Glen Eden is located approximately 14km South West of Auckland’s CBD. The Glen Eden Village is located on West Coast Road and is the central hub for the area. Many businesses and shops are located here and the train station is across the road, providing a park and ride option.
From 1853, orchards were planted around Glen Eden, but failed to prosper until the early 1900s, when Dalmatian immigrants entered the sector. The completion of the railway from central Auckland to Henderson in 1881 encouraged the growth of settlements beside the line, including Glen Eden. In the 1950s and 1960s building companies like Neil Homes providing low-cost houses for new home owners. The association of its early name, Waikumete, with the nearby cemetery was one reason residents pressed for a change of name. The council agreed and Glen Eden was chosen, firstly because the chairman of the council came from Mount Eden, and secondly because of the beautiful valleys and orchards in the district.
