Hastings, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island
of New Zealand
, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District. Hastings is located some 20 km inland from the neighbouring port city of Napier
.
Less than twenty kilometres separate the centres of Hastings and Napier
, and as such the two are often grouped together as "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities", and are increasingly treated together in official statistics. Their combined population is , making the combined urban area the fifth-largest by population in New Zealand, between Hamilton and Tauranga .
The principal settlements in the Hastings District are the city of Hastings itself and the nearby towns of Flaxmere
and Havelock North
. These main centres are surrounded by thirty-eight rural settlements, including Clive
, Haumoana
and Bridge Pā
. Hastings District covers an area of 5229 square kilometres (2,018.9 sq mi) and has % of the population of New Zealand, ranking it fourteenth in size out of the seventy-four territorial authorities. Since the merger of the surrounding and satellite settlements, Hastings has grown to become the largest urban area in Hawke's Bay.
The Hastings district has a long history of a food producing region, and is commonly referred to as the 'Fruit Bowl of New Zealand'. The fertile plains surrounding the city have grow an abundance of stone fruit, vegetables, and more recently has become the base of New Zealand's Red Wine industry. Associated business included food processing, agricultural services, rural finance, and freight. Hastings also is the major service centre for the surrounding inland pastoral communities while the service industry and tourism is growing rapidly.
, which eventually colonised the eastern side of the North Island from Poverty Bay to Wairarapa. They were one of the first Māori tribes to come in contact with European settlers.
to Thomas Tanner in 1867; Tanner had been trying to purchase the land since 1864. In 1870, twelve people, known as the "12 apostles", formed a syndicate to purchase the land for around £
1 10s
an acre (£371 per km²). Many local people firmly believe that Hastings was originally named Hicksville, after Francis Hicks, who bought a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) block of land, which now contains the centre of Hastings, from Thomas Tanner. However, this story is apocryphal. The original name of the location which was to become the town centre was Karamu.
In 1871, the New Zealand Government decided to route the new railway south of Napier through a notional Karamu junction in the centre of the Heretaunga Plains. This location was on Francis Hicks's land. The decision on the railway route was based largely on two reports by Charles Weber, the provincial engineer and surveyor in charge of the railway. Karamu junction was re-named Hastings in 1873. (On 7 June 1873, the Hawke's Bay Herald reported: "The name of the new town is to be Hastings. We hear it now for the first time.") Exactly who chose the name has been disputed, although Thomas Tanner claimed that it was him (see Hawke's Bay Herald report 1 February 1884) and that the choice was inspired by his reading the trial of Warren Hastings
. In any event, the name fitted well with other place names in the district (Napier, Havelock and Clive), which were also named after prominent figures in the history of British India. {Boyd, M.B. (1984) City of the Plains – A History of Hastings, Victoria University Press for the Hastings City Council, pp. 16–21} In 1874, the first train took the twelve-mile (19 km) trip from Napier
to Hastings, opening up Hastings as an export centre, through Port Ahuriri. A big jump in the local economy occurred when Edward Newbigin opened a brewery in 1881. By the next year, there were 195 freeholders of land in the town and with around six hundred people, the town was incorporated as a borough on 20 October 1886. In 1918, nearly 300 people died of a flu epidemic that swept Hawke's Bay while the following year, in 1919, Hastings welcomed electricity.
measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. The collapses of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 258 people (93 in Hastings). The centre of the town was destroyed by the earthquake, and was subsequently rebuilt in the Art Deco
and Spanish Mission
styles, both popular at that time. Although Hastings did not suffer the crippling fires that Napier did, most deaths were attributed to collapsing buildings, namely Roaches' Department Store in Heretaunga Street
where 17 people perished.
During World War II
, Allied
troops were billeted at the Army, Navy and Air Force (ANA) Club, and in private homes. One hundred and fifty members belonging to sixteen different local clubs packed supplies to be sent to allied soldiers. In 1954, Hastings was the first city in New Zealand to introduce fluoridation of its water supply.http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/0/AB32B58A8D61D9DACC256F47007C32BB The intention was to compare the effect on tooth decay with that in the unfluoridated city of Napier over a ten-year period. The study was criticised for its methodology and results, and remains controversial. http://www.fannz.org.nz/text/potted_history_nz.htm On September 10, 1960, the Hastings Blossom Parade (at the time a significant national event) was cancelled at 11 am for the first time in history due to rain. Parade attendees drank in bars for several hours, and subsequently, when a 'impromptu' parade began at 2 pm, a riot started as police tried to arrest those intoxicated in public. This event was a great social event of New Zealand with modern youth rebellion culture being labelled antisocial, and was subsequently much publicised with the national election later that year.
