HOWICK There was a time Howick was a fair distance from Auckland. A place where as an Aucklander where you may visit to get away for the day or for the weekend. Now Howick is a dormitory suburb of Auckland. In the late eighties after an Auckland wide municipal shake up, the Howick municipality was (for wealth reasons) aligned to the city of Manukau. A decision resented by most. Howick, though has over recent decades been able to retain the ‘charm’ that has made the place appealing, first primarily English settlers, but now is widely acknowledged as being extremely multi cultural. The old world charm is still apparent when one visits the main street, and from Stockade Hill the views to the Gulf are a delight. A visit to the Howick historical village is a must if you wish to get a fantastic re-enactment of history. Howick is an inclusive and community minded suburb with high living desirability. Howick has retained its ‘out of town’ feeling and is now a great place for a coffee. Howick is named after Henry George Grey, as Viscount Howick, who was Secretary for the Colonies in the British Parliament. Hence a strong British Heritage, that remains today. The very original Howick, Pakuranga, and Whitford areas were part of the Fairburn claim. William Thomas Fairburn, with his wife and family, established a Church Missionary Society with over 40,000 acres under claim.