Sandringham, New Zealand

Sandringham
Basic information
Local authority	Auckland City
Population	10,800 (2006)
Facilities
Surrounds
North	Morningside (1.9 km)
Northeast	Mount Eden (2.1 km)
East	Balmoral (1.6 km)
Southeast	Three Kings (2.6 km)
South	Wesley (940 m)
Southwest	New Windsor (2.3 km)
West	Owairaka (1,081 m)
Northwest	Mount Albert (1,196 m)

Sandringham is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand. Sandringham is a bustling, multi-ethnic suburb, and has a population of 10,800.

Sandringham was named after the country house of Edward, Prince of Wales. This house, which is located in Norfolk, England, is the private property of the British Royal Family.

The main road is Sandringham Road which runs more or less north-south. At the northern end, Kingsland is located near the Eden Park rugby grounds. The Sandringham shops are located at the southern end of Sandringham Road just before it connects with Mount Albert Road. The top New Zealand football club Central United play at the Kiwitea Street Stadium in Sandringham. The local Secondary schools are Mount Albert Grammar School, Marist College and St Peter's College.

History

The Sandringham suburb began as a small farming settlement known as Cabbage Tree Swamp, named for the prevalence of cordyline australis and the area's predisposition to flooding. The first European settlers in the area were mainly engaged in dairy farming or growing produce. By 1862, there were sixteen properties along what was then Cabbage Tree Swamp Road . In 1877, Cabbage Tree Swamp residents successfully lobbied to have the road's name changed to Kingsland Road.. The road and suburb were renamed again to Edendale in 1916, and finally to Sandringham in 1929.

Through the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the suburb grew slowly and remained mostly farmland and gorse scrub. There was no water supply in the district by 1900 and by 1924 the area was still without gas or electricity. Flooding was a major problem in the area. Eden Park and Gribblehurst Park became lakes during heavy winter rain, as did the reserve land east of Sandringham Shops. After a heavy storm in 1919, locals recalled boating through the streets and floodwaters "flowing through the bay windows" of one low-lying house.. Substantial development only came around 1925 with the construction of the tramline, resulting in the core of what is now the Sandringham Shopping Centre being built. Rows of evenly spaced streets spread on each side of Sandringham road and were lined with wooden Edwardian houses. Large parts of the area remained undeveloped however, and services such as telephone, electricity and gas were only provided at a minimum level.

Over the following decades more retail buildings were constructed, including the Waring shop buildings, a local landmark on the corner of Kitchener Road and Sandringham Road. Large-scale subdivision of farmland began in the 1920s, and Californian bungalows began to dominate the architecture of the area. Around 1927, the Mayfair Cinema was built, providing entertainment in the area. This elegant building was in the Neo-Greek style and closely resembled the Capitol Cinema in nearby Balmoral; it was demolished in the early 1990s. The Sandringham Service Station, still operating as of 2011, was first erected Sydney Waring in 1929 .

After the Second World War, what little remained of the farmland was developed as state housing. The Sandringham Shops remain a significant centre for the suburb and are a virtually intact example of an interwar suburban shopping precinct. In the early 1960s, Sandringham was home to three stationers, two butchers, two chemists, a fishmonger, two drapers, and several dairies and general grocers.

As part of the Eden electorate, Sandringham became a no-licence area from 1909 until 2000. As a result, there are no public houses in Sandringham. Plans to build a tavern at 597 Sandringham Road were successfully opposed by residents in 2001 .

Landmarks

• Waring Shops - This imposing block of narrow shop blocks was constructed in 1923 and takes its name from the local grocery store. The shop has maintained its look, with the same clear white paint job it has always had. It is now a t-shirt shop and electrician's office.

• Sandringham Community Centre - The community centre is an important gathering place, with language classes, dancing classes, and a mini-market and lunch on Thursday. To the rear of the community centre is located the kindergarten.

• Edendale Primary School - Most kids in the area attend this school, which has a roll of about 550. It has 27 classrooms, a hall, library and rooms for computing & art.

• Site of the cinema - The 1920s cinema was bought by a church in 1993 and demolished to make way for a dentist's office and doctor's practice.

Association football

Sandringham is home to the top New Zealand association football club Central United who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier.

Recreation

• Bike riding - Riding along in the shopping centre or around the treelined streets is a popular form of exercise.

• Walking - Walking about in town and doing some shopping can be done to pass the time.

• Shopping - Sandringham shopping centre has a variety of specialty stores catering to the suburb's multicultural population. The nearby St Lukes shopping mall offers a supermarket, cinema and several department stores.

• Sport - Sandringham is home to Eden Rugby Football Club and the Mt Albert Ramblers softball club. Edendale Reserve has a playing field for amateur sport.