Star Blocks are so called because from an aerial view they have a (slightly) star shape.
A well-known architect Frederick Newman, supposedly influenced by 50s Italian architecture, designed the prototype Star Blocks.
Past Photographs of Freemans Park
Courtesy of Auckland City Archives
Courtesy of Auckland City Archives
Freemans Bay, Auckland, with Auckland City Council flats, 22 Jun 1965
Courtesy of National Library of New Zealand
Courtesy of Auckland City Archives