Northcote, Auckland

Suburb:	Northcote
City:	North Shore
Island:	North Island
Surrounded by  - to the north  - to the east  - to the south  - to the west	Hillcrest, Northcote Central Shoal Bay Northcote Point, Waitemata Harbour Birkenhead

Northcote is a suburb of North Shore, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is located on the north shore of the Waitemata Harbour, four kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre.

The suburb, which includes the peninsula of Northcote Point, includes the northern approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge and the culturally diverse Northcote Central shopping centre.

In 1882 the St Heliers and Northcote Land Company was formed and some land in the area was subdivided. In 1889 a major subdivision was the result when the Bartley Estate was auctioned. Before the construction of the Harbour Bridge in 1959 the Northcote Wharf was heavily utilised by the Auckland Harbour ferry service. After the Harbour bridge was built the Northcote peninsula became a quiet cul-de-sac. The wooden Northcote Tavern was once in the thick of things, it still stands but now surveys a quiet streetscape.

To the north on the main road leading to and from the Harbour Bridge is the busy Northcote Shopping Centre, which is largely a development of the 1970s to 1990s. It is here that the notorious street " Tonar Street" is well known for its strong gang and drugs presence which comprise of the Bloods and Crips. All these gangs are influences from the original gangs in the USA and have been attractive to streets like Tonar who are a relatively poor working class statehouse neighbourhoods. Northcote is currently holding the reigning title of gang stronghold on the North Shore followed by Beach Haven. However, huge efforts are being made to prevent these kinds of culture that disturb the normal life of many Northcoters.

Northcote is surrounded by the suburbs of Birkenhead, Hillcrest, and Takapuna to the west and north, and the waters of Shoal Bay, an arm of the Waitemata, to the south and east. State Highway 1 stretches along the waterfront of Shoal Bay, heading north from the bridge towards Albany.

According to the 2006 census, Northcote has a population of 4122.

References

• The Heart of Colonial Auckland, 1865-1910. Terence Hodgson. Random Century NZ Ltd 1992.
• 2006 North Shore City Census Data (XLS spreadsheet)

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