Посонби: История, современность и преображение района Окленда.

A predominantly upper middle class residential suburb, Ponsonby today is also known in Auckland for its dining and shopping establishments – many restaurants, cafes, art galleries, up market shops and nightclubs are located along Ponsonby Road. The borders of Ponsonby are often seen as being rather fluid, taking in St Mary's Bay and Herne Bay to the north and including Freemans Bay to the east and Grey Lynn to the south and west. Ponsonby is properly bounded by Jervois Road to the north, Richmond Road to the south and Ponsonby Road to the east. The area was originally a working class to middle class area. From the Great Depression until the 1980s it contained many rundown buildings, and had a somewhat 'colourful' reputation. This was partially due to some criminal elements, its many Māori and Pacific Island residents and (from the 1970s onwards) student flats and an association with Auckland's arts and gay/lesbian scenes. Ponsonby includes an area called Three Lamps which is located at the north end of Ponsonby Road. This name is derived from a 19th century Lamppost (now reconstructed see below), There are other locations called Three Lamps for the same reason; intersections in the UK Crewe and Totterdown in Bristol which might conceivably have influenced the derivation here. There was also a Pub with that name in Swansea, Wales and a location in Macau in China. The suburb has undergone extensive gentrification over the last two decades. Addresses in Ponsonby have either the 1011 or 1021 postcode. The Māori name for the ridge is Te Rimu Tahi ('The Lone Rimu Tree'), referring to an ancient tree which, it is claimed, stood in a prominent position at what is now the intersection of Ponsonby Road and Karangahape Road. The main street for which Ponsonby is known is Ponsonby Road, which runs the length of the ridge from the Karangahape Road intersection to the south to the Three Lamps intersection to the north. En route there are three major intersections; Williamson Avenue, which is the main thoroughfare of Grey Lynn to the west, Richmond Road (again to the west), which divides Grey Lynn and Ponsonby and Franklin Road, which is the main road in Freemans Bay to the east.

From as early as the 1850s St Mary's Bay and Herne Bay were favoured by several prosperous Aucklanders for their harbour views. They built elegant "marine villas" with extensive gardens and private jetties from which they commuted to the bottom of Queen Street. These were largely accessible only from the water as the Ponsonby and Jervois ridges and the area beyond were mostly coarse scrubland. A number of these 'marine villas' still stand, now surrounded by later Edwardian suburban developments. As College Hill was too steep for horse drawn vehicles, all traffic from the centre of Auckland came via Karangahape Road (which is why the numbering starts at the K Road end). After the establishment of the horse bus service in the 1880s a small shopping centre developed at the end of the route {what is now Three Lamps but then called Dedwood}. This shopping centre prospered as it was able to serve the larger properties in Herne Bay, the small workers cottages in College Hill and the new middle class houses of Grey Lynn. Eventually the tram route (first horse drawn and then electric) was extended along Jervois Road, which saw more residential and retail development. The area now called Three Lamps was originally a farm called "Dedwood", apparently named after a friend of the first owners; a Captain Dedwood, who may, or may not, have served in the armed forces in New Zealand. What is now called Jervois Road was at that time called Ponsonby Road. There was apparently both a Dedwood Road Board and a Ponsonby Road Board as well as references to both a Dedwood District Board and a Ponsonby District Board. Ponsonby definitely sounded more elegant than Dedwood so by the 1870s Ponsonby was apparently used by many people to refer to the whole area. Around 1873 the name was changed from Dedwood to Ponsonby although throughout the mid 1870s public announcements refer to 'Dedwood and/or Ponsonby' just to be safe. The name change may have sounded better in real estate advertisements, but it initially caused problems; in the New Zealand Herald, it is mentioned that the change caused problems with the area's membership of both the Harbour Board and the Domain Board as their legal documents specified the Dedwood Road Board and Dedwood District Boards:(The) Superintendent, should have intimated to the rate payers of the Dedwood district, that by their adopting a less funereal name they would disfranchise themselves. This problem was eventually sorted out and in any case in 1882 Ponsonby, along with Karangahape and Grafton was amalgamated with Auckland City. In the 1950s and 1960s a combination of people moving to new outer suburbs, Auckland City Council policy of "slum" clearances and the construction of the motorway through Freemans Bay, led to plummeting rents and a drastic downturn in the economic fortunes of the area directly west of the CBD. The 1950s and 1960s saw many Pacific Islanders arriving in the country and they tended to take up residence in low cost areas Ponsonby was one of them. By the 1970s, the combination of artists, bohemians, gays and lesbians, and Polynesian migrant workers,

