Royal Oak refers to the tree Charles II hid up during the Battle of Worcester to avoid capture.

Designed by John Park, a local architect who was also mayor of Onehunga on two occasions, the structure was erected in memory of Prime Minister Seddon who died suddenly in office in 1906.

The Royal Oak Monument was in the form of a Gothic Market Cross and was a combined tram shelter, gas lamp standard and drinking fountain.

By the middle of the 20th century it was decided that the memorial was an obstruction to traffic and it was removed during September and October 1947.

[3] The Royal Oak roundabout served six converging roads but one has been closed off in recent years.

Royal Oak was once home to Boyd Zoo, one of the earliest Zoological Garden in New Zealand.

It was opened in 1912 by local businessman (and future mayor of Onehunga) John James Boyd.

It held 600 to 2000 specimens including several lions, bears, wolves, flamingos, and other exotic animals.

There is an often repeated tale of a lion escaping from the zoo and wandering around the streets of Onehunga, however this story is somewhat erroneous and misleading.

The most probable origin of the story was a lion cub which had gotten into a paddock of cows with calves around the Christmas of 1917.

Rather than a wild lion roaming the streets, the small cub was backed into a corner of the paddock by the herd until it was lassoed and returned to its enclosure.