David Burn (c.1799 – 1875) was the first landowner in Eden Terrace to start subdividing farmland up for residential development.

He was also a playwright, journalist, and author of the first Australian drama to be performed on stage, The Bushrangers.

[7] Scottish-born Burn immigrated to Auckland in 1847 and in 1849 bought land at the top of Symonds Street from William Smellie Graham, who in turn had bought the land from the Crown in December 1848.

[8] In 1861 then again in 1863, Burn subdivided the land around Cotele into hundreds of small building allotments and sold them off at a considerable profit.

[9] New roads appeared as the land was subdivided; Burn was always "warmly attached to the navy and nautical matters"[10] which could explain his choice of road names: Basque; Dundonald; and Exmouth – all associated with famous sea battles.

David Burn died in 1875, "in comfortable circumstances" thanks to selling the Cotele allotments at such high prices.

The results were 57.0% European (Pākehā); 8.9% Māori; 4.9% Pasifika; 34.0% Asian; 6.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".