During the early colonial era of Auckland, it was the main south-bound road. It was named after William Cornwallis Symonds in 1842, soon after his death.[2]
Demographics
The statistical areas of Symonds Street North West, Symonds Street West and Symonds Street East encompass the area east of Queen Street and west of Grafton Gully. They do not include the part of Symonds Street which runs through the University of Auckland, or the part south of SH 1. They cover 0.34 km2 (0.13 sq mi)[3] and had an estimated population of 9,250 as of June 2023,[4] with a population density of 27,206 people per km2.
Symonds Street had a population of 7,758 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 609 people (8.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 3,057 people (65.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,147 households, comprising 3,876 males and 3,876 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 213 people (2.7%) aged under 15 years, 5,304 (68.4%) aged 15 to 29, 2,109 (27.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 135 (1.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 26.9% European/Pākehā, 4.4% Māori, 3.0% Pacific peoples, 63.1% Asian, and 8.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 77.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.0% had no religion, 22.1% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 7.1% were Hindu, 7.3% were Muslim, 4.6% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,643 (35.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 273 (3.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 471 people (6.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,484 (32.9%) people were employed full-time, 1,530 (20.3%) were part-time, and 603 (8.0%) were unemployed.[5]
St Benedict's Church, 1 St Benedicts St, 1888, Gothic church building, possibly the largest in New Zealand at the time of construction.[26]
Stables, 32 St Benedicts St, 1883, originally part of a larger complex hosting at least 30 Clydesdale horses.[27]
Upper Symonds Street Historic Area, an area covering Symonds Street south of the Southern Motorway, and adjacent parts of Kyhber Pass Road, Newton Road, Mt Eden Road and New North Road.[28]
^ ab"Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Symonds Street North West (135100), Symonds Street West (135300) and Symonds Street East (135900).