Massey, New Zealand

Suburb of Auckland in Auckland Council, New Zealand

Massey
Suburb of Auckland
The roundabout Don Buck Road / Triangle Road in Massey North.
Country	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	Waitākere Ward
Local board	Henderson-Massey
Population  (2018)
• Total	17,676
Postcode(s)	0614

Kumeū	Westgate	West Harbour
Waitakere	Massey	Te Atatū
Rānui	Lincoln	Lincoln

Massey is a north-western suburb in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. It was formerly a northern suburb of Waitakere City, which existed from 1989 to 2010 before the city was amalgamated into Auckland Council. The suburb was named after former Prime Minister of New Zealand William Massey. Massey is a relatively large suburb and can be divided into three reasonably distinctive areas, Massey West, Massey East (separated by the north-western motorway) and Massey North (situated to the north of Royal Road). Parts of Massey East are also known as 'Royal Heights', which is home to the Royal Heights shopping centre.

The suburb features the Massey YMCA Leisure Centre, Library.^[1] The Westgate Shopping Centre on Hobsonville Road next to the north-western motorway and NorthWest Shopping Centre (which opened in October, 2015) to the north of Hobsonville Road are north of Massey.

History[]

Shooting of Matthew Hunt[]

On 19 June 2020, a New Zealand Police constable, identified as Matthew Hunt, was shot and killed in Massey. A 24-year-old man has been charged with his murder while a 30-year-old woman has been charged as an accessory to his murder.^[2][3][4] Hunt's death marked the first police fatality in the line of duty in New Zealand since 2009.^[2][5]

Demographics[]

Massey, comprising the statistical areas of Westgate South, Massey Central, Massey Royal Road West, Massey West, Massey East and Massey South, had a population of 17,676 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,671 people (10.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 3,243 people (22.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 4,980 households. There were 8,907 males and 8,769 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female, with 4,152 people (23.5%) aged under 15 years, 4,308 (24.4%) aged 15 to 29, 7,767 (43.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,452 (8.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 47.6% European/Pākehā, 19.5% Māori, 23.8% Pacific peoples, 25.1% Asian, and 3.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 36.5%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 40.8% had no religion, 40.9% were Christian, and 12.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,556 (18.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 2,307 (17.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 7,347 (54.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,614 (11.9%) were part-time, and 687 (5.1%) were unemployed.^[6]

Education[]

Massey is home to one secondary school, Massey High School, where the principal is former Tall Blacks captain Glen Denham as well as several primary schools, including Lincoln Heights School, Royal Road Primary School, Massey Primary School and Don Buck Primary School. Massey is not home to Massey University, which is based in Palmerston North with its Auckland campus at Albany.

Governance[]

In New Zealand's national Parliament, Massey is represented by Member for Upper Harbour, National MP Paula Bennett who won the electorate in 2014 and 2017. As of the 2017 election no other MP who contested the Upper Harbour electorate has been represented in parliament as a list MP. Prior to changes in electorate boundaries, Massey fell within the Te Atatū electorate and was represented in 2011 by Member for Te Atatū, Labour MP Phil Twyford.

In terms of regional governance, Massey falls within the Waitākere Ward and subsequently under the Henderson-Massey Local Board area ^[7] of the Auckland City council. The Henderson-Massey local board area covers the suburbs of West Harbour, Massey, Ranui, Te Atatū Peninsula, Te Atatū South, Lincoln, Henderson, Western Heights, Glendene, and Sunnyvale and contained a population of 107,685 in the 2013 census.^[8] Previously Massey fell under the Massey Ward which contained the suburbs of Whenuapai, Hobsonville, Herald Island, West Harbour, Massey, Ranui, and Henderson North.

Sport[]

The local rugby club is a member of the North Harbour Rugby Union and won the championship 6 times (1993, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2015 and 2016). Former All Black Jonah Lomu signed to play for Massey in 2005, but due to an injury was unable to play for them that season. He did however eventually make his debut for the club in 2006.

Notable people[]

Massey is home to rugby players George Pisi and Tusi Pisi (North Harbour, Samoa and New Zealand 7's) as well as the musicians Blindspott.

List of parks in the Massey suburb[]

References[]

External links[]

• Photographs of Massey held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
• Massey's changing landscape Historypin collection.

Coordinates: 36°50′15″S 174°37′02″E / 36.837583°S 174.617346°E / -36.837583; 174.617346