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A new city
From the 1940s onward, particularly after the extension of the southern motorway to Wiri in 1955, the population of the region grew rapidly. Some kind of cooperation amongst its fragmented local bodies was clearly necessary. In May 1963 Manukau County and Otahuhu, Howick, Papatoetoe, Manurewa and Papakura boroughs announced an agreement in principle to amalgamate. Although this agreement lasted about five days, Manukau, Manurewa and Papatoetoe continued discussions. Papatoetoe later dropped out, but on 3 September 1965 Manukau County and Manurewa Borough amalgamated to form Manukau City. The name 'Manukau' was chosen by poll. The new city had a population of 73,172 (1966 census).
A few days after Manukau City was formed Papatoetoe also gained city status. (Papakura also became a city in January 1975.)
Prior to the formation of the city, Manukau County had moved its offices to Otara and Manurewa. Planning began for a new city centre on a greenfields site at Wiri. (The Manukau City Council administration building was opened alongside the newly established Manukau City mall in February 1977.)
Amalgamation remained on the agenda. In 1971 the Local Government Commission proposed the formation of a ‘Southern City’ incorporating Manukau, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, Howick and Papakura. This scheme met with strong opposition from some of the smaller local bodies and was abandoned the following year.
In 1989, however, as part of a nation-wide restructure of local government, Papatoetoe City and Howick Borough were absorbed into an enlarged Manukau City (ppn. 219,500). Papakura District was formed from Papakura City and portions of Manukau City and Franklin County. Otahuhu, which had united with Mt Wellington Borough to form Tamaki City in 1986, was absorbed into Auckland City. Manukau City grew to become New Zealand’s third largest city (the population in 2007 was 328,968).
Vale Manukau
In March 2009 the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance released a report recommending the abolition of all existing councils in the region and their replacement by a single unitary city council, along with the creation of six subordinate local councils, including a reshaped Manukau. The National Government, in its response, opted for a single unitary city council, but with a second tier of twenty to thirty community boards. This looked like the end of the line for Manukau.
Hugh Lambie, who had been county chairman from 1956 to 1965, was the city’s first mayor, from 1965 to 1968. He was followed by Sir Lloyd Elsmore, who served for five terms (1968-1983), and Sir Barry Curtis, who served for a remarkable eight terms (1983-2007). Local lawyer Len Brown was elected mayor in 2007. At the time of writing, it seems that he will be the last Mayor of Manukau. Within a few months a city that is itself not quite 50 years old, but is the heir to over 150 years of local body tradition, will disappear.
More information: see 
Manukau’s Journey.
Publication history: first published in Connexions, no. 101, April 2009, pp. 4-6. Revised for publication on the Manukau Libraries website in September 2009.
Copyright © Manukau Libraries. This text may be used freely for purposes of private study and research and for non-commercial publication providing that the author and Manukau Libraries are duly acknowledged.
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