Hastings grew rapidly in throughout the 1960s and 1970s (Hastings at this time was the fastest growing city in New Zealand), and there was a major issue dealing with encroachment of suburban expansion on high productive land. Flaxmere
was established as a satellite town to absorb rapid growth and was built upon the stoney arid soils of the abandon course of the Ngaruroro River
. Although the land seemed worthless back then, it has subsequently proved highly valued for grape growing, and now is a prized region of Red Wine varietals in the world-famous Gimblett Gravels wine growing region. Starting with economic decline nationally in the late 1970s, coupled with agricultural subsidy reforms in the early 1980s, Hastings went into deep recession with high unemployment and low economic growth. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the economy of Hastings began to turn around.
During the 1989 local government reforms Hastings City was amalgamated with Havelock North Borough and the Hawkes Bay County to form the modern Hastings District. The County Council offices in Napier were closed down and the new Hastings District Council offices were located in Hastings on two sites. Fortunately for the previously land-locked Napier, Napier City boundary was expanded to include Bay View and Meeanee. The Hastings District now entirely surrounds Napier City, and encompasses a much larger area than Napier. However, unlike the predominantly built-up Napier, much of the Hastings District is rural and sparsely populated, and the two local authorities serve a similar population; the Hastings District has approximately residents. Because of their proximity to each other and their relatively small populations, Napier and Hastings are often seen as an obvious candidate for further amalgamation. This has already been tried in the 1999 Amalgamation Referendum where 75% of Napier residents opposed, and 64% of Hastings residents approved. There has been a trend towards greater approval since however. At 11.25 pm on August 25, 2008, the city was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused minor damage to shops, where stock was shaken off shelves. Minor power outages were also reported. This was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since the 5.6 Napier/Taradale earthquake in 1980.
In 2010, the city, together with New Plymouth
became one of the two walking and cycling "model communities", qualifying for further co-funding by the national government to improve its walking paths and cycleways, and encourage people to use active forms of transport.
Hastings District, as one of the largest apple, pear and stone fruit producing areas in New Zealand, has an important relationship with the Napier Port
. It has also become an important grape growing and wine production area with the fruit passing from the growers around Metropolitan Hastings and then to Napier
for exporting. Napier is an important service centre for the agriculture and pastoral output of the predominantly rural Hastings District. Shopping is heavily weighted by large format retail in Hastings City, whereas in contrast, Havelock North, Taradale and central Napier retail areas have a more boutique flavour.
A controversial idea by the Hastings District Council is to relocate the Nelson Park sports ground to a new facility on the edge of the Hastings urban area to make way for a large megacentre, also known as 'Large Format Stores'
. A comprehensive study was conducted before the sale concluding that retaining big box development within the CBD will help boutique stores prosper as opposed to locating the development on a greenfield site. Charter Hall, the developers behind 'Home HQ Hawkes Bay', have confirmed as of August 2010, the major anchors of the development will be Hawkes Bay's largest 'The Warehouse'
and the relocation of the cities' Mitre 10 Mega
. The new sports park is proposed as a regional facility and includes a velodrome, all-weather athletics track and sports grounds for most other sporting codes represented in NZ sport.
is available for private planes is nearby.
Hastings' largest draw card is the wine and food trail established around the productive hinterland. There are over 75 wineries in the surrounding area, including New Zealand's oldest winery restaurant (Vidal Estate). Boutique food industries are becoming popular with cheese, fine meats, and locally produced delicacies seen on display at the Hawkes Bay Farmer's Market (New Zealand's oldest and largest weekly farmer's market). Outdoor leisure activities dominate, with beaches, river, mountain biking, tramping, and golf, being popular. In summer, many large scale events attract domestic tourists including the Spring Racing Carnival, The Blossom Parade, Harvest Hawkes Bay Weekend, and various concerts and events usually held at wineries. The Blossom Festival was once a large national event in the mid 20th century, with charter trains from Wellington and Auckland coming for the event. This however has slowly declined in popularity.
