infrastructure" (PDF). Land Transport News (17): 1–2. June 2006. ISSN 1176-841X. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
30. Ormiston Road Bridge opening, Howick and Botany Times, 1 October 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2009.Archived 3 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
31. Barry Curtis Park Archived 30 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Manukau City Council. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
32. "Ormiston Town Centre is open for business". OurAuckland. 25 March 2021.
33. McClure, Margaret (6 December 2007). "Auckland places - East Auckland". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
34. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Dannemora South (156600), Baverstock (156900), Ormiston North (157300), Chapel Downs (157500), Donegal Park (158000), Ormiston South (158100), Hilltop (Auckland) (158300), Ormiston East (158600) and Tuscany Heights (158900).
35. 2018 Census place summary: Dannemora South
36. 2018 Census place summary: Baverstock
37. 2018 Census place summary: Ormiston North
38. 2018 Census place summary: Chapel Downs
39. 2018 Census place summary: Donegal Park
40. 2018 Census place summary: Ormiston South
41. 2018 Census place summary: Hilltop (Auckland)
42. 2018 Census place summary: Ormiston East
43. 2018 Census place summary: Tuscany Heights
44. "Flat Bush Area Strategy - Introduction" (PDF). Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
45. Education Counts: Ormiston Senior College
46. Education Counts: Ormiston Junior College
47. Education Counts: Ormiston Primary School
48. Rapley, Kristina (4 February 2011). "School bell rings at Ormiston". Stuff.
49. Parata, Hekia (14 July 2014). "New School Establishment Notice". New Zealand Gazette.
50. Parata, Hekia (12 September 2013). "Establishment of a New School in Flatbush, South Auckland".
51. Education Counts: Baverstock Oaks School
52. Education Counts: Te Uho o Te Nikau Primary School
53. "History". Baverstock Oaks School. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
54. Parata, Hekia (3 March 2017). "Three new primary schools to open in 2019". New Zealand Government. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
55. Education Counts: Sancta Maria College
56. Education Counts: Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School
57. "Principal's Welcome". Sancta Maria College. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
58. "Our First Day". Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
59. Education Counts: Tyndale Park Christian School
60. "Welcome to Tyndale Park Christian School". Retrieved 12 September 2020.
61. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
62. Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua (December 2012). Redoubt Road – Mill Road Corridor Project Maori Values Assessment for Auckland Transport (PDF) (Report). Auckland Transport. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
63. Williams, Nicola (11 February 2011). "Historic cottage home at last". Stuff. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

Bibliography

• Clark, Jennifer A. (2002). East Tamaki: Including the Adjoining Areas of Flat Bush and Otara. Papatoetoe Historical Society. ISBN 0-473-09058-9. OCLC 156099387. Wikidata Q120020174.
• La Roche, Alan (2011). Grey's Folly: A History of Howick, Pakuranga, Bucklands-Eastern Beaches, East Tamaki, Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai. Auckland: Tui Vale Productions. ISBN 978-0-473-18547-3. OCLC 1135039710. Wikidata Q118286377.

External links

• Photographs of Flat Bush held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.

• Media from Commons
• Data from Wikidata

• Suburbs of Auckland
• Howick Local Board Area
• East Auckland