Hobsonville

Hobsonville
Basic information
Local authority	Auckland Council
Population	3,378(2006)
Facilities
Ferry terminal(s)	Hobsonville Point
Surrounds
North	Herald Island
East	Upper Harbour Bridge
South	Waitemata Harbour
Southwest	West Harbour
West	State Highway 16
Northwest	Whenuapai

Hobsonville is a rural suburban district in the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The area was administered by Waitakere City Council until the council was amalgamated into Auckland Council in 2010.

Hobsonville Point, formerly the location of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's airfield, Hobsonville Airbase, is currently being redeveloped as a new suburb of Auckland. Hobsonville Village next to Hobsonville Point is also being developed by Auckland Council, and the area known as Hobsonville Corridor joins the peninsula with Westgate, a new regional town being created by the council. The peninsula is joined by the North Western Motorway and State Highway 16 in the west and the Hobsonville Peninsula and Upper Harbour Bridge in the east.

Hobsonville was named after the first Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson. After landing by sea at the site, Hobson thought it suitable as the seat of Government for New Zealand but later rejected this on the advice of the Surveyor-General of New Zealand, Felton Matthew. After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Okiato (renamed Russell), was chosen as the capital instead.

Originally Hobsonville was mainly an agricultural and horticultural area. During the early history of Auckland, large clay- and brickworks operated in the area such as in Limeburners Bay and at the Clark's Brickworks. The brickworks clay piping production was used to reticulate much of the new Auckland city centre, bringing in much of Clark's wealth.

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