Hastings' specialist attractions include: Hawke's Bay's largest amusement park, a water park called 'Splash Planet', which replaced 'Fantasyland' near the turn of the millennium, Cape Kidnappers
(The world's largest mainland Gannet colony), Te Mata Peak
, and access to an abundance of nature reserves and mountain treks. Architecturally speaking, Hastings suffered similar to Napier in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
. However, because of the lesser damage by fire, Hastings maintained more pre earthquake buildings. Both towns gained a legacy from the disaster by rebuilding in the then-fashionable and highly distinctive Art Deco
style, similar to that of Miami, FL
, USA. Hastings also pocesses a large percentage of Spanish Mission architecture (popular as with Art Deco in the early 1930s). Sadly, Hastings succumbed to rapid redevelopment in the 1960s-70s which saw many 1930s buildings replaced.
and the rain shadow
of the Kaweka Ranges, Hastings is situated on the fertile alluvial Heretaunga Plains
. The plains have were originally covered in swamp and mangroves, but have since been drained for agriculture. The local area is very productive, with orchard
s, farms and vineyard
s, and lies upon New Zealand's 2nd largest aquifer
http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____12535.aspx.
(according to Köppen climate classification
). It is a common misconception that it is a Mediterranean climate
, mainly due to hot summers and low annual rainfall. Sunshine hours rank over 2200 annually while rainfall averages less than 800 mm (31.5 in). It is one of the country's warmest annually and the hottest urban area
in summer with New Zealand's highest January maximum average of 26 °C (79 °F): Alexandra has 23.5°C (74°F) and Christchurch 22.5°C (73°F). Because of its location 15 km (9.3 mi) inland, the sea breeze does not tend to have the same effect on Hastings' climate as it does on Napier. It is not uncommon for the temperature to be over 30°C (86°F) on summer days, while in winter, maximum highs of 17°C (59°F) are frequent, and occasionally will exceed 20°C (68°F) with northwest winds.
, which also links the city with its suburban centres of Havelock North and Flaxmere.
Many Hastings residents work in the city, and the area is populated by middle-to-upper income families in some suburbs and areas, and then middle-to-lower income families in other areas, especially towards Camberley and the north end of Flaxmere.
At the 2006 census, Hastings District had a population of 70,842, an increase of 3,414 people, or 5.1 percent, since the 2001 census. There were 25,557 occupied dwellings, 1,920 unoccupied dwellings, and 273 dwellings under construction. Hastings's ethnicity was made up of (national figure in brackets): 67.0 percent European (67.6 percent), 23.8 percent Maori (14.7 percent), 2.85 percent Asian (9.2 percent), 5.1 percent Pacific Islanders (6.9 percent), 0.5 percent Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (0.9 percent), and 12.1 percent 'New Zealanders'. Hastings had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent of people 15 years and over, compared to 5.1 percent nationally. The average annual income of all people 15 years and over in Hastings was $
22,600, compared to $24,400 nationally. Of those, 45.5 percent earned under $20,000 annually, compared to 43.2 percent nationally, while 14.4 percent earned over $50,000 annually, compared to 18.0 percent nationally.
Sister cities=
The Hastings' relationship with the Chinese
city Guilin
started in 1977, after a research scientist, Dr. Stuart Falconer identified a number of common areas of interest between the two cities, including horticulture and their rural-urban mix.
Notable residents=
Former and current notable residents in the Hastings Metro area:
External links=
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District. Hastings is located some 20 km inland from the neighbouring port city of Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
.
Less than twenty kilometres separate the centres of Hastings and Napier
Napier-Hastings Urban Area
The Napier-Hastings Urban Area is a New Zealand urban area that covers the twin cities of Napier and Hastings. It is the fifth largest urban area in the country with a population of over 128,600...
, and as such the two are often grouped together as "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities", and are increasingly treated together in official statistics. Their combined population is , making the combined urban area the fifth-largest by population in New Zealand, between Hamilton and Tauranga .
The principal settlements in the Hastings District are the city of Hastings itself and the nearby towns of Flaxmere
Flaxmere
Flaxmere is a suburb in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island.It is located North-west to the town of Hastings City, and is regarded as a suburb of its larger neighbor. It had a population of 10,400 according to the Hastings Council....
and Havelock North
Havelock North, New Zealand
Havelock North is a suburb in Hastings, New Zealand, in the North Island's Hawke's Bay region. It ranked as a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local government saw it merged into the new Hastings District....
. These main centres are surrounded by thirty-eight rural settlements, including Clive
Clive, New Zealand
The small town of Clive is located ten kilometres south of Napier in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island. It is close to the mouth of the Ngaruroro River....