The Three Lamps that gave the area its name stood in the centre of the intersection of Ponsonby Road, St Marys Road, Jervois Road and College Hill. Three lamps of another design were placed on the corner of the former Gluepot Tavern, and the old lamp post was rebuilt next to the Gluepot, and on 10 August 2012 the relighting of the lamps was celebrated. It closed in 1994, the façade remains, however, the interior was demolished and replaced with apartments upstairs and shops downstairs. It is no longer owned by New Zealand Post, and has had numerous businesses based in the building since its sale in 1992. Former Ponsonby Fire Station (15 St Marys Road) was erected in 1902, and was used as a fire station until 1923. The Leys Institute (20 St Marys Road) was a gift of local residents William & Thompson Leys in 1905. In 1969, the theatre shut down and in 1981 1982 it was converted into a shopping plaza, Three Lamps Plaza. Holmdene Gentleman's residence in the Italianate style from the 1880s built for shipping magnate Alexander McGregor. This was run as a Boarding House in the 1980s and was popular with Transvestites. Braemar Building. Designed by William Holman and built around 1911 for M. G McGregor and Captain J. Smith. Franklin Road: Franklin Road residents have a tradition of decorating their homes with Christmas lighting, which attracts thousands of spectators each night they are on. The tradition began around 1993, and in 2022 RNZ called the tradition a "hallmark of Auckland's festive season". The London Plane Trees lining Franklin Road were part of the first beautification scheme undertaken by Auckland City Council in the early 1870s. Three streets were planted with trees; Lower Symonds Street, Grey Street (now Greys Ave) and Franklin Road. Gloucester Court, 1 Franklin Road. 1935 Art Deco Apartment building by Horace Massey.

Fairfield Terrace 117 131 Ponsonby Rd. Stuccoed brick retail development from around 1910. Ponsonby Central. Built as the Allans Calendar Printing Works in the 1950s. Leys Block. Queen Anne / Art Nouveau building erected in 1911 for the Leys family. From the early 1980s to the late 1990s this was the location of the popular "Open Late Cafe". Former Vogels Bakery. 120 128 Ponsonby Road. In the 1940s a German Jewish refugee and doctor of Philosophy named Max Reizenstein established a bakery. Later sold to Johan Klisser the firm has grown into a major manufacturer of baked goods and specifically Vogel's Bread.

Former Newton Borough Council Chambers & Fire Station (1 Williamson Avenue): In 1889, the Council Chambers and Fire Station were designed by John Mitchell. It was rebuilt in the 1950s when the adjoining Pumping Station and Turncock's house were demolished. The VAANA Peace Mural (Ponsonby Water Reservoir) was painted on large panels in 1985 by eight founding VAANA (Visual Artists Against Nuclear Arms) artists: Pat Hanly, Margaret Lawlor Bartlett, Jill Carter Hansen, John Nicol, John Eaden, Claudia Pond Eyley, Nigel Brown and Vanya Lowry in the main gallery at Outreach (now Artstation) with members of the public giving verbal encouragement. Master potters Peter Lange and Lex Dawson worked with Master Builder Matt Stafford to fix the panels to the wall.

Ella Yelich O'Connor/Lorde singer and songwriter. Peter Burling sailor. Karen Walker designer. Andrew Entrican Deputy Mayor of Auckland in the 1890s. Captain William Daldy MP. Member of the Auckland Harbour Board lived Hepburn Street. Amey Daldy feminist wife of William and significant member of the Suffrage Movement which secured the vote for women in 1893. Freda Stark Performer and dancer regarded as the most notorious woman in Auckland. Danced naked, apart from gold paint, on the stage of the Civic Theatre. Doctor Florence Keller The American Florence Keller (née Armstrong) was a Seventh day Adventist, who, when she died in her mid 90s was the oldest practicing surgeon in the world. She lived here from 1908 to 1920. Alexander McGregor local business man part owner of the Northern Steamship Line and latterly the McGregor Steam Ship Company. Michael Joseph Savage Labour Prime Minister and MP for Ponsonby. Peter Fraser Prime Minister. Helen Clark Labour Prime Minister flatted here for a while with Judith Tizard. Judith Tizard MP for Central Auckland. John Currie Architect lived at 50 Wood Street. Charles Blomfield (artist) Noted New Zealand Landscape painter lived at 40 Wood Street. Betty Wark Social worker and activist lived in Hopetoun Street.

Ponsonby is home to the Ponsonby Ponies rugby league club and Ponsonby Rugby Football Club.