Birkenhead, New Zealand

Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Birkenhead
Suburb
The sugar refinery, a local landmark.
Location of Birkenhead in Auckland.
Coordinates: 36°48′27″S 174°43′23″E / 36.807490°S 174.723051°E / -36.807490; 174.723051
Country	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	North Shore ward
Local board	Kaipātiki Local Board
Established	1883 (Approx.)
Area [1]
• Land	452 ha (1,117 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	10,720
Postcode(s)	0626
Ferry terminals	Birkenhead Ferry Terminal

Birkdale	Glenfield	Hillcrest
Birkdale	Birkenhead	Northcote
Chatswood	(Waitematā Harbour)	(Waitematā Harbour)

Birkenhead is a suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore of the Waitematā Harbour, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the Auckland City Centre. The area has been settled by Tāmaki Māori since at least the 14th century, and is the location of Te Matarae ō Mana, a fortified pā for Te Kawerau ā Maki that overlooked an important seasonal shark fishery. European settlement in Birkenhead began in late the 1840s, and by the late 19th century the area became renowned for strawberry crops. In 1884, the Chelsea Sugar Refinery was constructed in Birkenhead, becoming a major source of income for Birkenhead. The increased population growth led to Birkenhead becoming one of the first boroughs of Auckland in 1888. Birkenhead transitioned from a semi-rural community to suburban Auckland after the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959, becoming a city in 1978. In 1989, Birkenhead City was amalgamated with North Shore City.