South Auckland

Rosehill, Auckland: South Auckland Suburb With Local Parks Near Papakura

Last updated October 2026

Rosehill is a quiet residential South Auckland suburb near Papakura — established family streets, the Rosehill College secondary school, local parks, and easy access to the Papakura town centre amenities including train station.

Official Suburb Facts

The official Rosehill boundary. Boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.

Population (2023 Census): About 4,010, up 3% since 2018
Land area: 3.05 km²
Location: 30.4 km south-east of central Auckland
Council: Auckland Council
Neighbouring suburbs: Ōpaheke, Karaka, Pahurehure, Drury

Local details

Ward or local board: Papakura Local Board
Getting there: SH1 motorway access; Papakura train station nearby
Main shopping: Papakura town centre, nearby
Schools: Mangapikopiko School, Rosehill College, Rosehill Intermediate, Rosehill School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Papaonekura

Boundary, area and neighbours: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. Population: Stats NZ 2023 Census usually resident population, CC BY 4.0, summed from the statistical areas inside the boundary.

Who Lives in Rosehill

About 4,010 residents in 1,090 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.

Homes

Owned or in a family trust

57%NZ 66%

Rented

44%NZ 34%

Standalone houses

86%NZ 79%

Townhouses, units and flats

14%NZ 21%

Damp (always or sometimes)

25%NZ 18%

Mould larger than A4

22%NZ 14%

Getting to work

Drive or get a lift

83%NZ 70%

Bus, train or ferry

5%NZ 5%

Walk or cycle

1%NZ 6%

Work from home

10%NZ 18%

People

Moved here in the last 5 years

53%NZ 53%

Disabled (aged 5 and over)

8%NZ 8%

Regular smokers (aged 15 and over)

11%NZ 8%

Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ (aged 15 and over)

3%NZ 5%

Ethnicity

European

40%NZ 68%

Māori

29%NZ 18%

Pacific Peoples

21%NZ 9%

Asian

28%NZ 17%

Middle Eastern, Latin American and African

2%NZ 2%

Other (including New Zealander)

1%NZ 1%

People can choose more than one ethnicity, so these add up to more than 100%.

Religion

No religion

38%NZ 52%

Christian

33%NZ 32%

Hindu

6%NZ 3%

Buddhist

2%NZ 1%

Muslim

2%NZ 2%

Māori religions and beliefs

3%NZ 1%

Other religions

9%NZ 3%

Source: Stats NZ 2023 Census, CC BY 4.0. Figures are summed from the census areas inside the official Rosehill boundary. Percentages are of the people or homes that answered each question; a figure is left out when fewer than 100 answered.

About Rosehill

Rosehill is an established residential South Auckland suburb near Papakura — family housing across mature residential streets, with the Rosehill College secondary school as the suburb’s main institutional anchor. The position close to Papakura town centre gives easy commercial and transport access while retaining a quieter residential character.

Rosehill College

Rosehill College is a state secondary school serving the Papakura/Rosehill area — one of the local zoned options for South Auckland secondary education. The college anchors much of the local family demographic. Combined with nearby primary options, Rosehill has solid education infrastructure.

Near Rosehill

Just outside Rosehill, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.

Places

Freedom Camping at Hingaia Reserve, KarakaFreedom Camping in Auckland · 2.4 km Te Waituarua Reserve Playground, TakaniniSouth Auckland Playgrounds · 5.4 km Wattle Downs WalkwayCoastal and Waterfront Walks · 6.1 km Wattle Downs WalkwayCoastal and Waterfront Walks · 6.1 km Maketu Waterfall RamaramaHūnua and South Waterfalls · 7.9 km Auckland Botanic GardensGardens and Arboretums · 8.7 km

Where to Learn More

Rosehill College — local secondary school.

Papakura Local Board — local government area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Rosehill?
South Auckland near Papakura. ~28 km from CBD.

What’s Rosehill College?
State secondary school serving the Papakura/Rosehill area — main institutional anchor.

What’s the character?
Quiet established family residential, close to Papakura town centre.

Which schools are in Rosehill?
Schools in Rosehill include Rosehill School, Rosehill Intermediate, Rosehill College, Mangapikopiko School and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Papaonekura.

How do I get to Rosehill?
Rosehill has SH1 motorway access, and Papakura train station is nearby.

Where do people in Rosehill go shopping?
Papakura town centre, close by, is the main shopping area.

For more South Auckland suburbs see Auckland Suburbs.

Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.

Explore Auckland only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Rosehill is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.