A suburb whose hippest pub, The Gluepot, hosted gigs by the likes of Hello Sailor, Mick Jagger, and Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett who once, mid-performance, leapt high enough to headbutt a hole into the ceiling. That suburb is Ponsonby.
Until the 1980s, the inner-city suburb once known as ‘Dedwood’ was among Auckland’s most diverse, whose immigrant Asian community lived alongside Māori, Pacific Islanders, and Pākehā. A suburb where artists, entrepreneurs, and gang members rubbed shoulders on streets that birthed Aotearoa’s reggae and Rastafarian scenes.
“In those days, playing the Gluepot was the musician’s equivalent of a footballer playing rugby at Eden Park,” wrote soul and blues singer Rick Bryant for the New Zealand Listener in 1994. “It meant having made the grade. It had a special atmosphere. And, if you have played there a lot, you can’t help but feel you belong to a tradition.”
For Verve co-editor Jude Mitchell, such nights at The Gluepot are among her fondest memories of Ponsonby of old. “I remember listening to acts like Rick Bryant, Hello Sailor, and Midge Marsden, and Mick Jagger rocking up for an impromptu concert was just mind-blowing,” she recalls. “I later opened a vintage clothing store called ‘Buffalo Exchange’ and would travel to Los Angeles to purchase second-hand Levi’s and ‘50s dresses. It was a fascinating time because the store was surrounded by amazing bars and restaurants that were just starting to pop up, and you really had the feeling that Ponsonby was evolving into this exciting hub.”
Jude remembers old restaurants such as Surrender Dorothy, The Bronze Goat, and Ivan’s, whose “beautiful owner was a Ponsonby icon with her hair swept up in a French roll”. Jude’s also full of praise for the “amazing vision” of Andy Davies, the man behind Ponsonby Central – and her former landlord at Buffalo Exchange.
Like Jude, many of Andy’s warmest earliest memories of Ponsonby revolve around The Gluepot, “and the Pride Parade in about 1990 when there was an estimated 200 people!”
“Ponsonby had a real sense of community, it was a melting pot of cultures,” Andy tells Verve, “I do miss that diversity, I miss the characters.” Jude agrees that it’s a shame that in the years since, the area has lost some of its multiculturalism.
MEMORY LANES
For all its colour and characters, younger readers and newer arrivals to Tāmaki Makaurau may be surprised to learn that poverty in Ponsonby was once rife, its present-day, shimmering villas springing from dilapidated dwellings that were in such a state of disrepair as to be considered slum-like.
“My family lived in Ponsonby about 75 years ago when it was an incredibly poor area,” says Jude. “My parents and their siblings lived in John Street in the days when there were outdoor toilets – before my time!”
“My family have been in Ponsonby since the 1950s, and I grew up in the early ‘80s just down the road from where my shop is now,” says Stefan ‘Spider’ Sinclair, founder of Two Hands Tattoo, which moved to Ponsonby, from Symonds Street, around 2009. “I remember the houses were often quite run down, and there were way less cars on the streets. I also remember the footpaths being paved with red stones. Most of our neighbours were immigrant families, plus a few Māori families that had moved here from outside of Tāmaki. There were also retired Pākehā neighbours who’d been in their houses since they were first built, and lots of student flats, too. My main memory from those days is that every one kind of knew each other and looked out for one another. There was a very strong sense of community.”
Labour List MP Helen White, whose office is on Ponsonby Road, remembers being one of the “scrawny white kids doing the dances” at Napier Street School (now Freemans Bay School), when it was 98% Polynesian. But her earliest memory of Ponsonby is when she first arrived there at three years old.
“Hearing the sirens in the city was so exciting,” she says. “And Ponsonby’s multiculturalism really stood out, fruit shops full of taro – there really was a definite difference. We lived in one of the new townhouses built after a typhoid outbreak which led to a whole lot of houses being knocked down. The townhouses were quite controversial at the time, but they were very community-centred, with a common in the middle, and remain a really interesting feature of Freemans Bay today. As I grew older, I loved the bohemian environment. There was a huge buzz to the place, and Ponsonby really felt like the heart of the city.”
Businesses are predominantly owner-occupied, and many, like Prego and SPQR, have been around for 25, 30 years.
CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY
Though the run-down residences have long since been transformed into multi-million-dollar dwellings, boutiques, and cafes, many residents insist Ponsonby retains its unconventional soul. West London-born Ron Redel, who owns designer furniture store, Bob & Friends, has been living in Auckland for 12 years (but visiting for 30-odd years thanks to his Kiwi wife, Megan). He compares Ponsonby’s rebirth to the gentrification of London’s East End – though adds that the finished product more channels the spirit of London’s fashionable west.
“Ponsonby is the closest thing New Zealand has to Notting Hill Gate,” continues Ron. “It’s still the most bohemian area in Auckland, the most European. Sure, it’s become more expensive, but, unlike London, it’s still doable, there’s still room to dream.”
What there is not room for – literally and figuratively speaking – are international chains.