, Haumoana
Haumoana
-The Beach:Haumoana is located twelve kilometres south of Napier and ten kilometres east of Hastings. The village incorporates a school, a Presbyterian Church, a general store, a takeaway shop, a hall and a fire station. The village was developed as a holiday settlement with baches, and the...
and Bridge Pā
Bridge Pa
Bridge Pā is a rural Māori settlement and surrounding area in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, located approximately 10 kilometres inland from Hastings. The pā itself comprises approximately 70 households, a school, a meetinghouse of the LDS Church, two marae , a cemetery and a disused quarry...
. Hastings District covers an area of 5229 square kilometres (2,018.9 sq mi) and has % of the population of New Zealand, ranking it fourteenth in size out of the seventy-four territorial authorities. Since the merger of the surrounding and satellite settlements, Hastings has grown to become the largest urban area in Hawke's Bay.
The Hastings district has a long history of a food producing region, and is commonly referred to as the 'Fruit Bowl of New Zealand'. The fertile plains surrounding the city have grow an abundance of stone fruit, vegetables, and more recently has become the base of New Zealand's Red Wine industry. Associated business included food processing, agricultural services, rural finance, and freight. Hastings also is the major service centre for the surrounding inland pastoral communities while the service industry and tourism is growing rapidly.
Māori history
Near the ninth century AD, Māori arrived in Heretaunga or Hawkes Bay, settling in the river valleys and along the coast where food was plentiful. It is believed that Maori came to Heretaunga by canoe, travelling down the coast from the north, landing at Wairoa, Portland Island, the Ahuriri Lagoon at Westshore, and at Waimarama. Their culture flourished, along with gradual deforestation of the land, making this one of the few regions of New Zealand where sheep could be brought in without felling the bush first. In the sixteenth century, Taraia, great-grandson of the great and prolific chief Kahungunu, established the large tribe of Ngāti KahungunuNgati Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke’s Bay and Tararua and Wairārapa regions....
, which eventually colonised the eastern side of the North Island from Poverty Bay to Wairarapa. They were one of the first Māori tribes to come in contact with European settlers.
European settlers' history
The Māori owners leased approximately seventy square kilometres on the Heretaunga PlainsHeretaunga Plains
There are two places in New Zealand called Heretaunga. For the suburb of Upper Hutt see Heretaunga.The Heretaunga Plains are an area of flat land in the eastern North Island of New Zealand....
to Thomas Tanner in 1867; Tanner had been trying to purchase the land since 1864. In 1870, twelve people, known as the "12 apostles", formed a syndicate to purchase the land for around £
New Zealand pound
The pound was the currency of New Zealand between 1840 and 1967. Like the British pound, it was subdivided into 20 shillings each of 12 pence. As a result of the great depression of the early 1930s, the New Zealand agricultural export market to the UK was badly affected...
1 10s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
an acre (£371 per km²). Many local people firmly believe that Hastings was originally named Hicksville, after Francis Hicks, who bought a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) block of land, which now contains the centre of Hastings, from Thomas Tanner. However, this story is apocryphal. The original name of the location which was to become the town centre was Karamu.
In 1871, the New Zealand Government decided to route the new railway south of Napier through a notional Karamu junction in the centre of the Heretaunga Plains. This location was on Francis Hicks's land. The decision on the railway route was based largely on two reports by Charles Weber, the provincial engineer and surveyor in charge of the railway. Karamu junction was re-named Hastings in 1873. (On 7 June 1873, the Hawke's Bay Herald reported: "The name of the new town is to be Hastings. We hear it now for the first time.") Exactly who chose the name has been disputed, although Thomas Tanner claimed that it was him (see Hawke's Bay Herald report 1 February 1884) and that the choice was inspired by his reading the trial of Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings PC was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Early life:...
. In any event, the name fitted well with other place names in the district (Napier, Havelock and Clive), which were also named after prominent figures in the history of British India. {Boyd, M.B. (1984) City of the Plains – A History of Hastings, Victoria University Press for the Hastings City Council, pp. 16–21} In 1874, the first train took the twelve-mile (19 km) trip from Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
to Hastings, opening up Hastings as an export centre, through Port Ahuriri. A big jump in the local economy occurred when Edward Newbigin opened a brewery in 1881. By the next year, there were 195 freeholders of land in the town and with around six hundred people, the town was incorporated as a borough on 20 October 1886. In 1918, nearly 300 people died of a flu epidemic that swept Hawke's Bay while the following year, in 1919, Hastings welcomed electricity.
