Birkenhead

By ROBYN WELSH

Birkenhead's earliest settlers knew the importance of location when they built their first grand villas high on Birkenhead Point in the late 19th century.

Built for the wealthiest families, they were the only homes that gave Birkenhead a view of Auckland City as it was then. Now these fine heritage homes along the ridge-top streets are among the most sought-after and expensive in the area.

Prices upward of $700,000 are fetched for these villas, which are of the same vintage as those found in Devonport and nearby Northcote Point.

The first recorded use of Birkenhead as a place name was on section plans dating back to 1863. But the real impetus for turning the vast areas of bush, scrub and open fields into a community came when the Chelsea Sugar Works opened in 1884 and the Chelsea village was established for the workers.

Some of those first cottages have been moved to other parts of Birkenhead, but a few are still dotted around Rugby Rd and Mokoia Rd, according to historical records of the area. Four brick-and-kauri, semi-detached Victorian cottages once occupied by employees of the company remain in Colonial Rd, and are now leased to the public.

In the early days, the cheapest homes were built in the side streets and valleys. Today, Birkenhead's most affordable homes are still in the same area, which is known as Birkenhead Central.

The first-entry point for a home is a little beyond the first-home buyer's range of under $200,000, with homes starting at about $250,000. Terrace houses and apartments start with one-bedroom studio apartments at $150,000, which suit professional singles and couples who enjoy the cafes and take the ferry from Birkenhead Pt to work in the city.

Birkenhead residents do their share of trading up and moving to bigger and better homes within the area. Buyers also trade down from the more expensive suburbs on the city-side of the bridge, as they can still be close to good schools and the North Shore's vast amenities without being far from the central city.

Prior to the opening of the bridge in 1959, Birkenhead was considered semi-rural. Rapid development since has included the Chatswood subdivision in the 1970s, and more recent developments that have opened up the water's edge land along Onetaunga Rd.

Chatswood is enjoying renewed interest among home-owners seeking modern homes on big sections in leafy streets, with prices ranging from $300,000 to $700,000 plus.

Aside from Chatswood and Birkenhead Point with their highly identifiable housing styles, most of Birkenhead's streets have a mix of old and modern homes, with the sale prices determined by the style and quality of each property rather than a firm street-by-street pattern.

There's plenty of evidence to suggest that today's buyers are just as moved by the views and the lifestyle that Birkenhead has to offer as they were back in the 1880s.