Parnell () is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's most affluent suburbs, consistently ranked within the top three wealthiest, and is often billed as Auckland's "oldest suburb" since it dates from the earliest days of the European settlement of Auckland in 1841. It is characterised by its mix of tree-lined streets with large estates; redeveloped industrial zones with Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas; and its hilly topography that allows for views of the port, the Waitematā Harbour, Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Domain. To its west lies the Auckland Domain, to the south Newmarket, and to the north the Ports of Auckland.
Parnell Rise and Parnell Road make up the main road through Parnell. Parnell Rise leads to the central business district to the west; Parnell Road runs from Parnell Rise uphill to the top of the suburb, and then bends almost 90 degrees and continues towards Newmarket in the south-east. Parnell Road ends at the intersection of George and Sarawia Streets, where it becomes Broadway. Early European settlers knew Parnell Road as "Manukau Road" until well after the formation of Khyber Pass Road in 1845.
History
The Parnell area has a long history of settlement by Tāmaki Māori. Point Resolution was the location of Taurarua pā, occupied by the Waiōhua confederation. The name Taurarua ("annoying chant") refers to a battle between Waiōhua and Ngāti Whātua where Waiohua warriors goaded Ngāti Whātua to attack using mocking chants. This was one of the final strongholds of this iwi before it was taken by Ngāti Whātua in the 1740s, when twin brother chiefs Humataitai and Hupipi were defeated by Ngāti Whātua. Prior to European settlement, Parnell was occupied by Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei. The Domain was known as Pukekawa, which translates to 'hill of bitter memories.' This is in reference to the battles that occurred between Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whatua during the Musket Wars. The Government acquired the area from Ngāti Whātua as part of a land deal in 1840.
Robert Tod purchased from the Government on 1 September 1841. He quickly subdivided it into 36 sections, which he advertised for sale on 4 September 1841 as the "Village of Parnell". In the early 1830s Tod had supplied copies of the Bible to a Plymouth Brethren mission in Baghdad, one of whose members was John Vesey Parnell. Streets in the village of Parnell were named Groves, Cronin and Calman after other missionaries to Baghdad, Anthony Norris Groves, Edward Cronin and Erasmus Scott Calman. These were later renamed Eglon, Fox and Marston Streets.
Governance Local government The Parnell Road District was formed 13 February 1863 but did not operate until 1868. In 1877 the road district was dissolved and the Borough of Parnell was constituted. In 1913 the borough was amalgamated into the City of Auckland.
The following served as mayors of the Borough of Parnell until its incorporation into Auckland City: NameTerm 1 Henry Matthew Nation 1877–1877 2 J. W. Melton 1877–1878 3 William Coleman 1878–1879 4 J. W. Robinson 1879–1880 5 J. Friar Clark 1880–1881 6 Robert Walker 1881–1883 7 D. H. McKenzie 1883–1885 8 Jonathan Winks 1885–1887 9 Seymour Thorne George 1887–1888 10 H. B. Sealy 1888–1891 (9) Seymour Thorne George 1891–1892 11 John McCabe 1892–1894 12 George S. Kissling 1894–1895 13 Spencer Von Sturmer 1895–1896 14 Joseph Thornes 1896–1897 15 N. W. Pollard 1897–1898 16 Hugh Campbell 1898–1903 17 John Fitt 1903–1906 18 George W. Basley 1906–1909 19 Richard Stevenson Briggs 1909–1913
Parnell forms part of the Ōrākei Ward within Auckland Council. Electorate Parnell forms part of the Epsom Electorate for parliamentary representation. Parnell represents approximately 20% of the population in the electorate. The Member of Parliament for Epsom, , represents .
Demographics Parnell covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Parnell had a population of 7,788 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 225 people (3.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 693 people (9.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,678 males, 4,059 females and 48 people of other genders in 3,087 dwellings. 7.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 36.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 756 people (9.7%) aged under 15 years, 2,376 (30.5%) aged 15 to 29, 3,378 (43.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,275 (16.4%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 71.6% European (Pākehā); 6.9% Māori; 2.6% Pasifika; 24.3% Asian; 4.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.8%, Māori language by 1.3%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 29.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 41.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 30.9% Christian, 1.6% Hindu, 1.4% Islam, 0.3% Māori religious beliefs, 1.8% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.5% Jewish, and 1.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 55.5%, and 6.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,507 (49.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,631 (37.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 891 (12.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $54,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,908 people (27.1%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,483 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 1,191 (16.9%) were part-time, and 237 (3.4%) were unemployed.
