Wainuiomata
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Wainuiomata () is a large suburb of
Lower Hutt Lower Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. It is New Zealand's sixth most p ...
, in the
Wellington Region Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of T ...
of New Zealand's
North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
.


Origin of name

The word 'Wainui-o-mata' is a
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
name made up of the words Wai = water, Nui = big, O = of, and Mata – which could refer to a woman's name. The origins of the word are disputed, but one commonly accepted translation refers to the women who came over the Wainuiomata Hill to evade marauding tribes from the north, and who sat wailing by the stream after the slaughter of their menfolk. From this we have 'faces streaming with water' or 'tears' although it could equally refer to the large pools of water which lay over the swampy surface (face) of the northern end of the Valley, or the river itself which is known to flood the Wainui (Coast Road) valley. The town is often abbreviated to Wainui by locals.


History

Wainuiomata occupies a basin at the headwaters of the
Wainuiomata River The Wainuiomata River runs southwest through the Wainuiomata Valley located in the southern Remutaka Range in the North Island, New Zealand. Origin of name The word ''Wainui-o-Mata'' is a Māori name made up of the elements ''wai'' (water), ...
, between the eastern Hutt hills and the Orongorongo Range. There are conflicting reports about the evidence of
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
occupation of the basin prior to European settlement. One source says there is evidence Māori were in Wainuiomata from the moa-hunting period and the iwi Rangitane, Ngāti Ira and Kahungunu were all settled there. The earliest European settlements grew up around the river, where timber mills supplied the
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
region when the demand was great in the 1850s and '60s. Today this area is known as "The Village" or "Homedale". The isolated location of Wainuiomata proved a problem for early settlers. Narrow hill-routes into the settlement were the only access during the 1850s and 1860s. By the end of the 19th century there were two roads in the valley: Main Road and Fitzherbert Road (known locally as "Swamp Road").Carey. Page 107. The town's economy in these early days largely depended on timber milling from the forests around the Wainuiomata River. In the 1850s Sir William Fitzherbert started a flax-milling business in the north of the valley, but this proved economically unviable. In 1866 the Methodist Wainuiomata Coast Road Church was built on land donated by settler Richard Prouse. The oldest Methodist Church and the third-oldest church in the Wellington Region, it was used for regular services until the congregation outgrew it and moved to the new St Stephens Church in 1957. With the clearing of the forests, sheep- and dairy-farming became an important part of the local economy. The settlement started to grow in the 1920s. In 1928 Wainui-o-Mata Development Limited formed for the purpose of developing the Wainuiomata Valley through the acquisition of 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of land, its subdivision and its sale as residential lots. An important part of the project involved the construction of the
Wainuiomata Tunnel The Wainuiomata Tunnel was planned to improve access to the Wainuiomata Valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand’s North Island as part of a scheme to commence residential development there in the 1930s. Construction started in 1932 but ...
linking the Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata Valley for improving access to the new settlement. Construction of the tunnel commenced in 1932, but the Depression bought a halt to construction, with many investors in the company losing money. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
ended in 1945, major growth occurred due to affordable housing developments attracting many young couples, which transformed Wainuiomata into a working-class community. This influx of young families earned the community the nickname of "Nappy Valley" in the 1950s. New Zealand's first Kōhanga Reo opened in Wainuiomata in 1982.
Gary McCormick Gary McCormick is a New Zealand poet, radio and television personality, debater and raconteur. McCormick began writing poetry in 1968. His published volumes are Gypsies (with Jon Benson, 1974), Naked and Nameless (1976), Poems for the Red Engi ...
's 1994 documentary series ''Heartland'' featured an episode about Wainuiomata. The programme angered many local people because it focussed on negative aspects and ignored many positive things going on in the valley. One resident featured on the programme was Chloe Reeves, who for a time became known as 'Chloe of Wainuiomata'. In April 2009 a
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
motelier banned all Wainuiomata residents after a series of misdemeanours by visitors from there. The first series of the television production ''
Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby ''Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby'' is a satirical New Zealand television series, created and written by Danny Mulheron (who also directs and co-produces), Dave Armstrong, and Tom Scott. It stars David McPhail as the titular Mr Gormsby, whose po ...
'' was shot in the old Wainuiomata College with many local residents as cast members. In 2022, a study commissioned by
Wellington Regional Council Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council, is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for Public transport in the Wellington Region, public ...
and conducted by
Jim Lynch James Robert Lynch (August 28, 1945 – July 21, 2022) was an American football linebacker. Lynch played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he was named an All-American and won the Maxwell Award in 1966. Lynch is a memb ...
, the founder of
Zealandia Zealandia (pronounced ), also known as (Māori) or Tasmantis, is an almost entirely submerged mass of continental crust that subsided after breaking away from Gondwanaland 83–79 million years ago.Gurnis, M., Hall, C.E., and Lavier, L.L., ...
, found that establishing a wildlife sanctuary in the
Wainuiomata Water Collection Area Wainuiomata Water Collection Area is a regional park located near Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt in the Wellington Region at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island. It is administered by Wellington Regional Council, for exclusive use by Welli ...
was "technically and practically feasible". The name given to the proposed sanctuary is Puketahā.


