Howick is now a large suburb on the east coast of Auckland. It
began as a small garrison settlement in 1847 as part of the line
of defence set up around Auckland during the Maori land wars. The
semi-retired Royal New Zealand Fencible troops who settled there
were given land and promised small homes on the condition that
they could be called upon to defend the area in the event of an
attack. Such an attack never eventuated. The picture below is
taken from Stockade Hill which was a stronghold prepared as a
refuge for the women and children of the area. It has commanding
360 degree views of the area and is the site of a memorial to
local ANZAC troops who died during WW1
Now 150 years later there are still remnants of the old settlement in the form of old cottages and the historic Selwyn Church. Many of the present inhabitants are descendants of the early settlers and many of the streets were named after them.
The area has now been almost entirely swallowed up by housing developments but still retains some of its old village character including the Domain which is on the site of the old village green.
There are many beautiful beaches in the area which are popular for swimming and boating.
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