Local histories:
Brown, Annette, Wilson, Lorraine and Walker, Rona
The 1990 Blockhouse Bay settlers handbook. (1990)
A brief but worthy survey of the history of Blockhouse Bay.
Bush, Graham W.A.
Decently and in order, the government of the City of Auckland 1840 - 1971, the centennial history of the Auckland City Council. (1971)
The Avondale area amalgamated with Auckland City on 1 September 1927, and thus there is much of relevance to both Avondale and Avondale South (more recently Blockhouse Bay) here. Bush has written a superb history of local government activities in much of the Auckland isthmus, and in 1991 he followed this with Advance in order, the Auckland City Council from centenary to reorganisation 1971 - 1989. Note that the Auckland Research Centre has the large index to the notes of both these works.
The challenge of the Whau; a history of Avondale, 1750 - 1990.
(1994)
Published by the Avondale History Group, this is an excellent local history. It includes economic and social developments in the area, as well as the expansion of local government. There are four sections: 1750 - 1849, 1850 - 1899, 1900 - 1959 and 1960 - 1990, with a range of aspects covered in each.
Compiled by Lisa J. Truttman
Heart of the Whau: the story of the centre of Avondale (2001-2003)
Pulbished by the Avondale - Waterview Historical Society, this provides a very detailed chronological survey of the period 1841 to 2001. It also has a good index. The society also produces its own journal.
McLachlan, Bruce.
Blockhouse Bay: a village within a town. (1980)
Utilising oral histories the author focuses on the district from the 1910s to the late 1940s. As well as the very early history of the area, the book also describes the effects of the military blockhouse, kauri gum, canals, school, local industries, recreation and church.
Scott, Dick.
Fire on the clay, the Pakeha comes to West Auckland (1979)
Although written from a West Auckland perspective, much of Avondale's shopping and employment focus was and is to the West, particularly around the industrial, commercial and retail New Lynn area.
Some rough notes on events in the early history of Avondale. (1962)
Five pages of recollections of early Avondale, no doubt by a long time resident.
Compiled by Keith Rusden for the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society
Why “Blockhouse” Bay? The story that gave the bay its name. (2005)
There is also a supplement to the Auckland Star of 15 August 1965 entitled From fields to factories. This describes both the former market gardens on the Rosebank peninsula and the development of factories in the early 1960s.
The Auckland City Council Archives has records of the Avondale Road Board and Council 1891 - 1927.
Rimtark - an website on the history of Avondale.
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