South Auckland

South Auckland
A satellite view of South Auckland in 2006
South Auckland
Location in the Auckland Region
Coordinates: 36°59′S 174°52′E / 36.99°S 174.87°E / -36.99; 174.87
CountryNew Zealand
IslandNorth Island
RegionAuckland Region
NZ ParliamentMangere
Manurewa
Panmure-Ōtāhuhu
Papakura
Takanini
Government
  MPsJudith Collins (National)
Rima Nakhle (National)
Jenny Salesa (Labour)
Lemauga Lydia Sosene (Labour)
Arena Williams (Labour)
Area
  Total
166.94 km2 (64.46 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)
  Total
374,700
  Density2,200/km2 (5,800/sq mi)

South Auckland (Māori: Te Tonga o Tāmaki Makaurau or Māori: Tāmaki ki te Tonga) is one of the major geographical regions of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. The area is south of the Auckland isthmus, and on the eastern shores of the Manukau Harbour. The area has been populated by Tāmaki Māori since at least the 14th century, and has important archaeological sites, such as the Ōtuataua stonefield gardens at Ihumātao, and Māngere Mountain, a former site important to Waiohua tribes.

The area was primarily farmland until the mid-20th century, when the construction of the Auckland Southern Motorway led to major suburban development, and the establishing of Manukau City, which was later amalgamated into Auckland. Large-scale state housing areas were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, which led to significant Urban Māori and Pasifika communities developing in the area. The presence of 165 different ethnicities makes South Auckland one of the most diverse places in New Zealand but also one of the most socio-economically deprived.