Geography

Hills surround Wainuiomata on three sides. The topography reduces local wind-flow, resulting in lower minimum temperatures in winter and higher maximum temperatures in summer than in most other parts of Wellington and the Hutt Valley. The Orongorongo Valley, accessed via the Wainuiomata Valley, features bush walks and native-forest scenery.


Demographics


Wainuiomata Central

Wainuiomata Central statistical area covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Wainuiomata Central had a population of 1,803 at the
2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 123 people (7.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 168 people (10.3%) since the
2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 609 households. There were 858 males and 942 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. The median age was 36.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 390 people (21.6%) aged under 15 years, 351 (19.5%) aged 15 to 29, 801 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 264 (14.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 67.2% European/Pākehā, 28.0% Māori, 14.6% Pacific peoples, 10.3% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 19.3%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 43.4% had no religion, 40.4% were Christian, 3.3% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 1.0% were Buddhist and 3.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 165 (11.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 363 (25.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 717 (50.7%) people were employed full-time, 168 (11.9%) were part-time, and 87 (6.2%) were unemployed.


Greater Wainuiomata

The full suburb of Wainuiomata, comprising the statistical areas of Arakura, Wainuiomata West, Glendale, Wainuiomata Central, Homedale East and Homedale West, covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Wainuiomata had a population of 17,910 at the
2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 1,203 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,266 people (7.6%) since the
2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 5,880 households. There were 8,811 males and 9,093 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female, with 4,059 people (22.7%) aged under 15 years, 3,915 (21.9%) aged 15 to 29, 7,932 (44.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,001 (11.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 66.6% European/Pākehā, 30.4% Māori, 15.9% Pacific peoples, 8.5% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 17.8%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 48.5% had no religion, 37.1% were Christian, 2.3% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 3.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,611 (11.6%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 3,195 (23.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 7,458 (53.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,695 (12.2%) were part-time, and 774 (5.6%) were unemployed.


Government

Since the
1989 New Zealand local government reforms The 1989 New Zealand local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, made up of regional and territorial levels. Backg ...
, Wainuiomata (together with Petone, Eastbourne and Lower Hutt) has been governed by Hutt City Council. The Wainuiomata ward covers the suburb and the surrounding rural area, electing one councillor to the Hutt City Council. Since the 2019 local elections, the ward has been represented by Keri Brown. At the national level, Wainuiomata falls in the
Hutt South Hutt South is a parliamentary electorate in the lower Hutt Valley of New Zealand. It is held by Ginny Andersen of the Labour Party following the 2020 election. It was previously held by Chris Bishop of the National Party Bishop's victory was t ...
general electorate and the
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate. It was formed for the and held by Parekura Horomia of the Labour Party until his death in 2013. A by-election to replace him was held on 29 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Me ...
Māori electorate. Lower Hutt resident and Labour Party MP
Ginny Andersen Virginia Ruby Andersen (born 1975) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. Personal life Andersen lives in Belmont, Lower Hutt. Bill Andersen, a noted activist and trade unio ...
represents Hutt South.


Economy

Wainuiomata has traditionally been a
dormitory suburb A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
: most residents work outside the valley. Several factories that operated in Wainuiomata during the second half of the twentieth century have since closed down.


Wainuiomata Mall

Wainuiomata Mall was established in 1969. After struggling for several years the mall was demolished in 2020, to be made into a smaller shopping centre with a new Countdown supermarket.


Brugger Industries

Frank Brugger began business in Petone and his company Brugger Industries established a factory in Wainuiomata in 1970, employing hundreds of local people. The company made car seats and other components for the domestic car assembly industry, and also manufactured a highly-efficient pyroclastic stove. Brugger retired in 1986 and the factory changed ownership, before closing in 1998.