1931 earthquake
On February 3, 1931, at 10:47am, most of Hastings (and nearby Napier) was levelled by an earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. The collapses of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 258 people (93 in Hastings). The centre of the town was destroyed by the earthquake, and was subsequently rebuilt in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Spanish Mission
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
styles, both popular at that time. Although Hastings did not suffer the crippling fires that Napier did, most deaths were attributed to collapsing buildings, namely Roaches' Department Store in Heretaunga Street
Heretaunga Street
Heretaunga Street is the main East-West artery through Hastings City in New Zealand.-Road Size:It starts in Havelock North where it goes under the name Havelock Road, and runs for 2.3 km until it officially goes by the name Heretaunga Street; it then runs for another until it stops at...
where 17 people perished.
Modern history
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
troops were billeted at the Army, Navy and Air Force (ANA) Club, and in private homes. One hundred and fifty members belonging to sixteen different local clubs packed supplies to be sent to allied soldiers. In 1954, Hastings was the first city in New Zealand to introduce fluoridation of its water supply.http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/0/AB32B58A8D61D9DACC256F47007C32BB The intention was to compare the effect on tooth decay with that in the unfluoridated city of Napier over a ten-year period. The study was criticised for its methodology and results, and remains controversial. http://www.fannz.org.nz/text/potted_history_nz.htm On September 10, 1960, the Hastings Blossom Parade (at the time a significant national event) was cancelled at 11 am for the first time in history due to rain. Parade attendees drank in bars for several hours, and subsequently, when a 'impromptu' parade began at 2 pm, a riot started as police tried to arrest those intoxicated in public. This event was a great social event of New Zealand with modern youth rebellion culture being labelled antisocial, and was subsequently much publicised with the national election later that year.
Hastings grew rapidly in throughout the 1960s and 1970s (Hastings at this time was the fastest growing city in New Zealand), and there was a major issue dealing with encroachment of suburban expansion on high productive land. Flaxmere
Flaxmere
Flaxmere is a suburb in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island.It is located North-west to the town of Hastings City, and is regarded as a suburb of its larger neighbor. It had a population of 10,400 according to the Hastings Council....
was established as a satellite town to absorb rapid growth and was built upon the stoney arid soils of the abandon course of the Ngaruroro River
Ngaruroro River
The Ngaruroro River is located in the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It runs for a total of 100 kilometres, southeast from the Kaweka Range and then east before emptying into Hawke Bay 10 kilometres south of Napier, near the town of Clive....
. Although the land seemed worthless back then, it has subsequently proved highly valued for grape growing, and now is a prized region of Red Wine varietals in the world-famous Gimblett Gravels wine growing region. Starting with economic decline nationally in the late 1970s, coupled with agricultural subsidy reforms in the early 1980s, Hastings went into deep recession with high unemployment and low economic growth. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the economy of Hastings began to turn around.
During the 1989 local government reforms Hastings City was amalgamated with Havelock North Borough and the Hawkes Bay County to form the modern Hastings District. The County Council offices in Napier were closed down and the new Hastings District Council offices were located in Hastings on two sites. Fortunately for the previously land-locked Napier, Napier City boundary was expanded to include Bay View and Meeanee. The Hastings District now entirely surrounds Napier City, and encompasses a much larger area than Napier. However, unlike the predominantly built-up Napier, much of the Hastings District is rural and sparsely populated, and the two local authorities serve a similar population; the Hastings District has approximately residents. Because of their proximity to each other and their relatively small populations, Napier and Hastings are often seen as an obvious candidate for further amalgamation. This has already been tried in the 1999 Amalgamation Referendum where 75% of Napier residents opposed, and 64% of Hastings residents approved. There has been a trend towards greater approval since however. At 11.25 pm on August 25, 2008, the city was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused minor damage to shops, where stock was shaken off shelves. Minor power outages were also reported. This was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since the 5.6 Napier/Taradale earthquake in 1980.
In 2010, the city, together with New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
became one of the two walking and cycling "model communities", qualifying for further co-funding by the national government to improve its walking paths and cycleways, and encourage people to use active forms of transport.
Commerce and Industry
Port of Napier
The Port of Napier is located on Hawke Bay in Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.The port is connected to the rail network via the Ahuriri Branch....
. It has also become an important grape growing and wine production area with the fruit passing from the growers around Metropolitan Hastings and then to Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
for exporting. Napier is an important service centre for the agriculture and pastoral output of the predominantly rural Hastings District. Shopping is heavily weighted by large format retail in Hastings City, whereas in contrast, Havelock North, Taradale and central Napier retail areas have a more boutique flavour.
