Combining interviews with original and archival photographs, Sandringham Stories follows the lives of eight Sandringham residents set against the backdrop of an evolving community.

When Hugh Anderson’s grandfather arrived in New Zealand in the early 1900s, he settled in an Auckland suburb known as Edendale, which was then little more than flood-prone farmland. In the 1920s, with the arrival of drainage infrastructure, a school, and a tramline down Edendale Road, the area was renamed Sandringham. It is here that our story begins.

Sandringham Stories is a narrative history book that celebrates our suburb’s history and the people who make up our community. Their stories may feel familiar to you. Some of them were born here; others came from small mining towns and railway junctions. Some have lived here their entire lives; others have moved away. What they have in common is a strong sense of the way this community has shaped their lives.
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Developed in late 2024 with support from the Sandringham Project in Community Empowerment (SPiCE), Sandringham Stories was originally part of celebrations for the International Day of Older Persons. Starting in May 2025, Sandringham Stories exhibited at the Mt Albert Library, and later at the Sandringham Community Centre. Thanks to funding from the Albert-Eden Local Board’s Neighbourhood Arts programme, additional interviews and research was conducted to turn the project into a published book in 2026.

Join the Sandringham Stories Facebook Group to connect with local residents and share your own Sandringham stories! Learn more and read Sandringham Stories online here.