From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ellerslie is a suburb (neighbourhood) of the city of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is nine kilometres to the southeast of the city centre, close to State Highway 1, and is surrounded by the suburbs of St Johns Park, Mount Wellington, Penrose, Oranga, Greenlane, and Remuera.

A largely residential suburb, the area's best known feature is Auckland's main horse racing course, Ellerslie Racecourse. The racecourse is also the venue for Auckland's biggest car fair for used vehicles, every Sunday.

Ellerslie is under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. The Ellerslie Town District was established in 1908. The Borough of Ellerslie was formally declared on 1 April 1938. In 1989 Ellerslie was amalgamated into Auckland City.

In the 2001 census Ellerslie has a population of 7260.

Contents 1 History of Ellerslie 2 Notable buildings in the area 3 Events 4 References 5 External links

The suburb was named by early local politician and entrepreneur Robert Graham, after his father's home in Lancashire, England. Adjacent to his home, "Ellerslie House", was a track along which Mrs Graham was in the habit of riding her horse every morning, now a street called Ladies Mile.

In 1873 construction of the railway from Auckland had reached the area. Possibly this was what induced Graham to develop part of his property as the "Ellerslie Gardens", a pleasure garden with flower beds, fountains, bandstand and dance pavilion. Although it was popular to a certain degree it failed to prosper. In 1886 much of the Graham farm was subdivided for housing but the landscaped grounds became the setting for the Racing Club, which remains located here to this day. The racecourse has its own railway station for racedays.

Next to Ellerslie Train Station developed a small township servicing not only the local residents but also the raceday crowds. As the 20th century progressed the surrounding rural land disappeared and the small town of Ellerslie became absorbed into the suburbs of Auckland.

Ellerslie shops are on the Panmure Highway near where it intersects with the Great South Road. The construction in the 1960s of the Southern Motorway meant that Ellerslie was less easily accessible from nearby Greenlane, resulting in a downturn in trade, but the shops have continued as a centre for the local community.

• Christ Church 1883, a wooden gothic building in Ladies Mile. Its most significant feature is a full set of windows gifted to the congregation by the English firm of Clayton and Bell..

• Former Ellerslie Post Office 1909 John Campbell architect. Decommissioned in the 1980s.

• Former Southern Cross Picture Theatre 1925, converted into squash courts in the 1970s.

• Former Municipal Offices 1926, (corner of Ramsgate St and Main Highway).

• "Aborfield" (corner of Ramsgate St and Panmure Highway). A two-storey wooden Italianate house, the residence of Lieut. Col Charles Dawson (18th Royal Irish Regiment), Chairman of the Mount Wellington Road Board and Master of the Pakuranga Hunt.

In June 12, 2004 a 1.3 kg chondrite-type meteorite struck the house of Phil and Brenda Archer in Ellerslie causing serious damage but no injuries. The meteorite is 4,600 million years old and from the Asteroid Belt, a ring of space debris between the Mars and Jupiter. The meteorite destroyed part of the roof of the house and crashed in to the living room, also damaging a leather sofa.

• Ellerslie Town Heritage Walk, Ellerslie Business Association Mainstreet Programme 2005

• Ellerslie, Auckland Online - [1]