Redevelopment
By the end of the twentieth century, Hastings was declining, suffering economic downturn with industries and freezing works closing due to the agricultural subsidy reforms in the early 1980s. However, after multi-million dollar regeneration projects and the employment of artists, Hastings has seen a change in its aesthetics. A CBD strategy was enforced to revitalise the central retail core, while promoting Havelock North as a 'luxury boutique' destination. The strategy was successful and Hastings vacancy rates ended up lower than Napier by 2005. The current goal of the council is to continue developing Hastings CBD to attract more recognised national chains, which have in the past completely neglected the city in favour of Napier. Attracting more cafes and entertainment venues is currently active in the Eastern blocks of Heretaunga St.A controversial idea by the Hastings District Council is to relocate the Nelson Park sports ground to a new facility on the edge of the Hastings urban area to make way for a large megacentre, also known as 'Large Format Stores'
Big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
. A comprehensive study was conducted before the sale concluding that retaining big box development within the CBD will help boutique stores prosper as opposed to locating the development on a greenfield site. Charter Hall, the developers behind 'Home HQ Hawkes Bay', have confirmed as of August 2010, the major anchors of the development will be Hawkes Bay's largest 'The Warehouse'
The Warehouse Group
The Warehouse Group Limited, founded by Stephen Tindall in 1982, is the largest department store retailer operating in New Zealand. The Warehouse is largely a discount store similar to Wal-Mart in the United States, however The Warehouse sells far more generic brand merchandise than other discount...
and the relocation of the cities' Mitre 10 Mega
Mitre 10
Mitre 10 is the trading name of retail and trade hardware store chains, over 700 locations throughout of Australia. Operations are based on a co-operative system where the store owners are members of the national group and each has voting rights...
. The new sports park is proposed as a regional facility and includes a velodrome, all-weather athletics track and sports grounds for most other sporting codes represented in NZ sport.
Tourism
Hastings District is quite historic and is very welcoming of tourists, and features a tourism industry based on 'lifestyle' activities rather than attractions. The majority of tourists are domestic, usually 'weekenders' from Auckland or Wellington. Scheduled airline services to Hawke's Bay operate through Hawke's Bay Airport, though Hastings AerodromeHastings Aerodrome
Hastings Aerodrome is a small airport located in Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. It is sometimes referred to as Bridge Pa Aerodrome. It is owned and operated by the Hawke's Bay & East Coast Aero Club Inc....
is available for private planes is nearby.
Hastings' largest draw card is the wine and food trail established around the productive hinterland. There are over 75 wineries in the surrounding area, including New Zealand's oldest winery restaurant (Vidal Estate). Boutique food industries are becoming popular with cheese, fine meats, and locally produced delicacies seen on display at the Hawkes Bay Farmer's Market (New Zealand's oldest and largest weekly farmer's market). Outdoor leisure activities dominate, with beaches, river, mountain biking, tramping, and golf, being popular. In summer, many large scale events attract domestic tourists including the Spring Racing Carnival, The Blossom Parade, Harvest Hawkes Bay Weekend, and various concerts and events usually held at wineries. The Blossom Festival was once a large national event in the mid 20th century, with charter trains from Wellington and Auckland coming for the event. This however has slowly declined in popularity.
Hastings' specialist attractions include: Hawke's Bay's largest amusement park, a water park called 'Splash Planet', which replaced 'Fantasyland' near the turn of the millennium, Cape Kidnappers
Cape Kidnappers
Cape Kidnappers is a headland at the southeastern extremity of Hawke Bay on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located 20 kilometres southeast of the city of Napier...
(The world's largest mainland Gannet colony), Te Mata Peak
Te Mata Peak
Te Mata Peak is a peak south of Hastings rising up to 399m in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. A sealed road leads to the popular lookout at the summit, as well as several trails for hikers and mountain bikers....
, and access to an abundance of nature reserves and mountain treks. Architecturally speaking, Hastings suffered similar to Napier in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47 am on Tuesday 3 February 1931, killing 256 and devastating the Hawke's Bay region. It remains New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster...
. However, because of the lesser damage by fire, Hastings maintained more pre earthquake buildings. Both towns gained a legacy from the disaster by rebuilding in the then-fashionable and highly distinctive Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, similar to that of Miami, FL
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA. Hastings also pocesses a large percentage of Spanish Mission architecture (popular as with Art Deco in the early 1930s). Sadly, Hastings succumbed to rapid redevelopment in the 1960s-70s which saw many 1930s buildings replaced.