Bata Shoe Company

Bata had a shoe factory in Wainuiomata from about the 1960s, but it closed in 1992.


Tatra Leather Goods

Tatra, founded by
Frederick Turnovsky Frederick Turnovsky (28 December 1916 – 12 December 1994) was a notable New Zealand manufacturer, entrepreneur, advocate for the arts and community leader. He was born in Prague, Bohemia in 1916. Early life Turnovsky was the second son of ...
, produced leather accessories such as belts and wallets at a factory in Wainuiomata which operated between the 1960s and 1980s.


Feltex Carpets

Feltex had a factory in Wainuiomata which was bought by Alliance Textiles in December 1996 and closed shortly after, with the loss of about 70 jobs. The building later housed a church, and in 2013 Big Save Furniture set up a distribution centre in the former factory.


Tom & Luke

Tom & Luke is a snack food manufacturer based in Wainuiomata that sells its products in New Zealand and exports to Australia, Asia and the United States. It was founded by Tom Dorman and Luke Cooper in 2013. The company employs around 45 people, mostly locals. In 2022 Tom & Luke won the Wellington School of Business and Government Judge’s Choice Award at the ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards.


Transport

The Wainuiomata Hill Road is the only road into and out of Wainuiomata, connecting the suburb with Gracefield and Waiwhetu. Four lanes wide (two in each direction), it is one of the steepest roads in the Wellington region; on the Lower Hutt side, the road climbs 195 metres in 1.9 km, resulting in an average
grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also ref ...
of 10.3%. Two regular bus routes serve Wainuiomata: 160 ''Wainuiomata North'' and 170 ''Wainuiomata South''. Both bus routes travel to Lower Hutt Queensgate via Waterloo Interchange, where they connect with
Hutt Valley Line The Hutt Valley Line is the electrified train service operated by Transdev Wellington on behalf of Metlink on the section of the Wairarapa Line railway between Wellington and Upper Hutt, New Zealand. History Construction The Hutt Valley lin ...
train services to Wellington. Route 160 serves the northern neighbourhoods of Parkway, Arakura and Glendale, while route 170 serves the southern neighbourhoods of Fernlea and Homedale; both routes serve the shopping centre. Two peak-hour services, 80N and 80S, follow routes 160 and 170 within Wainuiomata respectively, but travel via Gracefield and Petone express to central Wellington. A branch commuter railway line (see Wainuiomata railway proposals) was proposed at times in the 20th century, but never proceeded. In 2021 a Christchurch-based property development company advertised new townhouses in Wainuiomata as: ''"In close proximity to Wainuiomata Train Station with trains departing to Lower Hutt and Wellington regularly makes for an effortless daily commute"''.


Education

Wainuiomata has eight schools: six primary schools, an intermediate school and a secondary school. *Arakura School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school in Arakura, and has students as of *Fernlea School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school in Wainuiomata Central, and has students as of *Konini Primary School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school in Parkway, and has students as of It was established in 2002 following the merger of Parkway School and Sun Valley School. *Pukeatua Primary School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in Glendale, and has students as of It was established in 2002 following the merger of Glendale School and Pencarrow School. *St Claudine Thevenet School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school, and has students as of It was established in 2005 following the merger of St Matthew's School and St Patrick's School. * Wainuiomata High School is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school in Parkway, and has students as of It was established in 2002 following the merger of Parkway College and Wainuiomata College. *Wainuiomata Intermediate School is a state intermediate (Year 7–8) school in Parkway, and has students as of It was established in 2002 following the merger of Parkway Intermediate School and Wainuiomata Intermediate School. *Wainuiomata Primary School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school in Homedale, and has students as of It was established in 1857 and merged with Wood Hatton School in 2002.


Kōhanga reo

The first kōhanga reo or
language nest A language nest is an immersion-based approach to language revitalization in early-childhood education. Language nests originated in New Zealand in the 1980s, as a part of the Māori-language revival in that country. The term "language nest" is ...
opened in Wainuiomata in April 1982 at Pukeatua Kōhanga Reo. It was a pilot programme in response to less than 5% of Māori schoolchildren speaking te reo Māori (the Māori language) fluently. Kōhanga reo is immersion early childhood education taught by fluent speakers. By 1994 not only had kura kaupapa (primary and secondary school immersion) also been set up but there were there were 800 kōhanga reo. Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi and Wainuiomata resident
Jean Puketapu Jean Gloria Edith Puketapu or Jean Puketapu-Waiwai (26 July 1931 – 31 July 2012) was a Ngāi Tūhoe Māori language native speaker and co-founder of the first kōhanga reo. Puketapu was one of thirteen children of Haami and Te Ngaroahiahi Waiw ...
started Pukeatua Kōhanga Reo together. The kōhanga reo model has been taken up by other communities around the world. On the 40th anniversary in 2022 Pukeatua Kōhanga Reo had moved to a bigger premises and was led by Kuini Garthwaite (Ngāti Porou).


