South Auckland is an imprecisely defined urban area of Auckland, New Zealand, with a young population, a relatively large Polynesian and Māori demographic, and lower incomes than other parts of Auckland. The name South Auckland, though not an official place name, has come into common use among New Zealanders. It also appears in the names of some organisations and companies. Since the 1970s the term "South Auckland" has developed negative connotations with outsiders, being associated with deprivation, crime and violence. When street crime occurs in the area, the mass media tend to use the generic "South Auckland" phrase, with its vague and unfortunate stereotypes, rather than a more precise name of a suburb or territorial authority. Barry Curtis, mayor of Manukau City from 1983 to 2007, tried to discourage use of the name "South Auckland" because of its negative connotations. History The area between Manurewa and Clevedon was historically a large swampland. By the 1890s, this swampland was a major location for kauri gum digging, and became known variously as the Ardmore Gumfield or the Papakura Gumfield. By the 1900s, Auckland gumfields and swamps began being converted into farmland and orchards. Geography The heart of South Auckland is the low socio-economic suburbs of the former Manukau City, typified by Ōtara but including Papatoetoe, Māngere and Manurewa. Broadly speaking, South Auckland is the urban area stretching from at the very least the narrowing of the Auckland isthmus at Ōtāhuhu, southwards through the Manukau City suburbs lying to the west and near east of Auckland's Southern Motorway (State Highway 1). The area does not include the more affluent eastern and northern Manukau City suburbs such as Howick, Dannemora, Botany Downs, Flat Bush and Pakuranga or the large rural area of Manukau City. The name does not include Franklin District, which lies south of Papakura. Prior to the 1970s, South Auckland encompassed the region from Ōtāhuhu south to Mercer, and from the west coast to the Firth of Thames, including the southern towns of Pukekohe, Tuakau and Waiuku. Auckland Airport is located in South Auckland, as well as several other places of interest, including the amusement park Rainbow's End, the Auckland Botanic Gardens and one of the oldest shopping malls in the country, now called Westfield Manukau City. Some of the suburbs in South Auckland contain predominantly state housing and are the poorest suburbs of Auckland. The area also contains the industrial heartland