Riverhead is a small, historically predominantly working-class town located at the head of the Waitematā Harbour in the north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the northwestern shores of the Upper Waitematā Harbour, north-east of the towns of Kumeū and Huapai.
Traditionally known as Rangitōpuni, the area was an important transportation link for Tāmaki Māori, due to Te Tōangaroa, a portage where waka could be hauled between the Kaipara Harbour and the Waitematā Harbour. European settlement began in 1844 when a kauri mill was established at Riverhead, and the settlement became an important port for reaching the Kaipara Harbour from the 1850s. Riverhead developed as a community in the 1860s around the mill, which had been converted into the largest flour mill in the wider Auckland area.
During the 1920s, the rural area north of Riverhead was intended to be developed into farmland. Instead the government established Riverhead Forest, an exotic Pinus radiata timber forest. The first tree planting began in 1927, with the majority of the forest planted by 1933. As the forest matured, Riverhead began to be known for timber processing.
Today, Riverhead is a growing, family friendly suburb with flourishing local school, flat walking, tennis courts, parks and playgrounds.
