Devonport, Auckland

Devonport
Devonport and the Waitemata Harbour from atop Mount Victoria. Auckland CBD in the distance.
Location of Devonport in Auckland.
Basic information
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	North Shore
Local board	Devonport-Takapuna
Date established	1840s
Population	5,337 (2006 census)
Postcode(s)	0624
Facilities
Ferry terminal(s)	Devonport Wharf
Hospitals(s)	Navy Hospital
Surrounds
North	Vauxhall
Northeast	Cheltenham
East	(North Head)
Southeast	(Waitemata Harbour)
South	(Waitemata Harbour)
Southwest	(Waitemata Harbour)
West	Stanley Bay
Northwest	(Duders Point)

Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour. East of Devonport lies North Head, the northern promontory guarding the mouth of the harbour.

The population of Devonport and the adjoining suburb of Cheltenham was 5,337 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 126 since 2001. With the additional suburbs of Stanley Bay, Vauxhall and Narrow Neck, the 2006 population was 11,142.

The suburb hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the main facility for the country's naval vessels, but is best known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm. Devonport has been compared to Sausalito, California due to its setting and scenery.

The Devonport shops contain a fair array of antiques, gift & book shops as well a number of good cafes and restaurants making it a popular destination for tourists and Aucklanders. People often travel over from Auckland on the ferry for dinner, the starry sky and glittering lights of Auckland on the return trip being very beautiful.

Day trips combining a meal in Devonport with a trip up Mt Victoria or an exploration of the military emplacements on nearby North Head are also very popular. Devonport is also noted for the popular annual event, the Devonport Food & Wine Festival, as well as for the Devonport Museum located near Mt. Cambria.

The navy base at Devonport features strongly in the local character, with the North Shore City Council having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Navy which recognises the developing partnership between them. The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum is also located in Devonport.