Horse of the Year show
Hawkes Bay A&P Showgrounds in Hastings is the home to the annual NZ Horse of the year show, held in March. It is one of the biggest sporting events in the southern hemisphere, and attracts 2500 horse and rider combinations competing in 19 disciplines including Dressage, Showhunter, Eventing, Showjumping and polocrosse and many breed classes to name a few. It has a budget of around $NZD3million, and attracts over 70,000 visitors from over NZ and internationally over the 5-day show.Geography
Located on New Zealand's east coast, to the east of the Central PlateauNorth Island Volcanic Plateau
The North Island Volcanic Plateau is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes....
and the rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
of the Kaweka Ranges, Hastings is situated on the fertile alluvial Heretaunga Plains
Heretaunga Plains
There are two places in New Zealand called Heretaunga. For the suburb of Upper Hutt see Heretaunga.The Heretaunga Plains are an area of flat land in the eastern North Island of New Zealand....
. The plains have were originally covered in swamp and mangroves, but have since been drained for agriculture. The local area is very productive, with orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s, farms and vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, and lies upon New Zealand's 2nd largest aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage____12535.aspx.
Climate
Hastings has a Warm-Maritime climateClimate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
(according to Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
). It is a common misconception that it is a Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
, mainly due to hot summers and low annual rainfall. Sunshine hours rank over 2200 annually while rainfall averages less than 800 mm (31.5 in). It is one of the country's warmest annually and the hottest urban area
Urban areas of New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand defines New Zealand urban areas for statistical purposes. The urban areas comprise cities, towns and other 'conurbations' of a thousand people or more. In combination, the urban areas of the country constitute New Zealand's urban population...
in summer with New Zealand's highest January maximum average of 26 °C (79 °F): Alexandra has 23.5°C (74°F) and Christchurch 22.5°C (73°F). Because of its location 15 km (9.3 mi) inland, the sea breeze does not tend to have the same effect on Hastings' climate as it does on Napier. It is not uncommon for the temperature to be over 30°C (86°F) on summer days, while in winter, maximum highs of 17°C (59°F) are frequent, and occasionally will exceed 20°C (68°F) with northwest winds.
Demographics
Hastings District encompasses a larger area of population compared with Napier. The Urban Area of Hastings in 64,700 which includes the surrounding Heretaunga Plains from Clive to Bridge Pa. The central urban area however which is specifically the population centre of Hastings, Flaxmere, and Havelock North is around 58,758 (at the 2006 census). Due to restrictions on encroachment of land, satellite suburbs have absorbed the residential expansion of the city. Hastings has grown rapidly with the help of the smart and tidy gridiron city planning system, crisscrossed by the railway line running northeast-southwest and the main southeast-northwest artery, Heretaunga StreetHeretaunga Street
Heretaunga Street is the main East-West artery through Hastings City in New Zealand.-Road Size:It starts in Havelock North where it goes under the name Havelock Road, and runs for 2.3 km until it officially goes by the name Heretaunga Street; it then runs for another until it stops at...
, which also links the city with its suburban centres of Havelock North and Flaxmere.
Many Hastings residents work in the city, and the area is populated by middle-to-upper income families in some suburbs and areas, and then middle-to-lower income families in other areas, especially towards Camberley and the north end of Flaxmere.
At the 2006 census, Hastings District had a population of 70,842, an increase of 3,414 people, or 5.1 percent, since the 2001 census. There were 25,557 occupied dwellings, 1,920 unoccupied dwellings, and 273 dwellings under construction. Hastings's ethnicity was made up of (national figure in brackets): 67.0 percent European (67.6 percent), 23.8 percent Maori (14.7 percent), 2.85 percent Asian (9.2 percent), 5.1 percent Pacific Islanders (6.9 percent), 0.5 percent Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (0.9 percent), and 12.1 percent 'New Zealanders'. Hastings had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent of people 15 years and over, compared to 5.1 percent nationally. The average annual income of all people 15 years and over in Hastings was $
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
22,600, compared to $24,400 nationally. Of those, 45.5 percent earned under $20,000 annually, compared to 43.2 percent nationally, while 14.4 percent earned over $50,000 annually, compared to 18.0 percent nationally.
Sister cities=
The Hastings' relationship with the Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
city Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
started in 1977, after a research scientist, Dr. Stuart Falconer identified a number of common areas of interest between the two cities, including horticulture and their rural-urban mix.
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Notable residents=
- Josh KronfeldJosh KronfeldJoshua Adrian Kronfeld is a former rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand at international level and Otago, the Highlanders and Leicester at first-class level...
– Rugby Player and former All Black. He attended Hastings Boys High. - John TimuJohn TimuJohn Timu is a retired professional rugby league and rugby union footballer of the 1980s and 90s.Timu's position of choice was as a centre...
