Mairehau is a suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits 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...

. It is located four kilometres north of the city centre, close to the edge of the urbanised central city area. Much new development is being carried out on the northern edge of Mairehau.

The suburb was named in 1916 after Mrs Mairehau Hutton, on account of her father Arthur Gravenor Rhodes being a major local property owner. The name Mairehau is derived from the New Zealand shrub mairehau, Phebalium nudum, named after Maire

Maire

Syzygium maire, Swamp Maire, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. It is found throughout the North Island, and the top of the South Island. The Māori language name is . Swamp maire grows in wetlands, where it develops breathing roots in waterlogged soils, but is also tolerant of reasonably...

an invisible Maori mist maiden.

External links

• http://www.mairehau.school.nz/ - Official School Site