“That’s what enables Ponsonby to keep its flavour and its charm,” Ron goes on. “Businesses are predominantly owner-occupied, and many, like Prego and SPQR, have been around for 25, 30 years. There are no vast shops, and the small spaces create a boutique feel. Whether it be in hospitality or with designers like Karen Walker, Ponsonby embraces local talent.”
“It’s full of inspiring people, definitely an area where creative people congregate – and they have always been our main client base,” says Spider. “Plus, we get some of the best lunch options in the city!”
Did you set out to establish the studio in Ponsonby?
“Absolutely, it was always my dream location. It made sense to move here because the people of Ponsonby have always been so supportive of Two Hands.”
Helen too reveals that she deliberately chose Ponsonby Road as her base.
“I wanted a location that was much more about Ponsonby and addressing the needs of people in the electorate. It’s a place people come to from all over the city, it’s an event in itself. The location is linked well by buses, anyone can get to my office. I was also very lucky to get on a bit of Ponsonby Road that I love, right opposite Western Park, which reminds me of the Ponsonby I grew up in.”
“Customers and regular passers-by are forever stopping to say ‘hi’,” says Ron. “The community spirit here is second to none, in part because the residential and retail streets remain so intertwined.”
“The community really is wonderful, and always has been,” Helen adds. “It was a place people came to feel included – being gay in Ponsonby was never a problem and that was from very early on. It’s an atmosphere that’s creative and brave and I love it.”
Andy Davies, Founder of Ponsonby Central
What do you most love about Ponsonby?
The parks, the people on the streets, the dining on the street.
Favourite dinner spot?
Anywhere in Ponsonby Central, and my food craving at the time. At the moment, my favourite is street food.
Favourite place to kick back with a cocktail or glass of wine?
Clipper, and Bedford Soda & Liquor.
Sum up Ponsonby in a few words…
Vibrant, layered, green, varied, historic… flawed.
Jude Mitchell, Co-editor of Verve Magazine
What do you most love about Ponsonby?
It’s vibrant and ever-changing with a huge mix of young and old.
Favourite dinner spot?
Annabel’s – and for baking in the afternoon sun with a glass of wine!
Sum up Ponsonby in a few words…
Exhilarating, energetic, unconventional.
Helen White, Labour List MP
Some issues that are important to Ponsonby residents at present?
We’ve seen this bounce back and resilience in our overall economy, which is fantastic, but there’s a lot of pain in retail and hospitality. In many ways, those industries are being reinvented, but it’s a painful experience.
What’s coming across in my chats on the street is people’s commitment to a social purpose. Just today, I met some locals who were talking about their work. They reminded me that it’s not all about the money, instead they’re talking about what they’re achieving and the impact that they’re having in their work. I think that is a critical change in New Zealand society, where we’re really seeing people prioritising the connection and community over money, which is an incredible thing because we all need to earn what we can to survive.
Sum up Ponsonby in a few words…
Creative, original, pretty, conscious, inclusive.
Stefan ‘Spider’ Sinclair, Founder of Two Hands Tattoo
Favourite dinner spot?
Such a hard question because there are so many, so my top five: Prego, Ockheedokey, Ponsonby International Foodcourt, Orphans Kitchen, and Yuzu.
And for a cocktail or glass of wine?
Again, way too many! So, another top five: Ponsonby Social Club, Ponsonby Pool Hall, Hotel Ponsonby, Annabel’s, and Conch.
Five words that describe Ponsonby?
Home, mahi (work), whānau (family), history, kai (eating), history.
Ron Redel, Owner of Bob & Friends
Favourite memories of Ponsonby?
When we first came over here we bought two sofas and two chairs, made by Forma, from Home in Mackelvie Street and took them all the way back to London. That was over 30 years ago and would you believe we brought them back here when we came back to live 12 years ago and they’re still here having been around the world!
Favourite Ponsonby haunts?
I’m a big fan of Farina, and we go to Yuzu quite a lot. Down the other end, I like Azabu, and Thai House is really good, too. Ponsonby Bistro is always solid for classic dishes. I haven’t been to the Foodcourt for a long time, but that was always great, and something we didn’t have in London.
Viv Rosenberg, Manager of Ponsonby Business Association
Earliest Ponsonby memories?
My New Zealand life started 28 years ago when we emigrated from South Africa. My first impression of Ponsonby was that it was cool, interesting, and relaxed. I loved the architecture, the boutiques and village vibe. Standout memories include long lunching at Prego back in my ad agency days; Franklin Road – its beautiful villas with those trees in springtime, and lights at Christmas; Hero and Rainbow Parades; and Art in the Dark.
What do you most love about Ponsonby?
It’s a unique, urban village with a loyal, supportive, and generous community. We work hard and play hard. The people are talented, passionate and committed, and welcoming to everyone.
Favourite dinner spot?
Way more than one! Ponsonby Road Bistro, Blue Breeze, Gusto, Mekong Baby, Go Go Daddy, Khu Khu, Azabu, and our newest addition, Inca.
Favourite place to kick back with a cocktail or glass of wine?
Any venue along Ponsonby Road with an available table outside like Beau, Clipper, Longroom, Broken Lantern, or Hotel Ponsonby.
Sum up Ponsonby in a few words…
Diverse, authentic, connected, soulful, expressive, and forward thinking.
