Kaiwaka
Encyclopedia
Kaiwaka "the little town of lights" is a settlement in Northland, New Zealand
. The Kaiwaka River runs from the east through the area and joins with the Wairau River to form the Otamatea River
, which drains into the Kaipara Harbour
. State Highway 1
passes through Kaiwaka. Wellsford
is 20 km south, Brynderwyn is 8 km north and Whangarei
the closest city, being 60 km (45 minutes drive) north. The Mangawhai Heads are 18 km north east.
The population was 537 in the 2006 Census, unchanged from 2001.
, a major battle between Ngā Puhi
and Ngāti Whātua
at Te Ika-a-ranga-nui near Kaiwaka resulted in over 170 deaths.
Kaiwaka became a trading and commercial point from the late 1850s. As the kauri
timber and gum industries declined towards the end of the century, dairy farming became established. The Hakaru Dairy Company was formed to serve Kaiwaka farmers in 1902.
From the 1880s, steamers provided regular service to Kaiwaka from the Otamatea. The Minnie Casey ran a service every Tuesday from 1882. Services continued well into the 20th century.
The Great North Road from Auckland
to Whangarei
passed through Kaiwaka, but was only a line on a map for much of the 19th century. Attempts were made to improve the road from 1895, and by 1900 the worst places on the road between Kaiwaka and Whangarei were metalled. In 1911, Kaiwaka had a population of 211.
The North Auckland railway line reached Kaiwaka in March 1913, although problems with the terrain, and World War I
, meant that it was not extended significantly further north until the early 1920s.
The Lands and Survey Department
took over large blocks of unproductive land and developed them in the 1940s, and these were passed to returning soldiers in the early 1950s.
of 4 and a roll of 90. The school opened in September, 1871, and the school celebrated its centennial in 1970.
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...
. The Kaiwaka River runs from the east through the area and joins with the Wairau River to form the Otamatea River
Otamatea River (Northland)
The Otamatea River is a river of the Northland Region. A short, wide river, It flows southwest and could be considered an arm of the northern Kaipara Harbour. The Otamatea is formed by the confluence of the Wairau and Kaiwaka rivers and the North Auckland Line crosses at this point. Almost wide at...
, which drains into the Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
. State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
passes through Kaiwaka. Wellsford
Wellsford
Wellsford is a town in the northern North Island of New Zealand. The town is the northernmost major settlement in the Auckland Region, and is 114 kilometres northwest of Auckland City.....
is 20 km south, Brynderwyn is 8 km north and Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
the closest city, being 60 km (45 minutes drive) north. The Mangawhai Heads are 18 km north east.
The population was 537 in the 2006 Census, unchanged from 2001.
History
In February 1825, during the Musket WarsMusket Wars
The Musket Wars were a series of five hundred or more battles mainly fought between various hapū , sometimes alliances of pan-hapū groups and less often larger iwi of Māori between 1807 and 1842, in New Zealand.Northern tribes such as the rivals Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua were the first to obtain...
, a major battle between Ngā Puhi
Ngapuhi
Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi located in the Northland region of New Zealand, and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei.Ngāpuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand iwi, with 122,214 people registered , and formed from 150 hapu, with 55 marae.-Foundations:The founding...
and Ngāti Whātua
Ngati Whatua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It consists of four hapu : Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taoū, and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei....
at Te Ika-a-ranga-nui near Kaiwaka resulted in over 170 deaths.
Kaiwaka became a trading and commercial point from the late 1850s. As the kauri
Agathis australis
Agathis australis, commonly known as the kauri, is a coniferous tree found north of 38°S in the northern districts of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest but not tallest species of tree in New Zealand, standing up to 50 m tall in the emergent layer above the forest's main canopy. The...
timber and gum industries declined towards the end of the century, dairy farming became established. The Hakaru Dairy Company was formed to serve Kaiwaka farmers in 1902.
From the 1880s, steamers provided regular service to Kaiwaka from the Otamatea. The Minnie Casey ran a service every Tuesday from 1882. Services continued well into the 20th century.
The Great North Road from Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
passed through Kaiwaka, but was only a line on a map for much of the 19th century. Attempts were made to improve the road from 1895, and by 1900 the worst places on the road between Kaiwaka and Whangarei were metalled. In 1911, Kaiwaka had a population of 211.
The North Auckland railway line reached Kaiwaka in March 1913, although problems with the terrain, and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, meant that it was not extended significantly further north until the early 1920s.
The Lands and Survey Department
Department of Survey and Land Information
The Department of Survey and Land Information is a former department of the New Zealand Government. It was formed in April 1987 as a restructuring of the Department of Lands and Survey....
took over large blocks of unproductive land and developed them in the 1940s, and these were passed to returning soldiers in the early 1950s.
Notable people
- Mary Jane Mander, journalist and novelist, attended school in Kaiwaka.
- Tapihana Paraire PaikeaTapihana Paraire PaikeaTapihana Paraire Paikea, also known as Dobson, is a former New Zealand politician and Ratana morehu who won the Northern Maori electorate for Labour in 1943...
, Member of Parliament for Northern MaoriNorthern MaoriNorthern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres: Auckland, Whangarei.-Tribal Areas:...
, died at Kaiwaka.
Education
Kaiwaka School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile ratingSocio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
of 4 and a roll of 90. The school opened in September, 1871, and the school celebrated its centennial in 1970.