Auckland suburb spotlight: Avondale, the ultimate social and cultural melting pot

Sunday, 30 June 2024

On any given Sunday, thousands of people flock to Avondale Racecourse, in Tāmaki Makaurau, not to watch the thoroughbreds run, but to hunt for a bargain. It’s home to the Avondale market, a weekly fixture in the West Auckland suburb since the 70s, when it started as a car boot and flea market.

Now, however, housing pressure in the suburb has cast doubt over the market’s future.

A true melting pot, the market is a microcosm of life in Avondale-Te Whau. According to Stats NZ, more than 70% of the suburb’s residents identify as ethnicities other than European. More than 12% are Māori, 35.9% Pasifika, and 35.5% Asian.

It’s this cultural and social mix that appealed to comedian Dai Henwood, a Wellington transplant who has lived in Te Whau for about 12 years.

'I think what's awesome is that there doesn't really feel to be a dominant culture of sorts. It's a real even, diverse mix and I love it. It just reflects the diversity of the Auckland population as a whole.

'I just love the whole vibe of the little suburb. There are so many people just doing little vibrant things here.“

He gives a nod to Avondale’s much-lauded Burnt Butter Diner - everyone we speak to will to mention this place - and Polynesian arts champion Moana Fresh. Vintage cinema The Hollywood Avondale cinema also gets a shout out. It’s had “a big resurgence”, and hosts everything from old movies to stand-up comedy nights and other live performances.

“There is a very creative vibe about Avondale. It always seems to have a lot of creative people around and about the place,” Henwood says.

It’s likely the arty, creative types were drawn to the suburb by its traditionally lower rents or housing prices. That’s “obviously changing a little bit”, says local arts organisation Whau The People director, Bronwyn Bent, but she hopes it won’t change the suburbs creative spirit.

'There's a lot of creative people here because it's also a really well located suburb with lots of great transport infrastructure. We're really close to motorways that people are driving in or out of the city. We're in between the two harbours. There's lots of natural attractions here as well.'

The suburb’s housing is a patchwork of older, single dwelling properties, often with large sections, new terraced townhouse developments, apartment buildings and Kāinga Ora properties. Homeownership is lower than the Auckland average, with just 37% of the dwellings being owned or partly owned.

Corelogic gives a median house price of $974,150 for Te Whau, a little more than $125,000 below the median for the city, and almost $2.5 millon below the most expensive suburb in Auckland, Herne Bay.

Realestate.co.nz gives a median rental price of $695 per week - up 10.3% in the last 12 months.

The majority of the housing was built in the 60s, with weatherboard bungalows common.

Also a Wellington transplant, Bent was initially drawn to Avondale by the market, then the fact she had lost of friends nearby - and unusual but very welcome situation in Auckland’s sprawl.

'I love that there's a really strong community spirit here,“ says Bent. ”There are all these community groups doing amazing work and lots of people volunteering.

“I think something like 45% of people who live here were born overseas. So there's a real richness to that as well.

“That's really exciting to be in a place where there's so many different perspectives and approaches to the world, and lots of people who were really keen to get stuck in at the community dinner that happens at the community centre, or help with a community garden, or jump in and work on one of our arts festivals.”

Community and affordable rent were the drawcards for R&B singer Bailey Wiley and her whānau. They moved to Avondale about five years ago, when she was pregnant with her first child.

'The schools are really good. The kids go to a preschool that is just down the road. And the beautiful thing about Avondale is that, yes, it is west, but it's central-west. We still feel like we're part of city life, but we get to come home to the quiet.

“And we've got a huge section. It's just such a bonus to be raising children in that space.'

As renters, Wiley says they have been “very lucky” with their landlords. 'They've looked after us and we've looked after their property. I guess we were just very, very lucky.'

Sandwiched between Mount Eden, and New Lynn, with the Auckland-Kumeu Motorway capping the suburb off, Avondale has seen a huge increase in housing in the last five years, including the building of new Kāinga Ora housing.

On the whole, the increase has been welcomed as positive, as it will likely boost the local economy and bring opportunity in the area.

Word on the street is there’s a Tongan-Mexican fusion restaurant opening in Avondale soon, called Tokos Tacos. If that’s not a metaphor for this diverse suburb, we don’t know what is.

In April, however, residents were blindsided by news the Avondale Jockey Club had filed to have the 136-year-old racecourse it owns rezoned for housing. Spokespeople for the community welcomed new housing, but called for some of the 36-hectare property safeguarded for the community - specifically the market.

'I'm entirely for housing, we need it, we absolutely do,“ agrees Henwood.

“People need places to live. It's expanding the infrastructure that’s a massive challenge, because it is such an expensive thing to do, and it feels like every council, every government kicks the can down the road.

“But what I love about the market is it’s really got a bit of everything. It's actually going to be interesting to see what happens to that racecourse area, and no matter what does, I hope that the market becomes a mainstay.”