Arts

Wainuiomata hosts the annual Wellington Folk Festival over Labour Weekend in October. The community theatre society is called Wainuiomata Little Theatre and has been operating since 1956,
Bruce Mason Bruce Edward George Mason (28 September 1921 – 31 December 1982) was a significant playwright in New Zealand who wrote 34 plays and influenced the cultural landscape of the country through his contribution to theatre. In 1980, he was appoi ...
was the patron when it started.


Fire brigade

Wainuiomata has a
volunteer fire brigade A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond t ...
, established in 1944 following a major house-fire in 1943. The siren blasts twice in an emergency and can be heard clearly throughout the valley. The first superintendent was Mr J.S. Dunn. The first station was built in 1945 on land opposite Wainuiomata Primary School. The Wainuiomata Development Company donated land and timber to the brigade, with other brigades and companies donating hose, standpipes and ladders. The Stokes Valley brigade supplied a Gwynne Trailer pump. In the early days any available vehicle would tow the pump and trailer to calls. Often this was a 30-seater bus, as one of the foundation members, Mr Artie Kilmister, was the local bus driver. In 1946 the brigade took delivery of its first "real" fire engine, a Ford V8
Marmon-Herrington The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles. Earlier, the company built military vehicles and some tanks during World War II, and until the late 1950s or early 1960s wa ...
4-wheel-drive. This truck, an ex Air Force tender, remained in service until 1965. It had no flashing lights, only a siren and on occasions this failed: it was not unusual for members to yell from the truck "get out of the way", or words to that effect. The Wainuiomata Volunteer Fire Brigade joined the United Fire Brigades Association of New Zealand (UFBA) in 1944.


Notable people

* Margie Abbott, wife of former Australian prime minister
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...
, grew up in Wainuiomata *
Leo Auva'a Leo Auva'a (born 16 August 1984) is a former rugby union footballer from New Zealand who last played for Benetton Treviso. After failing to break into the Senior Wellington NPC side, Leo Auva'a left for Ireland after receiving an offer to join AI ...
, Leinster rugby player * Frank Brugger, OBE, businessman *
Murray Chandler Murray Graham Chandler (born 4 April 1960, Wellington, New Zealand) is a chess grandmaster who has played internationally for New Zealand and for England, after he gained British citizenship in the early 1980s. Chandler is also known as a ches ...
, Chess Grandmaster *
Trevor Mallard Trevor Colin Mallard (born 17 June 1954) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. First elected to Parliament in 1984, he was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 until 2022. Mallard was a Cabinet m ...
, MP and Speaker of the House *
Beth Mallard Beth Louise Mallard (born 5 August 1981) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She played for and for Otago Rugby Football Union, Otago and Wellington Rugby Football Union, Wellington. She was in the squad that won the 2006 Women's Rugby ...
, Black Fern and daughter of Trevor Mallard * Ihakara Puketapu, former Secretary for Maori Affairs *
Jean Puketapu Jean Gloria Edith Puketapu or Jean Puketapu-Waiwai (26 July 1931 – 31 July 2012) was a Ngāi Tūhoe Māori language native speaker and co-founder of the first kōhanga reo. Puketapu was one of thirteen children of Haami and Te Ngaroahiahi Waiw ...
, founder of Kohanga Reo *
Neemia Tialata Neemia Stanley Tialata (born 15 July 1982 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14. As well as representing New Zealand from 2005 - 2010, he also played for the H ...
, All Black rugby player *
Tana Umaga Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa Umaga (; ; born 27 May 1973) is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. Since 2016 he has been coach of the Blues in the Super Rugby competition. He play ...
, All Black rugby player *
Piri Weepu Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu (born 7 September 1983) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Weepu played most recently for Wairarapa Bush in the Heartland Championship. Generally Weepu played as a half-back but also played at first five-eigh ...
, All Black rugby player


References


Bibliography

* *


External links


Wainuiomata online
Suburbs of Lower Hutt Populated places in the Wellington Region