How many suburbs do you know that boast unique concrete sheds? Oranga Bay does. Let’s explore this residential suburb in Auckland. It is a place with a fascinating history and a vibrant community.
Oranga Bay is located nine kilometres southeast of Auckland’s city center. It sits between the commercial suburbs of Te Papapa and Penrose. One Tree Hill and Onehunga border it to the north and south. Oranga is a small suburb covering only 0.67 square kilometers.
Oranga has a population of approximately 3,520 residents. The population density is high with 5,254 people per square kilometer. The suburb has seen some population changes over the years. The 2023 census recorded 2,772 residents. This was a decrease from previous years.
Oranga is a diverse community. A mix of cultures and ethnicities call it home. Around 32.8% of residents identify as European. Maori make up 17.7% of the population. A significant 47.5% identify as Pasifika. Asian residents account for 19.6%. A smaller percentage identify as Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African.
English is widely spoken in Oranga. Maori and Samoan languages are also present. Many residents speak other languages too. This reflects the suburb’s multicultural character.
Oranga offers several local facilities for its residents. Oranga Kindergarten is located next to Fergusson Domain. Oranga School provides primary education. One Tree Hill College, Marcellin College, and Onehunga High School serve as secondary schools.
Now, let’s talk about those unique concrete sheds near Oranga Bay. Around 200 of these sheds were built around 1947. They are located in Oranga and Onehunga. The blueprints for these sheds are lost. We know how they were constructed. Workers used wood forms to create the base, cylinder, and roof. These forms were reused for each pouring. The parts may have been built off-site and assembled on location.
The ceiling had a cheese segment style rotation. It was poured and mounted atop the cylinder. A circular indent system held the roof in place. These sheds featured a door and a window. The window had four upper louvres and a lower pane. A small drainage hole sat at the floor wall corner. The roof had a shallow v-gutter around the outer edge. This channeled rain to a drainage dip. The roof could not be walked upon. The interior walls had six vertical planks. These held tools.
The cylinder walls were about two and a half inches thick. The roof section was three inches thick. The base was also three inches thick. The internal space measured eight feet across the floor. It was seven feet to the apex above. These sheds were used for storage. They may have also been used for dispatching fowl. Slight banding and nail head indents can be seen on the walls. This is where the wood forms were erected. The exterior had a simple white coating. These sheds are a unique part of Oranga’s history.
Oranga Bay is more than just a residential suburb. It is a community with a diverse population, local facilities and unique historical features. The concrete sheds are a testament to the area’s past. They offer a glimpse into a time when practical and innovative solutions were needed. As you explore Oranga Bay, take a moment to appreciate its unique character.