New Zealand's history is very young.

In 1840 the area of land, which we now know as Ponsonby, Freemans Bay and Herne Bay, was purchased from local Maori chiefs, for Queen Victoria.
Original payment for the land:
50 Blankets
50 Pounds (money)
20 Trousers
20 Shirts
10 Waistcoats
10 Caps
10 Iron Pots
4 Casks of Tobacco
1 Box of Pipes
100 Yards (92 metres) of Gown Pieces
1 Bag of Flour
20 Hatchets
In the 1840’s, the Karangahape Road and Ponsonby areas as we know them today were virtually deserted. One hundred and sixty years ago the hills and valleys were covered with fern and manuka trees.

It was not until the 1850’s that residential growth started. Then the commercial buildings started appearing, These buildings on Ponsonby and K' Roads are of Victorian architecture. By 1900 the landscape was covered by industry and housing.