– Rugby Player and former All Black. Also represented New Zealand in Rugby League. He attended Lindisfarne College in Hastings. - Taine RandellTaine RandellTaine Randell is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He was a versatile loose forward and a former All Black captain.-Summary:...
– Rugby player and former All Black captain. He attended Lindisfarne College in Hastings. - Paul Holmes (broadcaster)Paul Holmes (broadcaster)Paul Holmes CNZM is a radio and television broadcaster in New Zealand. he hosts Q+A on TV ONE, and the Saturday morning radio show on Newstalk ZB, where for 23 years until December 2008 he hosted the weekday breakfast show, the long-standing number one rating breakfast show...
– Radio and television broadcaster (reportedly highest paid) - Georgina Evers-SwindellGeorgina Evers-SwindellGeorgina Earl, formerly known as Georgina Evers-Swindell is a former New Zealand rower. She competed in the double sculls with her identical twin sister Caroline Meyer, and is a double Olympic gold medalist, having won at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008...
– Olympic rower and gold medalist (Evers-Swindell Twin Duo) - Caroline Evers-SwindellCaroline Evers-SwindellCaroline Meyer formerly known as Caroline Evers-Swindell is a former New Zealand rower. She is 179 cm tall and 80kg. She competed in the double sculls with her identical twin sister Georgina Earl...
– Olympic rower and gold medalist (Evers-Swindell Twin Duo) - Alan DuffAlan DuffAlan Duff is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist, most well known as the author of Once Were Warriors.- Biography :...
– Author (Once Were WarriorsOnce Were WarriorsOnce Were Warriors is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence. It was the basis of a 1994 film, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera...
) and co-founder of Duffy Books in HomesDuffy Books in HomesDuffy Books in Homes is the trading name of The Alan Duff Charitable Foundation. It is a New Zealand registered, literacy-focused charitable organization which has links to similar organisations in the USA and Australia.-History:... - James Wattie – Industrialist/Entrepreneur and founder of Watties
- Eric Young (broadcaster)Eric Young (broadcaster)Eric Young is a New Zealand journalist and television presenter. He has presented Prime News – First at 5:30 since March 2006.Young's broadcasting career began on radio in Auckland in the early 1980s...
– Prime TV news presenter (lead anchor of evening news) - Donna Awatere HuataDonna Awatere HuataDonna Lynn Awatere Huata is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament for the ACT Party, former activist for Māori causes, and convicted fraudster.-Early life:...
– Prominent Maori Politician convicted of fraud - Greg MurphyGreg MurphyGreg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
– V8 Supercar racer - Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
– Prominent Australian Politician and former Queensland Premier - Alfred MeeboldAlfred MeeboldAlfred Karl Meebold was a botanist, writer, and anthroposophist.- Life :Meebold worked at his father's factory, in the Württembergische Cattunmanufactur....
– Botanist, writer, and anthroposopher - Robert FelkinRobert FelkinRobert William Felkin was a medical missionary and explorer, a ceremonial magician and member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a prolific author on Uganda and Central Africa, and early anthropologist, with an interest in ethno-medicine and tropical diseases.He was founder in 1903 of the...
– Medical missionary, explorer and ceremonial magician - Peter Lyons – New Zealand Gliding champion
- George NepiaGeorge NepiaGeorge Nepia was a Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top...
– Former All Black Great(attended Maori Agricultural College) - Sam Kelt – Local businessman and sponsor of the Kelt Capital StakesKelt Capital StakesThe Kit Ormond Memorial Spring Classic is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Hastings Racecourse in Hawke's Bay and is New Zealand's richest weight-for-age horse race...
(prizemoney of NZ$2,000,000) - John Cowie – Developed and marketed the Jandal, after a trip to Japan. Died in Te Awanga.
- Phil JuddPhil JuddPhilip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
– Musician, composer and founding member of Split Enz - Mark PastonMark PastonMark Nelson Paston is a New Zealand football goalkeeper who plays for the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.-Early career:...
– footballer, New Zealand national football team goalkeeper. - Joan WiffenJoan Wiffen-Early life:Joan Wiffen was brought up in Havelock North and King Country. Born in 1922 Joan Wiffen only had a very short secondary school education as her father believed that higher education was wasted on girls, so he made her leave...
– Amateur paleontologist who discovered the first dinosaur fossils in New Zealand - Ian Smith (New Zealand cricketer) – Former Central Districts and New Zealand cricketing great
External links=
- Hastings District Council
- Hawke's Bay Tourism
- Hastings on Google MapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
Hastings