+Individual statistical areasName Area(km2) Population Density(per km2) Dwellings Median age Medianincome Parnell West 1.65 4,509 2,733 1,722 32.2 years $44,300 Parnell East 1.23 3,276 2,663 1,368 44.3 years $66,000 New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500 Notable buildings and landmarks
Lower Parnell Road
The Swan Hotel, 31–35 Parnell Rise – constructed prior to 1856 and is one of the earliest timber public houses surviving in Auckland. Additions to the building date from the 1880s and were designed by Edward Bartley. This building originally stood directly on the foreshore. Historically this cove (now completely reclaimed) had been used by Maori to beach their waka; this usage continued after European settlement and part of the foreshore was demarcated as a Maori hostel (currently used by police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team [CVST] as a heavy vehicle weighbridge and compliance checkpoint). Parnell Rail Bridge – 19th century metal rail bridge on massive volcanic basalt rock piers. This structure allows the rail line to cross over Parnell Road without disrupting traffic. Mayfair Apartments – 1930s brick Neo-Georgian highrise apartment block. Windsor Castle Hotel, 144 Parnell Road – a hotel which dates from the 1850s. The hotel was remodelled in the 1880s after the architect R. MacKay Fripp was commissioned to convert the existing hotel into a larger pub; the existing facade was built during this conversion. Former Heard Factory – three storeyed art-deco style industrial building built for a confectionery manufacturer. Heard Park – this land was donated to the city in 1953 by the Heard family, the owners of Heards Candy, the adjacent large Art-Deco Heards building. Church of St John the Baptist (Catholic), 204 Parnell Road – this church was designed by Edward Mahoney and formally instituted by Bishop Pompallier in 1861; it is the only Catholic church in Parnell and the oldest Catholic church in the city. The Sisters of Mercy had a convent here and a Catholic primary school ran for a century, until it closed due to falling rolls in the 1950s.
Parnell Road
Whitby Lodge, 330 Parnell Road – erected by the early 1870s, Whitby Lodge is one of few surviving colonial dwellings in Auckland constructed of the local volcanic stone basalt. Possibly erected as early as 1848 or 1852. It is possible that Fraser erected a building on the site at the time of his purchase in 1864, or improved an existing structure. The roof beams are not supported by the masonry walls, suggesting this is an earlier wooden structure which was subsequently clad in stone. The building was occupied by the Consulate General of the Cook Islands as an Embassy from 1978 until 1 December 1994. Hulme Court, 350 Parnell Road – a stone-built, Regency-style house surrounded by trellised verandahs, was built in 1843 for Sir Fredrick Whitaker; it is the second oldest surviving house in Auckland, and the oldest documented dwelling still standing on its original site. In its early years, the house was occupied by a succession of notable people including George Selwyn, Governor Gore Browne, who used it as a temporary Government House in the 1850s, and Sir Francis Dillon Bell, who was the Minister of Native Affairs and an advisor to Governor Grey, and Colonel Hulme, who acted as commander of British Army troops in New Zealand, and after whom the house is named. Former Parnell Public Library – corner of Parnell Road and St Georges Bay Road. 1920s Neo-Classical building.
Saint Stephen's Corner
The Anglican Cathedral, which stands at the top of the hill, is the most distinctive feature of Parnell. The cathedral serves as a replacement to the original St Mary's Cathedral, which was demolished in 1888 after standing for just 28 years. The building has two parts: the brick choir and body of the church date from about 1960 and represent a "modern" simplified version of Gothic. This closely resembles Guildford Cathedral, by Edward Maufe, completed in 1961. The massing of the forms, the detailing of the masonry and the smooth expanses of plain brick occur in both buildings. Over the transept entrance stands a bronze sculpture of the Archangel Michael defeating the Devil, very similar to the Epstein sculpture of the same subject on Coventry Cathedral (finished 1962). The front part of the church, built in the 1990s to the design of Professor Richard Toy and John Sinclair, recalls the new Coventry Cathedral built after World War II. It features large stained-glass windows, illuminated by the sunlight at certain times of the day. Māori motifs and symbols appear in the newer part of the building, which awaits a large spire to finish the composition. St Mary's Cathedral Church – Next to this building stands the smaller St Mary's, a wooden neo-Gothic structure which dates from 1885 and served as the pro-cathedral after the demolition of the earlier St Mary's and until the building of the current cathedral. Designed by B.W Mountfort, it stood on the other side of Parnell Road until the 1980s. Bishopscourt – St Stephens Avenue. Also known as Selwyn Court, this is the residence of the Anglican Bishop of Auckland. This wooden gothic house, designed by Frederick Thatcher, has a chapel and an octagonal turret. Bishop Selwyn and his wife moved here in May 1865. Neligan House – St Stephens Avenue. Fine Arts & Crafts brick residence built for Bishop Neligan in 1908 by Noel Bamford & Hector Pierce. St Stephens House – St Stephens Avenue. Wooden Edwardian mansion, now used for Anglican social services. The Old Deanery – St Stephens Avenue – A Frederick Thatcher-designed neo-Tudor house built from volcanic scoria rock, probably by Benjamin Strange. This is probably the birthplace of the novelist Hugh Walpole whose father was Dean of the Cathedral at the time.
Northern area of Parnell
Tower House, 33 St Stephen's Avenue – landmark brick mansion from 1904 with distinctive turret. The residence of A.E.T. Devore, Mayor of Auckland 1886–1889.